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Mobile ViewAIR CONDITIONING & HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS A/C - HEAT PUMP CONTROLS & SWITCHES A/C DATA TAGS A/C - HEAT PUMP CRITICAL DEFECTS A/C DIAGNOSTIC FAQs A/C REFRIGERANTS A/C TYPES, ENERGY SOURCE AGE of AIR CONDITIONERS & HEAT PUMPS AIR CONDITIONER BTU CHART AIR CONDITIONER COMPONENT PARTS AIR CONDITIONER TYPES, ENERGY SOURCES AIR CONDITIONER NOT WORKING AIR FILTERS for HVAC SYSTEMS AIR HANDLER / BLOWER UNITS APPLIANCE EFFICIENCY RATINGS BACKUP HEAT for HEAT PUMPS BLOWER DOORS & AIR INFILTRATION BLOWER FAN CONTINUOUS OPERATION BLOWER FAN OPERATION & TESTING BOOKSTORE - Air Conditioning "How To" Books CAPACITORS for HARD STARTING MOTORS CAPILLARY TUBES CHINESE DRYWALL HAZARDS CIRCUIT BREAKER SIZE for A/C or HEAT PUMP CLEANING & Legionella BACTERIA CHINESE DRYWALL HAZARDS COMBUSTION GASES & PARTICLE HAZARDS CONDENSATE HANDLING, A/C CONDENSATION or SWEATING PIPES, TANKS COMPRESSOR & CONDENSING COIL, A/C BURNED-OUT COMPRESSOR CAPACITORS for HARD STARTING MOTORS CONDENSING COIL REPAIR REPLACE CONTACTOR RELAY DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR CONTROL CIRCUIT BOARD, A/C FAN, COMPRESSOR/CONDENSER UNIT HARD STARTING COMPRESSOR MOTORS INSPECTION CHECKLIST - OUTDOOR UNIT INSTALLATION ERRORS, COMPRESSORS LONG-ON CYCLING AC COMPRESSOR MOTOR OVERLOAD RESET SWITCH NOISES, COMPRESSOR CONDENSER Pressure Controls & Safety Switches PRESSURE READINGS, COMPRESSOR REPLACING A COMPRESSOR SHORT CYCLING AC COMPRESSOR TIGHT or SEIZED AC COMPRESSORS CONDENSATE HANDLING, A/C CONDENSATION or SWEATING PIPES, TANKS COOL OFF HEAT Thermostat Switch COOLING CAPACITY, RATED FROM MODEL # FROM EQUIPMENT RLA # COOLING RULES OF THUMB COOLING COIL or EVAPORATOR COIL COOLING LOAD REDUCTION by ROOF VENTS COMBUSTION GASES & PARTICLE HAZARDS CONDENSATE HANDLING, A/C CONDENSATION or SWEATING PIPES, TANKS DATA TAGS on AIR CONDITIONERS DEFINITION of Heating & Cooling Terms DEHUMIDIFICATION PROBLEMS DEW POINT CALCULATION for WALLS DEW POINT TABLE - CONDENSATION POINT GUIDE DIAGNOSE & FIX AIR CONDITIONER / HEAT PUMP DUCT SYSTEM & DUCT DEFECTS DUCTS - Asbestos DUCT INSULATION, Asbestos Paper DUCT INSULATION for SOUNDPROOFING DUCT SYSTEM NOISES DUCTS, Asbestos Transite Pipe DUST CONTAMINATION FROM HVAC? EDUCATION, HVAC SCHOOLS ELECTRIC MOTOR DIAGNOSTIC GUIDE ELECTRIC MOTOR OVERLOAD RESET SWITCH ELECTRICAL POWER SWITCH FOR HEAT ENERGY SAVINGS in buildings EVAPORATIVE COOLING SYSTEMS EVAPORATOR COIL or COOLING COIL EXPANSION VALVES, REFRIGERANT FAN, AIR HANDLER BLOWER UNIT FAN AUTO ON Thermostat Switch FAN, COMPRESSOR/CONDENSER UNIT FAN CONVECTOR HEATERS - HYDRONIC COILS FAN LIMIT SWITCH FAN NOISES FURNACES WARM AIR HEATING SYSTEMS GASES, EXPOSURE, TESTING Carbon Dioxide - CO2 Carbon Monoxide - CO METHANE GAS SOURCES GAS MEASUREMENT TOOLS GAUGE, REFRIGERATION PRESSURE TEST HEAT LOSS (or GAIN) in buildings HEAT PUMPS HUMIDITY LEVEL TARGET INDOOR AIR QUALITY IMPROVEMENT GUIDE INSPECTION CHECKLIST - OUTDOOR UNIT INSPECTION LIMITATIONS LEED GREEN BUILDING CERTIFICATION LOST COOLING CAPACITY What to Check First A/C Flow Too Weak A/C Filter Problems A/C Compressor Problems A/C Off - Condensate Pan Switch A/C Cooling Coil Icing A/C Not Dehumidifying A/C Air Duct Problems Air Conditioner Won't Start Air Conditioner Refrigerant Problems Blower Fan No Start / No Stop Compressor Diagnosis: Diagnose & Repair Cooling Capacity of the Duct System Repair Guide Master List MANUALS & PARTS GUIDES - HVAC MOTOR OVERLOAD RESET SWITCH NOISY AIR CONDITIONER / HEAT PUMP OPERATING COST OPERATING DEFECTS OPERATING TEMPERATURES Air Conditioning System Temperatures Instruments Used to Measure A/C Temperatures Procedures for Making Temperature Measurements PORTABLE ROOM AIR CONDITIONERS PRESSURE READINGS, REFRIGERANT REPAIR GUIDE, AIR CONDITIONERS / HEAT PUMPS REPAIR & DIAGNOSTIC FAQs for A/C REFRIGERANTS GAUGE, REFRIGERATION PRESSURE TEST REFRIGERANT CHARGING PROCEDURE REFRIGERANT DRIERS & FILTERS REFRIGERANT LEAK DETECTION REFRIGERANT LEAK REPAIR REFRIGERANT METERING DEVICES TEVs REFRIGERANT METERING CAPILLARY TUBES REFRIGERANT PIPING & DISTANCES REFRIGERANT PRESSURE READINGS RETROFIT SIZING for A/C or HEAT PUMPS SEER RATINGS & OTHER DEFINITIONS SOLAR ENERGY SYSTEMS SPLIT SYSTEM AIR CONDITIONERS & HEAT PUMPS SWAMP COOLERS SYSTEM OPERATION THERMOSTATS, HEATING / COOLING THERMOSTATIC EXPANSION VALVES WATER COOLED AIR CONDITIONERS More Information |
