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Replies: 12
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Orange Blooded [2762]
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I need a favor if possible w/ my condenser fan on a Lennox
Jun 15, 2015, 5:43 AM
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1/6 hp motor. The motor starts working fine but slowly crawls to a stop anywhere from 15 mins to say 2 hours or so. We put a new capacitor on but no success. Is it a matter of a new motor replacement or do I have some other issues to be concerned with? I say capacitor but I honestly am not sure but it is the correct make/model. It looks like this:
Much obliged for any help!
Also, will include the fix in this thread for the next guy. I am sure I'm not the only one.
Message was edited by: Tickled Orange®
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Rock Defender [53]
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Re: I need a favor if possible w/ my condenser fan on a Lennox
Jun 15, 2015, 5:50 AM
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Long shot guess on my part, but have you tried servicing the motor? That is, oil/grease where it might need it?
Also, have you cleaned the coils? Not sure how old it is, but grass clippings, leaves, insects, etc get into those coils. I recommend turning the unit off at the power source while you're doing it, and opening the top, and take a garden hose and spray the coils inside-out. You'll be amazed at the dirt/debris that will be rinsed out.
Also, it sounds like - and this is my "best" guess - the refrigerant is low and needs to be replenished. Sometimes they vacuum out the system and refill it. When the refrigerant is low, the motor has to work much harder to accomplish the same result, and that causes it to shut down from overheating.
Good luck - it's gonna be a hot one, and Summer is still a week away. 
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Orange Blooded [2762]
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Thanks for the insight- I have used the specific cleaner b4
Jun 15, 2015, 5:58 AM
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but could stand for a thorough cleaning. I did not know it had a overheat shutoff system which explains the symptoms described in my orig thread. An HVAC friend of mine said motor replacement and nothing else to be considered. He also said there is no known method of servicing this motor only to replace it. I hate to not trust a friend but I don't trust hvac folks (personal experiences w/ em so no hard feelings hvac folks!)
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Orange Blooded [3881]
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couldn't agree more with the cleaning part, you've gotta
Jun 15, 2015, 6:47 AM
[ in reply to Re: I need a favor if possible w/ my condenser fan on a Lennox ] |
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keep the coils AND filter clean. I hope you get the AC problems fixed, I suspect there will be a LOT of busy HVAC techs this week...lol. Stay cool and thirsty my friend!
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Orange Blooded [2762]
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TY my friend! An odd thing happened a moment ago
Jun 15, 2015, 7:30 AM
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after cleaning the coils/heat exchange(delicate parts them are) it ran fine initially, then began to slow so I lightly misted the motor. RPMs picked right up momentarily. It ultimately stopped, and the fan was not easy to turn by hand. Moments later, it became free to spin as if a brake had released. Following that, something timed (Im guessing) kicked in and the fan returned to full speed once again. I'm about to overstay my welcome in this help but I'm believing it may not be the motor but some strain that you all suggested, causing the overheat shutoff kicks in and much sooner than later. This leads me in the direction of what causes the motor to shut off. I appreciate the help and know I've pushed it already but this may be the answer for the next guy. So your help might just be valued by others and not just me.
And for those tnet critics, see if you get this at your other sites. RTFM is not what I mean either
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CU Guru [1075]
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Re: I need a favor if possible w/ my condenser fan on a Lennox
Jun 15, 2015, 7:56 AM
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Based on your description that the motor slows down after running for a while, it seems that the motor bearings are failing. I'm not an AC guy but I do have lots of experience with motors. If the capacitor was bad, the motor probably wouldn't even start. You also mentioned that the fan was hard to turn when off. This is another indication of bad bearings.
Most small motors like yours have permanently lubed bearings. Unless you feel like taking a motor apart to replace the bearings (if you can even find replacement bearings), it would probably cost more to have the motor repaired than replaced, so either buy a new motor and replace it yourself or just pay a service tech to do a complete service.
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Orange Blooded [2762]
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This is what my HVAC friend said as well. 1 thing right now
Jun 15, 2015, 8:09 AM
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though, is that it is running just fine after cleaning as the others suggested. Am crossing fingers that the cleaning of the coils/vents/filters etc does the trick but even if I have to replace the motor, it shows that it could be something much cheaper for the next guy to consider. I also opened all the closed vents in our closed off rooms just to help with any restriction in any way. Thanks for the input and considering it's age I suspect you are ultimately right.
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110%er [9064]
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It is NOT the capacitor because......
Jun 15, 2015, 8:11 AM
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the capacitor's job is to enable the motor to start correctly - isn't involved with your motor running constantly.
You have a bad motor - no question about it. As it runs and gets hotter, the bad bearings or lack of lubrication in it cause it to grind to a halt.
You can't lube motors like these. Check with Grainger or an A/C supply house (any company that sells motors and such) and get a new one. Take it out of your unit so you can read the information on it and get the correct replacement. Better yet, take it with you when you go to get a new one to be sure you get the right size, shaft size, etc.
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Orange Blooded [2762]
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It is starting to sound unhealthy- me thinks yhou are right.
Jun 15, 2015, 8:24 AM
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Thanks for the input guys! Already I can eliminate any mystery repair(fiction) which I've paid for more than once in my lifetime. Who knows how much but I've already saved just from the phantom part replacement/labor costs. Thanks all!
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110%er [7026]
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Legend [15813]
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We have a 12+ year old Lennox and just had to have the
Jun 15, 2015, 9:04 AM
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fan/motor replaced. It was acting like yours. HVAC guy initially told us we needed a new unit; ended up being the fan, which he replaced with a used unit out of another Lennox. So far so good. Good luck.
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Orange Blooded [2762]
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My guy said he had one waiting for when I called and
Jun 15, 2015, 9:17 AM
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would be around $250.00 installed so will be a nice price break. Thanks for the info!
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Varsity [217]
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Re: My guy said he had one waiting for when I called and
Jun 15, 2015, 9:23 AM
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Make sure the capacitor is changed along with the motor, standard practice in industry, if you AC guy doesn't, don't use him again!
Message was edited by: elpeets®
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