1Quik7 Posted April 9, 2020 Report Share Posted April 9, 2020 With the weather warming up the past couple days we kicked the AC on, but it doesn't seem to be functioning properly. After doing some nosing around/troubleshooting: The heatpump/compressor and inside evap are newer, maybe 4yrs? The filters are clean/replaced Sprayed the heatpump down with the hose to clean out debris The fan is not running in the heat pump, the compressor will kick on for 20sec, the return pipe will get super cold then it will shut off and go back to ambient temp. This cycle continues. I can spin the fan freely with a stick but couldn't get it to spin on its own power. I'm not totally positive how these units are supposed to function, it's just a typical Lennox pump. Is the fan always supposed to run in cooling mode? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coaster Posted April 9, 2020 Report Share Posted April 9, 2020 Double check the outside shutoff near the compressor and the circuit breaker, the compressor is on a separate one from the rest of the furnace. If that isn't it my uneducated bet would be the start capacitor on the compressor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Cranium Posted April 9, 2020 Report Share Posted April 9, 2020 I'd message Duff here on the site. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tractor Posted April 9, 2020 Report Share Posted April 9, 2020 Yes the outside fan should be running for sure. I'd check the simple things first, breakers and put a volt meter on a few places on the power board, ie motor power output. You can also check at the capacitor and fan itself, its a pretty simple thing to troubleshoot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otis Nice Posted April 9, 2020 Report Share Posted April 9, 2020 Capacitor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1Quik7 Posted April 9, 2020 Author Report Share Posted April 9, 2020 Ok. Gonna pull the cover and check the capacitor. I was hoping it wasnt a leak and I'm low on refrigerant, the fan wasnt turning on because the compressor was shutting down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cstmg8 Posted April 9, 2020 Report Share Posted April 9, 2020 Capacitor.Came in to post this. Start capacitor for fan. Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Bastard Posted April 9, 2020 Report Share Posted April 9, 2020 Doesn't the capacitor usually run both the fan and the compressor? If that's the case then the capacitor would be okay, otherwise the compressor wouldn't start. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Otis Nice Posted April 9, 2020 Report Share Posted April 9, 2020 Doesn't the capacitor usually run both the fan and the compressor? If that's the case then the capacitor would be okay, otherwise the compressor wouldn't start. Yes and not necessarily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duff1647545513 Posted April 10, 2020 Report Share Posted April 10, 2020 One side of the capacitor can "go bad" and cause an issue to where one thing won't start. Fairly common Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1Quik7 Posted May 9, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 9, 2020 Replaced the cap and have the same issue...compressor kicks on then shuts off, fan not spinning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robochan Posted May 9, 2020 Report Share Posted May 9, 2020 Could be the Contactor(Relay.) Maybe disconnect the motor leads and check continuity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tractor Posted May 9, 2020 Report Share Posted May 9, 2020 I've had the low pressure switch cause that. In my case it was a faulty switch but it can be due to low pressure in the lines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duff1647545513 Posted May 10, 2020 Report Share Posted May 10, 2020 Fan motors will go bad and still spin freely. Heat pumps have a board that can go bad that has a fan relay on them to turn the fan on and off for defrost. If the unit is under 5 years old, the parts are under warranty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
downingracing Posted May 10, 2020 Report Share Posted May 10, 2020 My old unit had a switch that triggered the fan to start spinning. The switch was ‘stuck’ and once I pushed it, it worked fine. The next time it happened, I learned my unit had two caps with one hidden under a cover. That cap was exploded, so once replaced - I was back in business. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1Quik7 Posted May 14, 2020 Author Report Share Posted May 14, 2020 Turned out to be the fan motor, replace it today and the AC works properly. Thanks for the help. BTW if you need parts for appliances RepairClinic out of Michigan has been great. Ive gotten everything next day using their standard shipping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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