This air conditioning repair article discusses the how to diagnose and replace a burned out air conditioner compressor, including evaluation of air conditioner compressor noises, hard starting, lost cooling capacity, and detection of a burned out compressor or A/C compressors at or near end of their life. InspectAPedia offers impartial, unbiased advice without conflicts of interest. We will block advertisements which we discover or readers inform us are associated with bad business practices, false-advertising, or junk science. Our contact info is at InspectAPedia.com/Contact.htm.Here we catalog and describe the causes of air conditioner or heat pump compressor failures and we suggest compressor motor diagnostic steps. Contact us to suggest text changes and additions and, if you wish, to receive online listing and credit for that contribution. © Copyright 2012 InspectAPedia.com, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use page top links to major topics or use links at the left of each page to navigate within topics and documents at this website. Green links show where you are in a document series or at this website. How to Diagnose a Burned-Out Air Conditioning CompressorAir conditioner failure warning signs: Before an air conditioning compressor fails solid you may notice that the unit is hard-starting, particularly when starting against a head pressure (someone switched the system off while the compressor was running, then tried turning it right back on). See CAPACITORS for HARD STARTING MOTORS and see MOTOR OVERLOAD RESET SWITCH. Another sign of a failing air conditioning compressor is noisy motor operation, such as buzzing or clanking sounds coming from the outside unit housing the compressor motor. See NOISES, COMPRESSOR CONDENSER. Another sign that might indicate a failing air conditioner compressor motor is an increase in the building's electrical bills even though the air conditioning system "on" time has not changed. See TIGHT or SEIZED AC COMPRESSORS where we provide additional details about examining and measuring A/C and heat pump compressors to continue compressor condition diagnosis. When a sealed compressor motor has "burned out" this means that the internal wiring of the motor has become irreparably damaged: the compressor motor windings may be burned and shorted together or shorted to the steel shell of the motor, or the windings may have burned and simply become "open" or disconnected. If the motor has burned out in either of these ways it needs to be replaced. When an air conditioner / heat pump compressor can no longer develop proper pressures, even if its electric motor has not burned out, the unit will still need to be replaced. Below we give refrigerant pressure details that help make this decision. Basic Electrical Tests on Air Conditioner or Heat Pump Compressor MotorsWatch out for shock hazards or equipment damage: see USING DMMs VOMs SAFELY. When an air conditioning compressor has "burned out" by shorting of internal components - it will fail to start at all. This failure is detected by disconnecting all power and wiring from the unit and measuring resistance (ohms) between the motor start/common and run/common terminals. If there is zero resistance the winding is open or broken. If you measure the resistance across a compressor winding and your meter's needle is stuck over at infinity, or "OL"/"OVER" on a digital meter, that would indicate the compressor winding is open (burned through). The same effect can be observed from simply connecting the meter to absolutely nothing. If the resistance measured across the air conditioning compressor winding is too close to 0 ohms, it's shorted. The compressor should blow the fuse or trip the circuit breaker when power is turned back on. But watch out: we get field reports of equipment