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Beartracks

(13,564 posts)
Sat May 13, 2023, 07:03 PM May 2023

A/C: fan spinning, compressor not kicking on. Cause?

My house is warming up and I realize I haven't heard the compressor kick in all afternoon. The furnace blower is still blowing, and the A/C's condenser fan motor is still working, but the compressor isn't doing it's job. For DIY yourself purposes, what might be the culprit?

- Blown fuse in the disconnect block? (Or would a blown fuse result in NOTHING working?)
- Start/Run Capacitor? (Or would capacitor failure result in the fan motor also not running?
- AC Contactor?
- Something else?

If it's the compressor itself that's actually gone bad, I might just need to get a whole new A/C since this one is already nearly 25 years old. But I'm wanting to make sure there's not something else (something cheaper) that might account for the symptoms I'm seeing.

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14 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
A/C: fan spinning, compressor not kicking on. Cause? (Original Post) Beartracks May 2023 OP
Ck drain NoMoreRepugs May 2023 #1
In the furnace blower where the evaporator coil is? Beartracks May 2023 #3
Update: I guess the whole unit ISN'T coming on now. Beartracks May 2023 #6
Could be thermostat DUgosh May 2023 #2
How can that be determined? Beartracks May 2023 #4
Update: Well, it seems the whole unit ISN'T coming on now. Beartracks May 2023 #7
Could be the capacitor... getagrip_already May 2023 #5
Hm, you may be right. It seems now that the whole unit is down. Beartracks May 2023 #8
You can check the capacitor visually to see if it's bulged out on the top. Hassin Bin Sober May 2023 #13
It may not be an moniss May 2023 #9
If you're thinking of replacing it, go for a heat pump. orthoclad May 2023 #10
The capacitor is usually the issue on this flying rabbit May 2023 #11
It could be any of those things. hippywife May 2023 #12
Check your HVAC control circuit board. KY_EnviroGuy May 2023 #14

Beartracks

(13,564 posts)
3. In the furnace blower where the evaporator coil is?
Sat May 13, 2023, 07:07 PM
May 2023

Also, wouldn't a clogged drain result in the entire A/C unit not coming on (that is, the condenser fan also wouldn't be spinning)?

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Beartracks

(13,564 posts)
6. Update: I guess the whole unit ISN'T coming on now.
Sat May 13, 2023, 07:50 PM
May 2023

Well, whatever problem occurred earlier must have been while the unit was running. The compressor wasn't on while the condenser fan still was -- but now that I've switched it off at the thermostat, and then tried to restart it, NOTHING happens.

Does this shed any additional light?



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Beartracks

(13,564 posts)
4. How can that be determined?
Sat May 13, 2023, 07:10 PM
May 2023

My thermostat displays a little snowflake when the A/C compressor is supposed to be on -- and that little snowflake is indeed lit up, so my thermostat at least THINKS it has properly signaled the system to kick on.

==============

Beartracks

(13,564 posts)
7. Update: Well, it seems the whole unit ISN'T coming on now.
Sat May 13, 2023, 07:50 PM
May 2023

Whatever problem occurred earlier must have been while the unit was running. The compressor wasn't on while the condenser fan still was -- but now that I've switched it off at the thermostat, and then tried to restart it, NOTHING happens.

Does this shed any additional light?

============

getagrip_already

(17,430 posts)
5. Could be the capacitor...
Sat May 13, 2023, 07:21 PM
May 2023

Lots of experts on youtube (ahem), so do a search there but take it all as entertainment first. But there is some good info if you look hard enuf.

Either way, unless your are good with electrical systems, you will need a pro to look at it.

Beartracks

(13,564 posts)
8. Hm, you may be right. It seems now that the whole unit is down.
Sat May 13, 2023, 07:52 PM
May 2023

Whatever problem occurred earlier must have been while the unit was running. The compressor stopped while the condenser fan continued running -- but now that I've switched the A/C off at the thermostat, and then tried to restart it, NOTHING happens.

Does this shed any additional light?

==========

Hassin Bin Sober

(26,691 posts)
13. You can check the capacitor visually to see if it's bulged out on the top.
Sat May 13, 2023, 11:17 PM
May 2023

Don’t touch it - even with the power off because a capacitor holds a charge.

You can remove and check the capacitor with a multimeter as it could be bad without a noticeable bulge (after shutting off power and discharging the capacitor)


This guy is pretty good:

moniss

(5,711 posts)
9. It may not be an
Sat May 13, 2023, 08:44 PM
May 2023

electrical component failure per se. Your A/C system has pressure/temperature switches that protect the system by shutting it down/keeping it off in the event that your pressure in the system is beyond a predetermined range or if the internal system temperature is too high. These are not things for you to try and check. The service technician can check the system easily. Those switches can easily go bad over a 25 year period. Either way you should call the service tech. If you do need a new compressor or system you can likely count on it being way more energy efficient than what you have now.

orthoclad

(4,728 posts)
10. If you're thinking of replacing it, go for a heat pump.
Sat May 13, 2023, 08:58 PM
May 2023

The new high-efficiency ones work well below freezing for heating, and they'll handle the cooling as well. And under the IRA, you get a large tax credit for it.

I replaced both an oil furnace and an old AC with a heat pump, and it's saving me money. Especially with solar panels in the mix.

Get an estimate.

hippywife

(22,767 posts)
12. It could be any of those things.
Sat May 13, 2023, 09:56 PM
May 2023

Ours is about 20 years old. The best place to start is to have someone with knowledge of electronics and a meter test it out for you.

There have been times when ours has gone out that it has been just a fuse, but the last time about a month ago, the husband checked the capacitor and it tested as bad. He got a new capacitor and installed it. It ran fine, but the unit was getting hot and it wasn't blowing cool air inside while running. He ended up buying a new motor and installing it, along with the previously purchased capacitor (since it too was still bad) and that fixed the problem.

In the last 5 years, he's also replaced the fan motor and some sort of controller circuit in the furnace.

KY_EnviroGuy

(14,595 posts)
14. Check your HVAC control circuit board.
Sun May 14, 2023, 12:25 AM
May 2023

Typical unit only shown here, usually located inside the furnace compartment:



These devices detect system faults and can prevent the compressor from running (therefore, contactor not pulled in). It should have either a flashing LED as shown here, or possibly a display showing a fault number. Refer to your user manual for a list of faults. Most faults are for furnace (heating) operation, but yours could have some AC (cooling) protectives as well.

Other than that, if the feeder fuses are good, there may be a resettable overload device on the outdoor unit that has tripped, sometimes with a red reset button. It would be very informative to know if the compressor contactor is energizing when the thermostat calls for cooling. It's possible the contactor or thermostat has a problem. You should see 24Vac on the contactor coil during cooling demand. Be very careful around that device because it will also have 240Vac on it as well.

If the compressor capacitor or windings are bad, the compressor will not start and usually will blow a fuse in the disconnect box, or trip an overload device as mentioned above.

Best of luck!

KY

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