How are you verifying this? If you are using a multimeter, you may be seeing stray voltage. Measure with the air conditioner turned on at the thermostat on so the contactor is pulled in. Or use a lightbulb in a pigtail socket to check.
Help with A/C issue not working.
- Thread starter Rand
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How are you verifying this? If you are using a multimeter, you may be seeing stray voltage. Measure with the air conditioner turned on at the thermostat on so the contactor is pulled in. Or use a lightbulb in a pigtail socket to check.
Its all apart. I was testing voltage from the fuseholder to ground.
I cant measure at the contactor it will pop the breaker.. it popped the fuses once ( I have extra fuses now)
New contactor going in tomorrow.
when you say the load side those both have no short to ground.
between the 2 (black yellow?)those are windings so it should be an ohm reading?
I took careful ohm readings from the prongs directly on the compressor. all 3 were infinity to ground and I listed the ohms between prongs earlier.
For the sake of thoroughness It also has a new cap.
Currently if its all hooked up and I energize the AC using the app to turn it on.. it will pop the breaker within .5-1s
I did take about 15pics so I have no doubt about reassembling it correctly.
The front 2 ring terminals are compressor? the top black wire is fan? and the top yellow wire is to Cap C
Blue wire is cap-herm to compressor
brown wire is Cap -> fan
Now where the bottom yellow wire thats clipped on goes.. and some other stuff.. ugh its hard to trace as it goes into the housing.
The locations are 100% sure ,exactly what they are hooked up to is still a little fuzzy.
I cant measure at the contactor it will pop the breaker.. it popped the fuses once ( I have extra fuses now)
New contactor going in tomorrow.
when you say the load side those both have no short to ground.
between the 2 (black yellow?)those are windings so it should be an ohm reading?
I took careful ohm readings from the prongs directly on the compressor. all 3 were infinity to ground and I listed the ohms between prongs earlier.
For the sake of thoroughness It also has a new cap.
Currently if its all hooked up and I energize the AC using the app to turn it on.. it will pop the breaker within .5-1s
I did take about 15pics so I have no doubt about reassembling it correctly.
The front 2 ring terminals are compressor? the top black wire is fan? and the top yellow wire is to Cap C
Blue wire is cap-herm to compressor
brown wire is Cap -> fan
Now where the bottom yellow wire thats clipped on goes.. and some other stuff.. ugh its hard to trace as it goes into the housing.
The locations are 100% sure ,exactly what they are hooked up to is still a little fuzzy.
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Take a volt check across the contact more than 3 volts replace.
That's why a 1000-500 volt megger not a ohm meter is the instrument to use. 50 - 60 meg ohm or below its bad. Ohm meter puts out 1.5 to 9 volts depends on scale.
twouvakind
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Swap breakers on your distribution panel? Odder things have happened.
Edit: missed the post with blowing fuses as well
Edit: missed the post with blowing fuses as well
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Well I'm replacing the contactor tomorrow. I'll try a few more things have a "pro" coming (hope its a pro) on monday. 99$ diag fee.
In my experience among my friends and family 50% or better its usually the cap or contactor..
it also is not optimal to be troubleshooting this after a full day at work..
Going to trace some wires and hopefully hook up just the fan then just the compressor to see what happens.
FWIW the wiring harness appears in good shape but I can only see about 90% of it. Nothing seems shorted etc.
In my experience among my friends and family 50% or better its usually the cap or contactor..
it also is not optimal to be troubleshooting this after a full day at work..
Going to trace some wires and hopefully hook up just the fan then just the compressor to see what happens.
FWIW the wiring harness appears in good shape but I can only see about 90% of it. Nothing seems shorted etc.
When I was working on my parent's a/c compressor.. It would do a similar thing, the compressor would click, but not fully hum.. I don't think the fan moved at all either.. Checked the cap, was fine.. When I went to check the contactor (with the meter) it was allowing voltage to pass when it was not engaged! Replaced the contactor and the fan motor, bam! Worked perfectly! Had to replace the cap, new motor had a different cap rating. Checked the new contactor and it was not passing voltage when not engaged (like it should)..
I might be wrong and hey that's ok, but it sure sounds like the contactor is your problem. On the one I worked on, it was a Rheem replacement part too.. Looked like your picture.
Good luck, I got a bad feeling for you.
Those two items should not flip a breaker. But Im also just a do it yourself homeowner.
I do wonder if only one leg of the contactor is making contact would that overload one leg of the 220 causing the breaker to flip?
At least two of the three were cheap fixes. What does a new fan motor cost? Perhaps ~$100? Your labor is free anyway.
66 for "vivor" or 130-160 black generic ones.
ie you order "carrier oem" and instead a black generic shows up.