burn ups and even fires when the air conditioning circuit breaker for the compressor happens to be an old FPE Stab-Lok or Zinsco unit. If there is resistance but not infinite resistance between the motor terminal and the motor casing, the motor has become shorted to ground internally and the unit needs to be replaced. If there is no resistance between the start and run terminals to common, but there is resistance between the start and run terminals, this means that the internal motor overload protection circuit is open. In this last case, allow the motor to cool and re-test it before replacing it. See REPLACING A COMPRESSOR. For details about measuring RLA / FLA, and definitions of RLA, FLA, and LRA, see see TIGHT or SEIZED AC COMPRESSORS When to replace a sealed-unit air conditioning or heat pump compressor?Burned up electric motor in the HVAC compressorSome compressor motor failures are so apparent that there's no question: an electric motor burnout that draws high amps or is internally shorted, for example. Abnormal HVAC compressor pressuresBut what about a compressor motor that may be just "worn" ? An HVAC compressor should be able to pull at least 15" of vacuum against 100 psi head pressure or else it is inefficient. Of course to make this test you must be able to isolate the compressor from the rest of the cooling or heat pump system, so this test is not rapidly made in the field. Bad HVAC compressor refrigerant valvesBad air conditioner reed valves will be unable to pull pressure down on the low side of the system. A leaky discharge reed valve (on the compressor output side) pulls hot gases back into the compressor cylinder and recompresses them, causing abnormally high head pressures at the compressor motor. And as a result the compressor won't be able to move vapor. In sum, HVAC compressors do fail and need replacement, but only when you have tested and ruled out the other 80% of the causes of common air conditioning, heat pump, or refrigeration problems (usually electrical in nature) do you go ahead and replace the compressor unit. General advice: Electrical Tests to Check HVAC Blower Fan Motor or Outdoor Compressor Fan Motor Winding on Heating or Cooling Equipment or on Other Electrical MotorsAir Conditioner Compressor/Condenser Fan Not Working?Details of compressor/condenser unit fan inspection, diagnosis, and repair are at FAN, COMPRESSOR/CONDENSER UNIT. Basic advice follows: A failed compressor/condenser fan can cause the air conditioning system to shut down due to an overheating compressor or excessive pressures developed inside the compressor. If your compressor/condenser unit does not include a safety override switch to perform this shutdown and if the condenser unit fan is not working, your compressor motor may be permanently damaged. At NOISES, COMPRESSOR CONDENSER we include some condenser fan noise problems are traced to the cooling fan motor, bearings, fan blades, obstructions, etc. Watch out: if your compressor/condenser unit motor is running but the fan itself is not blowing air, the system will not work and may be seriously damaged. The outdoor cooling fan or condenser unit fan is needed not only to cool high pressure, high temperature refrigerant in gas form so that it can condense back to liquid form. That cooling step also cools down the compressor itself and keeps the compressor internal pressure from becoming too high. Most modern compressor / condenser units include an overpressure sensor that will shut the equipment down if compressor pressures become too high. Some older models and some modern economy air conditioner compressors may lack this function. See USING DMMs VOMs SAFELY. Example: testing a blower fan motor winding: referring to the electrical diagram for your equipment, unplug electrical connectors at the fan motor. Measure the resistance between each lead wire with a multimeter or VOM. The multimeter should be set in the X1 range. For accuracy, don't measure when the fan motor is hot, allow it to cool off. When the resistance between each lead wire are those listed in the specifications for your equipment the fan motor should be normal. Zero resistance or infinite resistance are indicators of a problem. More examples of checking wiring: see BURNED-OUT COMPRESSOR. see HARD STARTING COMPRESSOR MOTORS also TIGHT or SEIZED AC COMPRESSORS for more details about old or failed compressor motors. Also see Test a Motor Starting Capacitor Common Causes of Burned Out Air Conditioner Compressors
