Older Rheem...blowing inside, not running outside.

[huckabjr]

I should probably start by saying that I know nothing about air conditioning units.

Ok, about three days ago, I got up and turned the thermostat up to make the a/c click off, because I run it warmer when my husband is at work to save $$. When he's home, we run it cooler 'cause he likes it that way, and he makes the money.

Anyway, when I cut the thermostat back down before he returned from work to cool the house off again, I noticed that the air coming out of the vents wasn't cool. I went outside to check the unit, and the large fan wasn't turning. I checked the breaker box, and it had thrown the breaker. I turned the thermostat off, and then tried to re-set the breaker, but it kept bouncing back to off. It wasn't clicking like it was tripping the breaker over again, it was resistant to being turned back to on.

Any ideas? The only work we've had done on this unit in the past 2 1/2 years is to have the Freon refilled this year and the unit cleaned so it would breathe better.

Thanks in advance.

[kdog]

If your breaker snaps back immediately when turned on, there is a shorted wire somewhere in the outside unit or the wires thereto

[RegUS_PatOff]

or possibly a bad Breaker ...

[kdog]

Leave the breaker off and go measure resistance between the supply wires

[kdog]

Also from each wire to ground

[dkpd1581]

Turn the t-stat to OFF and the reset the breaker.  If it resets fine then turn the fan on only.  If nothing trips then turn on the AC.  If it trips immediately then you have a grounded compressor or fan motor at the worst and at the least some bad high volt wiring. If the unit struggles to come on outside and it takes 2 or 3 seconds before the breaker trips then check the capacitor for both the compressor and fan motor.

If its an instantaneous WHAM then you have the shorted/grounded devices or wiring.  Grab a 6-way screw driver and using either the 1/4 inch or 5/16 inch driver take the control panel door off of the outside unit and look around.

[huckabjr]

Thanks to all. Turns out it was a bad breaker. The excessive heat around here has been bad for appliances and breakers alike. It's all cool now, though.

[kdog]

[user=3641]RegUS_PatOff[/user] wrote:

or possibly a bad Breaker ...

Good Call !