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blowfish770

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Recommend you check out some Youtube videos, I am trying to get mine back in working condition as well. I have already replaced the starter capacitor and the contactor and actually got the outside fan to kick on and off for 24 hours before the buzzing came back.

 

One word of caution: if you are going to do anything with your outside AC unit, you need to make sure all of the breakers are shut off that feed power to the unit (A/C and Furnace), you need to disconnect the power at the box that should be on the outside of the house (it should just pull out), AND most importantly, you need to discharge the big capacitor(s) that may still hold onto enough voltage to kill you with an insulated screwdriver (I also wear insulated gloves when doing this). Doing anything with your AC can potentially expose you to lethal voltage, so unless you read up on and feel comfortable discharging a large capacitor, don't attempt it.

 

Best of luck

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Recommend you check out some Youtube videos, I am trying to get mine back in working condition as well. I have already replaced the starter capacitor and the contactor and actually got the outside fan to kick on and off for 24 hours before the buzzing came back.

 

One word of caution: if you are going to do anything with your outside AC unit, you need to make sure all of the breakers are shut off that feed power to the unit (A/C and Furnace), you need to disconnect the power at the box that should be on the outside of the house (it should just pull out), AND most importantly, you need to discharge the big capacitor(s) that may still hold onto enough voltage to kill you with an insulated screwdriver (I also wear insulated gloves when doing this). Doing anything with your AC can potentially expose you to lethal voltage, so unless you read up on and feel comfortable discharging a large capacitor, don't attempt it.

 

Best of luck

If the cap keeps failing something is wrong, likely the motor. A friend of mine would have his run capacitor fail about every 6-8 months on his condensor. He's got a trane XT1000 heat pump system and eventually the motor finally just locked up but like you Jeff it would buzz for awhile before taking out the capacitor. After the 4th one the motor finally said I'm done and replacing it and a new run capacitor has kept it running without fail for about a year now. Electric bill went down a bit too. No doubt due to the failing 13 year old motor with shot bearings.

 

No joke on the current there though. If you aren't completely sure you know how to deal with electricity don't open your ac. Getting on the bad side of 220 is going to lay you out at the least. Checked everything with a fluke clamp meter and a separate multi meter to be sure. Gloves and insulated tools go without saying and just because he was paranoid he wrapped the screwdriver in an all weather rubber truck floor mat. Lol. Never be too careful.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I replaced the fan motor in mine last weekend and have working A/C again. I finally figured out it was a failing bearing in the fan motor after it ran fine for the first ten minutes and then starting slowing down and came to a stop as the bad bearing seized up from the heat. $179 for the upgraded fan motor, a $20 capacitor (they always recommend you replace the cap along with the motor), done. No more issues. Glad to be able to figure these things out and fix them myself, leaves more $$ for coral

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Did you do it yourself or have it done? I have a massive coolant leak in my condenser and I can't sell my house until I fix or replace it. I replaced my fan motor a few years ago and the capacitor last year so of course now it leaks.

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I had to replace it and the furnace was 25 years old so I replaced it too.Can you say $8500😫😫😫

Wow, though with something that age with the increased efficiency of a new system I bet your utility bill get slashed by a fair amount.

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