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tbroye

tbroye

Member
Joined
Sep 3, 2007
Messages
1,851
Location
Sacramento, CA, USA.
It is 105F right now in Sacramento and guess what? Yep the AC quit working. Looks like it is the fan motor. So we will be with out until Monday at least and maybe longer as they will be so busy. I have to wait until Wednesday for our SS check to show up son no Emergency Calls. The AC in the shop is working so if it get to bad move a coupe air mattresses out there. It look like it is the fan motor as the fan out side is working. The fan motor on the unit in the Garage is HOT which leads me believe that is the problem I put a fan on it and see if we can cool it off and see if it will start. We can survive open the window to night and have the ceiling fans on. Maybe we had a power surge of brown out of some type and caused it. No warning no noise, just the house got warm and wouldn't cool off. Off to the son's to go swimming and take the dogs with us so they can cool off.
 
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Sometimes a motor will get hot and over time the lube with turn to tar and seize up the rotor. If the windings are still intact it may need nothing more than a cleanup with naptha and fresh lube in the bearing. Unfortunately these things happen and the motor sits stalled out long enough to burn a wire out in many cases.
 
That's what I figure but won't be calling the emergency tech in. Will till Monday and the company that sold and installed this unit. It might still be under a 10 year warranty. I will have to go find the paper work. It is supposed to cool off some by Monday. Wish I would have bought and installed that whole house fan last week. Just couldn't find one at Home Depot or Lowes that was worth a C**P they were junk. Found a Dayton a little more expensive but a far better unit.
 
Has happened to me a few times in here Texas. Hopefully its just the starter kit (capacitor) keeping the compressor from kicking on.
 
Are you sure the air exchange unit hasn't frozen up? If so you can turn it off to let it thaw and try again. Sometimes it can be caused by something as simple as the filter being so clogged that it isn't allowing enough air flow through.

But I have to admit that they always die on the hottest days.
 
The motor was hot and there is a hum when it is turned on. Our humidity is so low our here the thing getting coated with is almost non existed. The unit is in the garage which was hot as it face the afternoon sun. It has cool off now but won't start just hums. In my boxers and t-shirt tall glass of ice water will be fine. Will open the place up early in morning a have all the ceiling fans going to help cool it down for tomorrow another hot one and then Monday mid 80's. We get Natures AC here in the central valley the cool air come up thought gap in the coastal range and up the Delta into the Sacramento Valley and can drop the temp. 20-30 deg in a few hours. It is called the Sea Breeze, love it. I lived here most of my life so I can alway go outside and sleep on the patio. I have seen it up to 113F a few times but as I said we don't have the humidity like the Midwest, South and East. Will take the dog out and hose them if it gets to bad.
 
I survived many year in Sacramento Didn't have Central AC until we moved to Modesto in 77. We had inadequate window AC but the house wasn't insulated at all. At least then we could leave the window open at night.
 
You probably don't want to hear this but it is going to be a blistering 66 degrees in Kent, WA tomorrow, but we do have high humidity right at the moment. I may have to sleep with the window open tonight.
Curt
 
70F this morning. All window open and fans going to try a get as much fresh cool air into house before leaving for church. Wasn't to bad last night sleeping. Good excuse not to do anything. What help is LOML is staying calm and being a good sport. Will call the company who installed the Central System in the morning and if it take a couple of day to get here ok. Just not going to be rushed in paying for an emergency call. Dinner out tonight. Should be cooler Tomorrow. At least this isn't supposed to be a 10 day heat wave we have had in the past. Saving on the Electric bill.
 
Turned on the US OPen after the NASCAR race and saw the fog rolling into San Francisco and knew the Sacramento Valley AC was going to kick in. Was 97 at 3pm and 72 now with a 15-20 mph breeze. How sweet it is. Now to get someone out to fix the fan.
 
Hang a wet towel in front of an open window with a fan blowing over it, it works in temps a lot higher than 105.
 
All fixed $224 for a start Capacitor. So alls right with the world. Now to get a whole house fan. Looked at Home Depot and Lowes, Junk. Looked at Grainger and McMaster Car more expensive but better quality. I had replaced the whole unit in 2001 and this was the first problem had 10 year warranty which has expired and it picke the hottest day of the year to go away.
 
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$224?

if you know to look at Grainger and McMaster for a fan - why didn't you get a start cap and do it yourself? probably would have saved yourself at least $150
 
I am not an electrician and didn't have the tools or knowledge to test it. I just wanted it done. I watched him and he just tested for continuity using a fluke meter, I have one of them from my day working. I now know where to find and how to test it. So if it happens again and I am still able to do those thing I will fix it. The first on lasted 11 years so now it is fixed and hopefully last another 11. that would make me 81 and who knows where I will be and what I will be doing, or if I will even remember what it is. It was the starter capacitor for the fan motor in the indoor unit, the one that blow the heater or cooled air. So LOML is happy that means everyone is happy.
 
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