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Posted on 7/30/24 at 1:29 pm to MorbidTheClown
Thanks !!
Posted on 8/1/24 at 9:09 pm to East Coast Band
Smaller AC unit for single upstairs room crapped out today. Followed tips from this thread. Got same Amrad model via Amazon & wired up just the same from pics I took before I removed it. No dice. Damn... Motor isn't warm. No hum. Breaker not tripped. Thermostat OK. Change filters regularly. I'm stumped. Unless y'all have any more tips guess I'll call HVAC company in morning.
Posted on 8/1/24 at 9:27 pm to boxersdrule
float switch in condensate pan or line?
Posted on 8/1/24 at 9:38 pm to boxersdrule
quote:
I'm stumped. Unless y'all have any more tips
Press the contactor with an insulated screw driver and see if the unit turns on. the insulted part of the screw driver is very important
how to youtube
Posted on 8/1/24 at 9:45 pm to Turnblad85
quote:
float switch in condensate pan or line?
That would be my first thing to look at, likely a more common issue than a bad capacitor. Check to see if the drip pan below the air handler-furnace is full of water which tripped the float switch located either in the pan or condensate drain line.
Often the float switch is wired to shut the the entire system, including the thermostat if you have a digital thermostat powered by a common wire - so the thermostat looks to be”dead”. That is the way my system is wired. But sometimes the float switch is wired to simply prevent the outside condensing unit from turning on while the thermostat is still powered and that could be your situation.
Posted on 8/1/24 at 10:12 pm to CrawDude
Drip pan dry as a bone. Floater was loose/not rusted or damaged in any way. When I pushed in the Plunger AC fired right up. Guess I hooked up the capacitor right then? Now what oh wise ones? I miss my old man. He was a diesel mechanic. This was the kinda crap I'd bounce off him & he'd always straighten me out. Thank y'all.
Posted on 8/1/24 at 10:36 pm to boxersdrule
Bed time for me. I'm thinking I need to replace the contactor. I need to get a multimeter. Thanks again for the tips.
This post was edited on 8/1/24 at 10:42 pm
Posted on 8/2/24 at 12:47 am to boxersdrule
quote:
When I pushed in the Plunger AC fired right up. Guess I hooked up the capacitor right then? Now what oh wise ones?
Yep - appears to be the either the contactor or the contactor is not getting the call signal from the thermostat which could indicate a thermostat issue or even possibly an issue on the control (circuit board) in the air handler-furnace.
Certainly sounds like you put the new capacitor in correctly. But no loss there as you now have a better capacitor than the old one
You definitely need a multimeter to trouble shoot additional problem and for safety checks.
Several videos to help trouble shoot
LINK
LINK
LINK
LINK
Posted on 8/2/24 at 6:35 am to CrawDude
I used an amrad capacitor made in America. My current contactor is made in China-Noark. Is there a better one I should look for?
Posted on 8/2/24 at 10:18 am to boxersdrule
quote:
I used an amrad capacitor made in America. My current contactor is made in China-Noark. Is there a better one I should look for?
Good question, and I’m not sure of the answer. I had new HVAC installed in Feb 23 it also has a Chinese made contactor and I’m now going to look for a “better” replacement contactor. One the H&G board posters ”bapple” who is an electrical engineer, replaced his HVAC contractors, with solid-state contractors that avoid some of the issues with traditional spring & magnet contactors and I was going to look into those. That might be worth starting a separate thread. I have an electrician coming to the house tomorrow to do some work I’ll ask if knows if there are better made contactors than the Chinese brand.
The capacitor in my new HVAC is made in Thailand but I’ll be changing it this weekend with an American made AmRad as I’ll be installing a MicroAir soft start on the HVAC that is being delivered today.
But getting back to your original problem, you need to see if your contactor is getting a 24V call from the thermostat when you lower the thermostat, if you aren’t then the issue may be with the thermostat or on the air handler-furnace control board and not the contactor. Pushing the plunger in on your contactor and your compressor starting suggest to me that the contactor is maybe good and the problem is it’s not getting the 24 volt call signal from the thermostat. But if the contactor is getting a 24 volt call signal from the thermostat when it calls for cooling then the contactor is most likely bad.
Posted on 8/2/24 at 12:47 pm to East Coast Band
Mine quit too....still changing parts with no luck....
I think compressor slowly failed, still under warranty. 88 right now.
I think compressor slowly failed, still under warranty. 88 right now.
Posted on 8/2/24 at 2:21 pm to CrawDude
quote:
Pushing the plunger in on your contactor and your compressor starting suggest to me that the contactor is maybe good and the problem is it’s not getting the 24 volt call signal from the thermostat
This is answer. Need to specify AC though.
1. Turn on system. Signal to contactor should be 24 VAC or similar.
Yes- Contractor is bad.
No- Unhook signal wires from contractor.
24 VAC or similar?
Yes- contractor is bad
No- reconnect contractor signal wires. Pull thermostat, short red green yellow for most systems(activate fan and compressor).
Everything works?
Yes- bad thermostat
No- bad transformer or control or wire.
This post was edited on 8/2/24 at 2:26 pm
Posted on 8/3/24 at 8:00 pm to Dallaswho
Took old contactor off & looked inside. Bug was fried inside of it making poor contact. Lesson learned. Thx for everyone's tips. From now on I will always have a spare capacitor and contactor just in case.
This post was edited on 8/3/24 at 8:03 pm
Posted on 8/4/24 at 12:10 am to boxersdrule
quote:
Took old contactor off & looked inside. Bug was fried inside of it making poor contact.
Thanks for updating.
Bug-ants that work their way into contactors seem to be a common issue.
Spoke to my electrician today and he said Dayton contactors, owned by & sold by Grainger, are good contactors. They are also likely made in China but perhaps to higher standards.
Posted on 8/20/24 at 3:31 pm to East Coast Band
Bump to remind everyone to get those capacitors ordered and have them on hand. I did *NOT* have one on hand when my AC stopped cooling Friday evening. I was home and noticed, so I turned the thermostat off right away. Did I possibly save some damage to the compressor by not allowing it to continue trying to run?
So of course the only local place that stocks capacitors had closed for the weekend, and after calling around BR the next day I didn't have much luck finding a shop that was open on the weekend and sells to the public (know of any?), so I ordered from Amazon. It arrived Sunday afternoon and I got it installed right away.
If I had followed this advice about having a cap on hand, the temp would have never reached 80, much less 85 on its way to 90. The only reason it didn't get that hot is because I have 2 units on the house and I was able to move some air around.
Anyway, here is the chart of my miserable weekend.
So of course the only local place that stocks capacitors had closed for the weekend, and after calling around BR the next day I didn't have much luck finding a shop that was open on the weekend and sells to the public (know of any?), so I ordered from Amazon. It arrived Sunday afternoon and I got it installed right away.
If I had followed this advice about having a cap on hand, the temp would have never reached 80, much less 85 on its way to 90. The only reason it didn't get that hot is because I have 2 units on the house and I was able to move some air around.
Anyway, here is the chart of my miserable weekend.
Posted on 8/20/24 at 4:00 pm to Korkstand
Well I ordered an AMRAD from Amazon 3 weeks ago and it still hasn't shipped yet.
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