Carrier air condenser fan motor stopped working

exalted512
exalted512 Posts: 10,735
edited August 2010 in The Clubhouse
Its 2am and 89*. FML.

Any suggestions? It was making a small humming noise, so I turned off the breaker, then had someone spin the fan blades, I turned the breaker on and the fan kicked on. We're checking the temperature every few minutes and its staying around the same. i go out about 15 minutes later and it had stopped working again and no humming noise. Flipped the breaker off/on and still no humming noise. Tried spinning the fan again and no dice this time.

Tomorrow I'm going to try and track down what, if any warranty is on it. I bought the house last year, it was built in 06, but I cant find any paperwork on it. So I'm going to call the builder tomorrow along with Carrier and see if I can find out anything.

Hopefully its under warranty, if its not, any suggestions?

-Cody
Music is like candy, you have to get rid of the rappers to enjoy it
Post edited by exalted512 on
· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • mole'
    mole' Posts: 3,160
    edited July 2010
    whats the model unit # on the AC?

    i did some work on Carriers units when i was in the Navy.

    EPA cert
    mole'
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Polkersince85
    Polkersince85 Posts: 2,883
    edited August 2010
    The fan relay contacts may be burned out. They take a beating.
    >
    >
    >This message has been scanned by the NSA and found to be free of harmful intent.<
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • sda2mike
    sda2mike Posts: 3,131
    edited August 2010
    that happened to one of mine...turned out it was a capacitor..looks like a small tin can...3 wires, i think...right near the motor..good luck
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • exalted512
    exalted512 Posts: 10,735
    edited August 2010
    Model: 38ESG036

    I have a friend that used to do work on AC's. I'm hoping he might be able to look at it. I sent him a text last night around 1:40am. He hasn't replied yet and I don't want to wake him up, so I'm going to call him around 10:15...along with our builder to see what's up with the warranty.
    -Cody
    Music is like candy, you have to get rid of the rappers to enjoy it
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • obieone
    obieone Posts: 5,077
    edited August 2010
    IF the fan blade WON'T spin, with the power turned OFF, then the bearings are seized. You'll need a new fan, and capacitor*
    Capacitor is maybe not required, but it's always been my practice to change the motor, blade and capacitor. IF this unit is less than 1 year old, all parts and labor SHOULD be covered under installer/ mfg. warranty.
    I refuse to argue with idiots, because people can't tell the DIFFERENCE!
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • nadams
    nadams Posts: 5,877
    edited August 2010
    If the fan blades spin freely, it should just be either the relay or the caps. Since you said that it spun for a bit if you got it started manually, my guess is the cap.
    Ludicrous gibs!
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • exalted512
    exalted512 Posts: 10,735
    edited August 2010
    Well, I talked to my friend. He said that it's hard to say. He said he thought it might be the cap, but if it stops spinning after a while (and not because the thermostat kicks it off), then he wasn't exactly sure.

    Got a hold of the builder, builder got a hold of the ac guy, ac guy called me. He's going to make it out here in the next 40 minutes or so to see if he can do anything.

    He said the warranty is typically 5 years, but the serial number indicates it was made in the 33rd week of 2004. So we might be out of luck. Hopefully it'll be the capacitor and it'll be something cheap...keep me in your prayers! haha.
    -Cody
    Music is like candy, you have to get rid of the rappers to enjoy it
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Disc Jockey
    Disc Jockey Posts: 1,013
    edited August 2010
    Does it start up again a while after it shuts off? If so, your motor may be overamping and triggering the thermal shut down. You can measure the current flow while it's running and compare this against the rating on the motor.
    "The secret of happiness is freedom. The secret of freedom is courage." Thucydides
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • exalted512
    exalted512 Posts: 10,735
    edited August 2010
    It was actually the capacitor. It actually exploded...not just got swollen up or anything like that.

    It was $100 for the guy to come out and replace the $15 part, but I have ac now...and it was def. worth $100.
    -Cody
    Music is like candy, you have to get rid of the rappers to enjoy it
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • madmax
    madmax Posts: 12,434
    edited August 2010
    Cool!
    Vinyl, the final frontier...

    Avantgarde horns, 300b tubes, thats the kinda crap I want... :D
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • exalted512
    exalted512 Posts: 10,735
    edited August 2010
    madmax wrote: »
    Cool!

    Literally!:p
    -Cody
    Music is like candy, you have to get rid of the rappers to enjoy it
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • mole'
    mole' Posts: 3,160
    edited August 2010
    exalted512 wrote: »
    It was actually the capacitor. It actually exploded...not just got swollen up or anything like that.

    It was $100 for the guy to come out and replace the $15 part, but I have ac now...and it was def. worth $100.
    -Cody

    :eek:
    mole'
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • BlueFox
    BlueFox Posts: 15,251
    edited August 2010
    sda2mike wrote: »
    that happened to one of mine...turned out it was a capacitor..looks like a small tin can...3 wires, i think...right near the motor..good luck


    Same here. New cap and it works fine.
    Lumin X1 file player, Westminster Labs interconnect cable
    Sony XA-5400ES SACD; Pass XP-22 pre; X600.5 amps
    Magico S5 MKII Mcast Rose speakers; SPOD spikes

    Shunyata Triton v3/Typhon QR on source, Denali 2000 (2) on amps
    Shunyata Sigma XLR analog ICs, Sigma speaker cables
    Shunyata Sigma HC (2), Sigma Analog, Sigma Digital, Z Anaconda (3) power cables

    Mapleshade Samson V.3 four shelf solid maple rack, Micropoint brass footers
    Three 20 amp circuits.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • fossy
    fossy Posts: 1,378
    edited August 2010
    after-thought......on electric motors.. if you can move the shaft back & forth or up & down .....then it's the bearings ... should be little to no play
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • nadams
    nadams Posts: 5,877
    edited August 2010
    mole' wrote: »
    :eek:

    Yeah, really... this is why I investigate and do things on my own when I can! If the cap was well and truely exploded, you would've easily been able to tell that was the problem on your own, and go out and spend $15 instead of $115.

    That extra $100 would buy me a lot of beer.
    Ludicrous gibs!
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Toolfan66
    Toolfan66 Posts: 17,212
    edited August 2010
    More then likely the capacitor is gone.. Do you have a Grainger near by??
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Face
    Face Posts: 14,340
    edited August 2010
    Did you upgrade it to a film cap? :D
    "He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • disneyjoe7
    disneyjoe7 Posts: 11,435
    edited August 2010
    Did you get it fixed?

    Speakers
    Carver Amazing Fronts
    CS400i Center
    RT800i's Rears
    Sub Paradigm Servo 15

    Electronics
    Conrad Johnson PV-5 pre-amp
    Parasound Halo A23
    Pioneer 84TXSi AVR
    Pioneer 79Avi DVD
    Sony CX400 CD changer
    Panasonic 42-PX60U Plasma
    WMC Win7 32bit HD DVR


    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • exalted512
    exalted512 Posts: 10,735
    edited August 2010
    nadams wrote: »
    Yeah, really... this is why I investigate and do things on my own when I can! If the cap was well and truely exploded, you would've easily been able to tell that was the problem on your own, and go out and spend $15 instead of $115.

    That extra $100 would buy me a lot of beer.

    No one here would even have that cap, much less on a Sunday. It was worth $100, trust me.

    And yeah Joe, its fixed!
    -Cody
    Music is like candy, you have to get rid of the rappers to enjoy it
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter