Home AC help?

Question

I got a question about my dad's cooling system.
My dad had the breaker go out(cooling system) and ever since then the compressor hasn't kick on. The System is Not like mine(All in one). It has a separate cooling sys. out side. It has a Red\White wires from the stat going the system outside to Yellow\Red to a "contact" clicking box ,
After replacing the breaker, Compressor still didn't work. I twisted the Yellow\Red wires together and some contact thing clicked but no luck from the compressor. I disconnect them and it clicks\releases.
Tho after doing this twenty times or so the compressor kicked on for ten minutes and shut off for good again. When the(contact) clicks it buzzes or hums. Why will the compressor not come on ?

Here are some pics. Click the pics for more information. Thanks,, Joey

http://new.photos.yahoo.com/album?c=...921661&.src=ph

The outdoor fan does Not run,, I would think if the compressor was bad it wouldn't cool at all.
Like I said before I did get compressor and outdoor fan to run for about ten min. and the air was Ice Cold.
The hum is from the contactor. There is No sound from the Comp. or the fan.

Try this link,,,, I see that the old link didn't for me ether.

http://new.photos.yahoo.com/album?c=troutdog311&aid=576460762393621460&pid=&wtok=oH408JighYXobvqQRoSCMQ--&ts=1173921661&.src=ph

Answer 1

Sounds like a bad capacitor. Capacitors are normally silver and are round or oval. There may be 2 or 3 terminals, usually marked herm, fan and c. The MOST common problem in the cooling cycle is the capacitor. You can check it with a multimeter if it has a mfd setting. They are so cheap I would just replace it anyways. Do not listen to the Heating/service guy. The average lifespan of a properly installed air conditioner is 20 years. Why would you spend $3000+ on installing a new a/c system when you can replace a $15 capacitor? Do not attempt to start the compressor any more. Every 1 second you are drawing locked rotor amps the compressor heats up 18 degrees. Even though there is thermal protection in the compressor it is not doing any good the way you have it now. Just replace the capacitor and if that doesnt work let me know. I'll walk you through some more troubleshooting. The capacitors are rated in either mfd or uf. If it is a dual capacitor it has 3 terminals and will be rated like 35+5 uf or 40+5 uf. It depends on the size of the a/c you have. You can get these capacitors over the counter from any heating company or even some wholesalers. Heating company may charge $45+ for this but is well worth it. If it isnt a dual capactior then there may be more than 1 . In that case they would only have 1 rating on the lable. DO NOT mismatch wires. Mark your wires fan, herm, c before you take them off if you are unfamiliar with the wiring. Sometimes we install a hard start kit on a system that consistes of a start capacitor and a relay. I wouldn't recommend installing the hard start kit yourself. Get a NATE certified tech to do the work. Hope this helps.

Ps I changed over a hundred capacitors last cooling season. This is VERY common.

Answer 2

I am a Heating/air conditioning service person 51 yrs old Sounds like the compressor is locking up. Does the outdoor fan run when contactor engages. Note: even if it does mostly could be a bad or weak Capasitor or starter or needs a starter due to age. Note if system is older than 10 years Replace it.

Answer 3

I would have a tech come out and look at it. Yes it could be the capacitor. But my concern lies with why the breaker tripped. Your compressor at one point pulled too many amps for the breaker to handle. Could be a hard start from not being used all winter. Could be a sign of a bigger problem. Call a certified tech to come look at it.

Ok I've looked at the pics you posted as well. First off let me just say that you need that outdoor coil cleaned it looks like it's plugged. Looking at the dark spots by the copper lines you might have a leak. Don't mess around with it anymore let someone come and fix it.

Answer 4

The clicking or hum is probably the units contactor pulling down and power not getting through to the other side. Try this web site for additional information. It will give most likely to least likely cause and sketches of components so you'll know what you're looking at.

http://www.longviewweb.com/cuoff.htm

Answer 5

Sounds like the compressor went bad. Time to call a repairman and have it checked out. Be ready to replace it.

Answer 6

YOUR COMPRESSOR IS PROBABLY SHOT BE PREPARED TO REPLACE A COMPRESSOR IS VERY EXPENSIVE AND USUALLY BEST TO GET A WHOLE NEW UNIT.THINK ABOUT IT IN TERMS OF PUTTING A NEW TRANSMISSION IN A CAR. NOT CHEAP!

Answer 7

you burnt the compressor out