While I was sleeping my central air stopped working and was blowing warm air in the house. I checked the unit outside and found that it was noisier then normal and the fan out there was not running. So, I bought a new filter for the furnace hoping that would help and turned the air back on, and everything appeared good (cold air and such) though it was not blowing as strong as normal and the outside fan came on once again. After twenty minutes or so I went to let the dog out and found it making that noise again so I checked and the fan was off again. I almost forgot to mention that the outside unit was hot to the touch the first time and getting hot the second time. Any idea's about what the problem might be and how much the parts for this will cost. I have a friend that does this for a living and he will do the labor, but I want to have an idea if I can afford it this week and it is to late to call him. Thanks in advance.
Update:Elusive is fine, I know it is hard to tell what is wrong with out seeing it for yourself. I am just looking for rough estimate of the possible cost hoping I can fix it this week. Also I should have mentioned that it is a York unit that is either nine or ten years old. I bought the house eight years ago from an older couple who only enjoyed it for one summer. I am not sure if they lived here the summer before I bought it, that's why I said nine to ten years old.
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Answers & Comments
Verified answer
Ok , here are some average repair cost.
Service call to come look at your problem $100
If your capacitor is bad at outside unit , service call $100 + capacitor $50
If your fan is bad on the outside unit, service call $100+ fan motor $125 + capacitor $50. Never replace the fan motor without replacing the capacitor.
You will sometimes be charged for miles traveled, up to about $2 per mile.
See there, your parents told you that you should have been a a/c technician, now you're going to give your money to someone who charges more than a plumber.
Could be from $15.00 to $150.00 depending if it's the fan motor or a capacitor or relay that's causing the issue. It may even be as simple as a burnt out fuse in the outside unit, or just that the outside unit needs a very good cleaning so it can circulate air better. Not trying to be evasive on the issue but can be from a lot of different things. Have your friend check it out and tell them up front it may be next week or so before you can repair it.
It sounds like the condenser fan motor is bad. It may be the capacitor also. If it is shorted, the fan will overheat and shut off on on internal overload. If it's an old unit, the motor's probably shot. It should only cost no more than $75 wholesale. Replace the capacitor also. Make sure your friend checks the compressor before he replaces anything to make sure it's ok.
Compressor running outside fan is not.
Compressor and fan connected to same circuit.
Problem: Fan motor or capacitor. (Fan runs sometimes and other times it does not )
Capacitor: Check with a capacitor tester. If good...problem is fan. If bad... replace capacitor.
Fan: Thermal overload (inside motor) could be bad but if the fan is overheating it could be bearings or windings (capacitor already determined as good). Replace Fan and capacitor.
Costs vary...Check the guy with repair costs as a guide.
If capable, do it yourself. Only do it yourself if you understand wiring. Some wiring changes may be required.
Good Luck
Something for everyone to remember about AC units is the outside heat exchange fins need to be cleaned on a regular basis. They get clogged by dust, grass, and most common around here, cottonwood tree seed pods. You need to make sure everything is clean. With central air unit, you will need to open it up and blow pressurized water from the inside out. With a window unit, you can slide it out of the casing. Take it to a car wash and clean it.
Your outside unit's fan should run intermittenly. Meaning it's supposed to turn off and on. On when the condencer is running, off when it's not.
It does get hot, but that's because it's working...like your car engine.
You might want to call an HVAC company to come out to clean and check it, though. It may run you around $100.00 for a complete cleaning and inspection.