OEM which still isnt oem is about $240
its a simple 1/10hp .75amp with 1.5" shank and .5 diameter. (common)
$18. the new oem carrier contactor.. which isnt carrier brand was only issue is it has no ring terminals just the set screw pinch type.(2s fix) The one i ordered showed ring terminals...
New cap 13.50.
new motor I might try a cheapie if they are all the same thing.. 66$
www.amazon.com/dp/B0C23FZ8ZG
I thought about this one for $130
but the reviews say a generic black one shows up that works fine... not the pictured motor.
then you have this one from repair clinic that says genuine oem $225 or so shipped.
which is labeled gentech
Air Conditioner Condenser Fan Motor HB33GQ230 | Carrier Condenser Fan Motor - Repair Clinic
This HB33GQ230 Condenser Fan Motor is a genuine replacement part for air conditioners and is available now from Repair Clinic. Get your air conditioner back up and running with DIY instructions and OEM replacement parts. Shop now and get same-day shipping on this HB33GQ230 Condenser Fan Motor.
www.repairclinic.com
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No, because the factory contactors only break one leg (they're cheaper). There's no neutral involved here, so unless both legs of the contactor make contact, there's no complete circuit.
I would roll the dice on the $66 "Vivor" generic motor as the 4.5 star reviews are comparable to the more expensive replacement motors. It is a low labor job on a 12 year old HVAC unit. Something else will likely fail before the generic condenser fan motor dies again.
So an update.
The vevor which was marketed for 62$ as like new in box.
came with burns on the wiring... and the rubbery parts were dirty (where the reversing plug was)
Sent it back.
Ordered another much more oem style $140 carrier replacement.. it showed up.. and is defective/damaged. (vevor was universal)
Makes a nice clicking noise and shaft binds when spinning by hand.. also notice the dent in case. at lip.
my shorted 12 year old org. motor spun better....
Try number 3 coming thursday.
The vevor which was marketed for 62$ as like new in box.
came with burns on the wiring... and the rubbery parts were dirty (where the reversing plug was)
Sent it back.
Ordered another much more oem style $140 carrier replacement.. it showed up.. and is defective/damaged. (vevor was universal)
Makes a nice clicking noise and shaft binds when spinning by hand.. also notice the dent in case. at lip.
my shorted 12 year old org. motor spun better....
Try number 3 coming thursday.
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When I replaced one of my condenser fans, I got lucky found the OEM part number and a place on eBay (if I remember eBay as the source correctly) that sold it.
This time around, I insisted on OEM and to do it myself.
Before that time an air-conditioning company replaced the fan with the generic, and it lasted a year or two before the bearing started making noise. Charged me roughly the same price I would’ve paid for the OEM plus labor and they used the cheap generic.
I got lucky the OEM model was significantly more but I still picked it up for about $150 or less that I remember.
The units are Heil.
This was yes back, and I’m pulling numbers out of my head from what I remember.
The photo of the OEM style that you posted is used in a lot of OEM equipment. I THINk that was the same company of my OEM.
Man, you’re sure having a rough time, good luck with everything
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While it wasnt smooth.. after I figured out the compressor was fine.. that was instant lottery win celebration
I dont need AC till next may.. so these are just annoyances and dont really bother me except the lost time and effort.
I did discover the CVS .6 miles(1km) takes UPS dropoffs now.. so no more 26mile round trips to the UPS store.
Yes! The compressor working is a big win!While it wasnt smooth.. after I figured out the compressor was fine.. that was instant lottery win celebration
I dont need AC till next may.. so these are just annoyances and dont really bother me except the lost time and effort.
I did discover the CVS .6 miles(1km) takes UPS dropoffs now.. so no more 26mile round trips to the UPS store.
Most of these small fan motors don't have bearings . They have bronze bushings . I had a fan motor start squeeling on a Saturday afternoon a few years back . I pulled the motor out and trickled turbine oil down the shaft where it goes into the bushing . I was hoping to make through the weekend without having to call somebody . That motor is still running quiet to this day .
Mine was showing 4kohm resistance after shooting out smoke and crackling..
All fixed replacement motor #3 was the winner.
Not a hvac guy but even an honest one who would have just fixed what was wrong would have probably ran me over $1000+
a non-honest one would sell me a new unit.
My cost besides my time was about $200
That is exactly what I predicted earlier in this thread. Same situation when I fixed my parent's house central a/c compressor. The compressor was good, it was the rest that died... The capacitor, fan motor and contactor. Had an hvac guy say an entire a/c AND furnace needed to be installed since "this old a/c compressor doesnt have parts available for it anymore". A complete lie.. Replaced everything myself for about $160! Works perfectly. Oh and the original unit is a Rheem from 1988!! It's the kind that you need to pre-heat the compressor before running it in the spring (install fuse, wait 24hours before turning on)..
Glad to hear you got it all working for little $$$..
