Check out some similar questions!

boazmoses · Aug 9, 2007, 02:56 PM

I've read through a bunch of threads and still have not found an answer yet.
I have an HS29 Outdoor A/C unit. I turn it to "cool" and the outside unit clicks and then hums.
The inside furnace blower blows, but there is no cold air because the outdoor unit isn't working.
I have ordered a new dual capacitor, but that didn't solve the problem.
The fan blades move freely when I spin them.
Would the condenser still come on without the fan working, and vice versa?
What are my other options? The unit is only 4 years old, and I don't really want to pay someone millions to fix this.
Could it have something to do with fuses on inside of furnace even even the outside clicks? I tried flipping the breakers also and it didn't work.
My wife is 7 months pregnant and is starting shoot flames out of her mouth!

acetc · Aug 9, 2007, 03:11 PM

Check the breakers and fuses, the hum that you hear might be the contactor humming, it gets its power from the indoor unit that is on a sepatate breaker.
Try pushing in the contactor with a stick or something that won't shock you.
Some times you have to push the breaker in the off position to reset them.
The fuses are in a box mounted next to a/c on wall.

XenoSapien · Aug 9, 2007, 03:17 PM

Acetc is right--hum sounds definitely like the contactor.

You're getting power to the unit (if you have a volt-meter, you should have 24 volts going into the contactor, and 220 going out of the contactor), which is good.

If you have 220 (or required amount of voltage), disconnect your power to the outside unit, take the condenser motor out, and look at the wires that directly connect into the compressor (their should be something like a cap that covers them). Perhaps one of them is burnt or not making contact.

XenoSapien

boazmoses · Aug 9, 2007, 03:22 PM

I have tried turning the unit on and watching the relay switch actually "switch" next to the capacitor, so it seems like that is still working. Does the compressor have to be running in order for the compressor fan to run?

acetc · Aug 9, 2007, 03:24 PM

Look at the capacitor is it ballooned out on top? If the cap. Is bad sometimes neither will work, they normally will work independently of one another ,If one is bad the other will run.

boazmoses · Aug 9, 2007, 03:24 PM

Also the breaker box on the outside is one that has one of those big "plugs" in it, I don't really see where there is a problem with that, it doesn't look like anything can "trip" in that box anyway.
The capacitor is brand new

acetc · Aug 9, 2007, 03:28 PM

That plug will pull out and there should be fuses in this box.
You may have to remove a metal cover to see the fuses

boazmoses · Aug 9, 2007, 04:05 PM

But if I'm getting a click, it probably isn't that, right?

boazmoses · Aug 9, 2007, 04:11 PM

Also... is there any easier way to test a capacitor other than an ohm reader... I don't have one and don't really want to buy one if it isn't the capacitor problem?

XenoSapien · Aug 9, 2007, 04:41 PM

The capacitor is not the problem.

XenoSapien

boazmoses · Aug 9, 2007, 04:46 PM

Now I'm lost

XenoSapien · Aug 9, 2007, 04:51 PM

I'll repost:

You're getting power to the unit (if you have a volt-meter, you should have 24 volts going into the contactor, and 220 going out of the contactor), which is good.

If you have 220 (or required amount of voltage), disconnect your power to the outside unit, take the condenser motor out, and look at the wires that directly connect into the compressor (their should be something like a cap that covers them). Perhaps one of them is burnt or not making contact.

XenoSapien

boazmoses · Aug 9, 2007, 04:54 PM

I checked that - and it is a very new model so all of the wires are encased in a rubber plug that plugs into the compressor - all of the contacts looked good

acetc · Aug 9, 2007, 05:26 PM

Look in the disconnect box for burnt wires and in the breaker panel for the same , it appears you have no line voltage to the outdoor unit.

XenoSapien · Aug 9, 2007, 05:32 PM

But if the contactor is pulling, then he has power to the outside unit. If he's getting 220v after the contactor, he's got power to the compressor.

XenoSapien

boazmoses · Aug 9, 2007, 05:43 PM

I've checked the relay for burnt connections, the compressor, the electrical box on my outside wall next to the unit, and pretty much all of the connections within the unit. Unless there's something I'm missing within the relay that I cannot see, but it seems to function fine when it switches on.

acetc · Aug 9, 2007, 05:44 PM

The contactor receives 24 volt control power from the furnace transformer and makes the contactor function, the line voltage does not have to be there for this to happen, thus the reason I suggest checking for no line voltage to the out side unit, he hears the contactor pull in but no compressor and no fan, either bad capacitor , burnt wire , bad fuses, bad breaker.
Hard to diagnose with out a voltmeter.

boazmoses · Aug 9, 2007, 05:44 PM

Also... My old capacitor (that I thought was the problem) doesn't have a bulge or anything in it, just a little rust. But I put the new one on, and the same thing is happening.

boazmoses · Aug 9, 2007, 05:45 PM

I have flipped the 220 breaker for the unit off, and left the furnace breaker on, and I still get the click on the a/c unit.

acetc · Aug 9, 2007, 05:55 PM

Which is what I said that the contactor gets its power from the furnace, you need a volt meter now to isolate the problem, if you had a voltmeter you could start at the breaker and varify voltage then at the disconnect and then at the unit, you know some one with a meter or purchased one (you could buy a cheap one for about 12. Dollars at a hardware store.) they are very easy to use.