Last Thursday I came home to a loud high pitch sound coming from my outside condenser unit. The fan was not turning either. I immediately turned off the unit and the whole thing was pretty hot understandably. Once things cooled off several hours later, I turned the unit on and heard the humming of the compressor but the fan motor was still not spinning. My contactor looks clean, and it was replaced last year. The whole unit is about 6 years old. Am I right to think that I need a new motor?

This happened on Thursday, and because of the holiday Grainger was closed on Friday. So I am seeking other opinions to make sure I'm on the right track.

Thanks for your help in advance!

Sean

Sounds like you might b right,, you might want to look into having the capicitor checked out first (is a lot cheaper than a motor),, but I`m still leaning toward the motor being bad

When the motor doesnot spin free, take it apart to clean and add oil to the wick. Make sure all powers are OFF and label ALL connections. This may work and give you a few more yrs on the motor

To add a little more info to the situation, the motor does spin freely when manually spinning the blades.

What type of oil do you suggest to use for the motor wick?

Thanks for your help!

Sean

Newer motors are selaed and adding oil is not an option...

Yeah looking at this motor, it does look like its sealed.

If the motor spins relatively easy, does that discount that the motor needs to be replaced?

Thanks again for your help!

Sean

To add a little more info to the situation, the motor does spin freely when manually spinning the blades.

What type of oil do you suggest to use for the motor wick?

Thanks for your help!

Sean

It won't work on your situation. Just use those multipurpose oil bottle(4 in 1) that they for a few $, but I also use 5w

Looks like I am going to take the cap and the motor into Grainger and have the cap tested first. If the cap tests fine, then I get a new motor. I assume I need to make sure that the cap that I have now, works with the new motor, otherwise, I will have to buy a new cap also.

If I am not on the right track, I would appreciate the redirection.

Thanks again everyone!

Sean

You got the right idea

Buy a new cap with a new motor... always change the cap when changing a motor. That way you know it is right cap and there won't be an issue in a week or two.

Hey everyone!

I just finished installing new motor and capacitor. THe motor starts up and everything seems to be running fine then everything shuts off.

If I turn it off a couple of minutes, it will start up and do the same thing.

Any thought on what might be wrong.

Motor is a Dayton Model # 4M206

w/ Cap model # 2MDV6

1,at the time of cut-off check for low voltage(24-28 volts )at the contactor
2,is the contactor kicked out meaning a lose of low voltage
3,is it still closed but no voltage at the opposite end of the hot (power) end

Check it out and let us know

Well, I went back and looked at some other posts and found that the brown/white wire needs to NOT be attached to the capacitor.

THe original motor did not have two browns and this one did. So I followed the diagram and found that the brown/whit is unnecessary. So far, the A/C is runn. Now I need to see if this house gets cool!

It is hot this evening! :-)

Thanks wmproop! It seems to be working so far. I will keep you updated!

Along with the rest of you involved with my issues.

Thanks,
Sean

Now it seems that the air through the vents is not that cool and not a whole lot of air coming through the vents. THis wouldn't be related to a condenser fan would it?

The fan is suppose to be blowing away from the unit (straight up) right?

Sorry for the silly questions. I am happy the fan works not, but seems like its not getting cooler in here.

Thanks,
Sean

Yes in most cases the fan should be blowing up

Are you sure the compressor is running?

Is the filter clean?

Does the evaporater coil need cleaned?

I just put in a new filter and hosed of the coil prior to running the A/C again.

Now I just went to check the lines and nothing was cold or even vibrating. It seems that the compressor is not running but was running prior to installing the fan motor. There is one blue wire going to the cap, does that have something to do with the compressor?

Probably,,
Did you buy and install a different separate capicitor for the new motor and leave the origial capicitor alone that the compressor was hooked to?
I hope so

Another thought, the old motor had a black and red wire going to each side of the contactor. THere was also a brown wire going to the cap from the motor. THe cap also had a blue wire, I assume coming from the compressor. THere was also a red wire going from the cap to the same post as the red wire coming from the motor.

I hope that makes sense.

THe new motor has a black and a purple wire going to each side od the contactor. It also has a brown wire going to the cap and the other brown/white is going nowhere. I no longer have a red wire going from the cap to the contactor (I assume it might go with the purple wire).

Also, this new cap has to round connections with four posts on is round connection. I have both the brown and the blue on the same side. The other side is empty. The compressor is running now that I put them both on the same side, but it seems as if it is a bit noisier than usual.

Now that the compressor is running the whole unit shuts of after a couple of minutes.

[QUOTE=wmproop;1839667]probably,,
Did you buy and install a different separate capicitor for the new motor and leave the origial capicitor alone that the compressor was hooked to?
I hope so[/QUOTE

THe compressor is connected to the same cap as the fan motor. So yes, the cap is gone now.

I think Im a bit confused now...

Ok guys, I did some trial and error. I now have the brown and with back into the circuit. It is on one side of the cap by itself. The other side has the solid brown and the blue wire from the compressor. It seems like that may have did it.

The only concern I would have now is that the red that used to go from the cap to the contactor is no longer in the circuit. Does anybody know if that need to go back in?

THanks again!

Sean

Lol,, now I`m confused,,
You should have kept the original cap where it was,with the compressor tied to it
You only remove the cap wire/wires that went to the old fan motor
When you bought the new motor they should have sold you a new cap. That was for the new motor only
The new cap. Was to have the br/br-w fan motor wires connected to it only

Hope you didn`t can the original capicitor,, the compressor needs a different megiferit capicitor than what the new motor needs
Look at the tag/label for the ac unit see if it tells you what cap. Is needed for the compressor

I do still have old cap. It is working fine now. Do you think it will damage anything until tomorrow when I will be able to put the old cap back in the mix. Or should I just go out and put it on now?

THanks!
Sean

I would run it with wrong cap. Very long,, in fact it probably won`t run very long

I think you meant, you Wouldn't run it with the wrong cap very long. Right? Im about to go out and put the old one in the mix...

I really appreciate you responses, you are awesome!

Sean

BTW, the compressor didn't run with the old cap and the new one in the circuit at the same time.

At the moment, I put it back on the new cap and added the red write from the cap back to the contactor as the old one was wired.

So far the unit is running like a champ. I just hope I don't damage anything else.

Thanks,

Sean

OK,, goodluck

OK,,,,goodluck


Well you made me nervous and I turned off the A/C overnight. I just got home and tried the blue compressor wire by itself to the old cap (which doesn't make sense) and still nothing.

The only way I can get it to work is put it on the new cap, on the same saide as the solid brown wire from the fan motor. The white/brown is on the opposite side.

One thing I did notice is that the compressor is loud at first and then it quiets down after 20-30 seconds or so.

I guess what Im saying is I don't know how to connect the compressor to the old cap when there is only one wire for the cap from the compressor. I dfid connect that one wire and nothing happened.

Any other insight would be appreciated! And believe me, I really do appreciate everyone's help!

Sean