The text above describing causes of refrigeration compressor damage is indebted to HVACR experts Norm Christopherson [2] and Joe Marchese [6], as well as Warren Hilliard [1]. Questions & Answers regarding this articleQuestions & Answers about air conditioning and heat pump compressors: diagnosis, failure, repair, replacement Question: My air conditioner compressor blew, the new system is icing up, what's going on?I am a 100% service-connected disabled veteran who just spent over $3700. to replace a 4 ton trane xr12 air conditioner condenser and coil. My old condenser compressor blew up and the HVAC guy said it wasn't worth replacing since the unit was a 9 yr old r-22 system. He talked me into a new trane xr13, 4 ton, r-410 condenser and a 5 ton evaporative coil for an extra $400. saying I'd get 10% more cooling capacity than the 4 ton coil. this was 5 weeks ago. three techs have been here since trying to figure out why the evaporative coil keeps icing up. the best cooling we get with the thermostat set at 72 degrees is only 15 degrees cooler than it is outside.this is with the front panel off the furnace. With the panel in place, in 2 or 3 days the coil turns into a block of ice. even with the panel off, as the day wears on and the outside temperature drops, the inside temperature increases. right now, the thermostat is at 72, it's10:15 p.m. it's 73 degrees outside and 76 degrees inside. The HVAC guys tried to blame my ductwork as unable to handle the airflow, then inadequate air returns, then too small a hole (10x12) above the coil going to the plenum. all solutions of course would require a 2nd mortgage. My response was . BULL. It's something they did wrong because before the compressor blew, if the outside temperature was 100 degrees, inside it was 78 degrees.(with the thermostat set at 72. Not once in 9 years did it ice up or did I ever have to remove the front panel of the furnace to increase the airflow., It has to be one or both of the things they installed, like maybe a defective evaporator coil. Do you have any suggestions? Thanks - B.H. Reply:Cooling coil icing can be due to an improper refrigerant charge, inadequate air flow across the cooling coil, or a problem with a refrigerant metering device (or something else we haven't thought-of). Your HVAC guys might be right that your old duct system is not moving enough air across the coil, allowing it to ice up, but if that's the problem I'd ask them why they didn't think of that before selling you that extra big evaporative coil in the air handler. In a good-working air conditioner or heat pump system the components need to be in balance: compressor/condenser, air handler/evaporator, and ductwork. If we hold off on the blame game for a bit, let's see if you can increase the airflow across the coil. Often I find on older cooling systems that the return air opening was too small or the connections from return register to the air handler small or cramped or twisty. A very crude "test" that I do NOT RECOMMEND for more than a few minutes of test operation is to see if the coil ices up if someone leaves the air handler blower compartment door off - to maximize the return air opening. Take a look under DUCT SYSTEM & DUCT DEFECTS for the article: RETURN AIR REGISTERS & DUCTS, and also take a look under COOLING COIL or EVAPORATOR COIL at the article: FROST BUILD-UP on AIR CONDITIONER COILS for more help. Finally, at RETROFIT SIZING for A/C or HEAT PUMPS we touch on the importance of balancing the system components during a retrofit or upgrade of an air conditioner or heat pump system. Let us know what you find - we'll both learn something. Ask a Question or Search InspectAPediaHTML Comment Box is loading comments...
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