29 replies to this topic

[RegUS_PatOff]

or the way it's wired ...
What were the symptoms of your "old" Fan ?

[Bullstok]

It's the model A fan motor. It is crank start. Update ur motor.

Seriously though, to sum it up...

Requirements:
1. It needs 220 or so volts (and be capable of maintaining voltage under load) across both the run (red) & common (black) and start (brown) & common (black). <<<<< Or the wiring or other electrical component is the problem.
2. It needs a good capacitor of the correct mfd rated FOR THE MOTOR INSTALLED (on the brown wire) AND capacitor has to be good under a load. Once in awhile they can test fine and still not be good enough under load. This capacitor can be one side of a dual or it can have a single cap for the fan and a single cap for the compressor. <<<<<< Or the capacitor is the problem.
3. Windings need to check out good. <<<<< Or the motor is the problem.
4. Bearings and other such mechanical things need to be working and free / unobstructed. <<<<< Or the motor / fan etc is the problem. Check amp draw on fan when you have it spinning (with a clamp meter if you have the capability). If it is high (over the rated 1.3 amps, it might indicate bearings or such issues. note though: a bad cap can raise amp draw as well)

If it doesn't work after all that, u maybe missed something. Time to punt.

Edited by Bullstok, 13 April 2012 - 09:29 PM.

[zold]

or the way it's wired ...
What were the symptoms of your "old" Fan ?

The old fan would make loud screeching noises. It was replaced roughly a year ago and the unit has worked well with the replacement fan, up until the last week or so. I'm pretty bummed that the new fan didn't make it very long, guess "Made in Mexico" doesn't mean what it used to....

[zold]

It's the model A fan motor. It is crank start. Update ur motor.

Seriously though, to sum it up...

Requirements:
1. It needs 220 or so volts (and be capable of maintaining voltage under load) across both the run (red) & common (black) and start (brown) & common (black). <<<<< Or the wiring or other electrical component is the problem.
2. It needs a good capacitor of the correct mfd rated FOR THE MOTOR INSTALLED (on the brown wire) AND capacitor has to be good under a load. Once in awhile they can test fine and still not be good enough under load. This capacitor can be one side of a dual or it can have a single cap for the fan and a single cap for the compressor. <<<<<< Or the capacitor is the problem.
3. Windings need to check out good. <<<<< Or the motor is the problem.
4. Bearings and other such mechanical things need to be working and free / unobstructed. <<<<< Or the motor / fan etc is the problem. Check amp draw on fan when you have it spinning (with a clamp meter if you have the capability). If it is high (over the rated 1.3 amps, it might indicate bearings or such issues. note though: a bad cap can raise amp draw as well)

If it doesn't work after all that, u maybe missed something. Time to punt.

Thank you for the excellent summary. That makes sense, I'll give another fan a shot and if that doesn't fix it, call in some expert eyeballs to give things a look. Are there better quality replacement fans that offer a longer service life than the AO Smith F48J66A48 that is in the unit?

[RegUS_PatOff]

... that doesn't fix it, call in some expert eyeballs to give things a look.

service call may cost as much as a new Fan Motor and Capacitor plus parts
For a Capacitor, you could buy just a 5 uF one (much cheaper than the dual)
Try that first, if no-go ... time for a new Fan Motor

[Budget Appliance Repair]

? I Wonder if the existing dual capacitor was rated correctly for the new motor that was installed a year ago?

If it wasn't and the new motor called for a different capacitor rating, what would the ramification be to the new motor
and/or the old capacitor if it was in-fact able to make it start and run correctly for the last year that it has been working?

[Shootist]

Did you remove the drain plugs from the down-facing (shaft) side of the motor? I've seen many motors fail in their first year because the drain plugs weren't removed. If the capacitor is good the motor has to be bad (assuming you wired it correctly). If you replaced a 3-wire motor with another 3-wire motor you can't get it wrong.
A word of warning for anybody else....stay away from chinese HVAC parts; especially anything labeled "Packard".

[zold]

? I Wonder if the existing dual capacitor was rated correctly for the new motor that was installed a year ago?

If it wasn't and the new motor called for a different capacitor rating, what would the ramification be to the new motor
and/or the old capacitor if it was in-fact able to make it start and run correctly for the last year that it has been working?

The replacement motor was the same make/model as the original and the new and old caps were the same exact rating. Granted, something could have been defective, but I was careful to match the specs on the labels. Certainly worth mentioning, though.

[zold]

Did you remove the drain plugs from the down-facing (shaft) side of the motor? I've seen many motors fail in their first year because the drain plugs weren't removed. If the capacitor is good the motor has to be bad (assuming you wired it correctly). If you replaced a 3-wire motor with another 3-wire motor you can't get it wrong.
A word of warning for anybody else....stay away from chinese HVAC parts; especially anything labeled "Packard".

The bottom of the motor has two holes in it, but no plastic plugs of any kind that I could see. The motor has a wiring harness connector, that plugs only one way into the rest of the unit, so it wouldn't be possible to wire it wrong, as it is "plug and play".

Is there a better replacement motor than the AO Smith F48J66A48 that is in the unit?

[Shootist]

I just remembered something about that York/Luxaire/Coleman unit you have; the fan wire to the capacitor and the compressor start wire are both shades of brown. What posessed those York bozos to do that escapes me. Make sure the brown wire going to the quick connector is the one connected to the fan terminal on the capacitor. I got my two browns reversed before on one of those units and the compressor actually started and ran with it wired wrong (kickstart installed) but I got a call back on it the next day and discovered the error. Nothing damaged, thank goodness. I still think you have a bad motor if the capacitor is new. Having said that, if the capacitor is chinese get another (different) one first. I've had great success with the Amrad capacitors. Only one failure in 2 years. I won't use anything else.
As for the quality of that motor? Most manufacturers aren't going to spend top dollar on an OEM fan motor. AO Smith makes a decent motor. Make sure rain water isn't pouring down directly onto your motor.

Edited by Shootist, 16 April 2012 - 08:00 PM.