Home A/C question.

[Rick Lee]

We had 116 deg. today and my 18 yr. old A/C quit. Turned out to be a fuse, I replaced it and it's working fine now. But I know that compressor is on borrowed time. Does it really take 60 or more amps to blow a 60A fuse? This compressor is rated at around 28A. I can't believe it'd be able to make it to 60A. Any chance these fuses just get old and weak and then blow at a lower load? How much time do I have left? I spent $13 on the fuses tonight. That's a lot easier than the $5700 estimate I have for a whole new system.

[Don Ro]

Had a new big Trane installed a couple of years ago.
I've been seeing a TV ad lately for $1,000 off for new installation.
When I see it again, I'll post the name of the local company.
Good luck.

[billybek]

Probably took out the fuse when starting.
The inrush current is at least 10 times greater than FLA.
if a fuse is going to go that's when it will happen. Could be a start capacitor or start relay on the way out. Or it simply might have been a short cycle and the unit started against a higher head pressure than usual.

[Rick Lee]

Yeah, I was wondering about the start capacitor too. Do they contribute a lot to the load if old and on the way out? Any sense in replacing it and the relay, if just to try to make it another 6-7 weeks until it cools off?

[wdfifteen]

Start capacitor is a common culprit. The start capacitor stores energy when the motor is running. When the motor starts again, the capacitor unloads, giving the motor extra current to get going. If it fails the full start current has to come through the fuse. So yes, a bad one can contribute a lot to the load on the fuse.
Long term high current can make the link in the fuse sag over time and fail (especially if it's mounted horizontally), so that is a possibility. You can replace the fuse, but the high current issue is still there.

[Rick Lee]

Ok, the high current isn't going away because the compressor is on its last legs. But if I can make this last until cooler weather, I'll be overjoyed and will replace the whole damn thing next spring before it gets hot.

So, if I were to replace the start capacitor, is that just a matter buying the same one at the local hardware store, pulling the fuses out, wiring the new one in the same way current one is in there, slap the fuse panel back in and then turn it all back on?

[BlueSkyJaunte]

Stay away from Trane - after 6 weeks of stupidity mine is finally repaired and operating correctly. It was only 6 years old and fried the compressor.

Everyone--and I do mean everyone--I have spoken to has recommended Goodman. 10-year warranty.

[LeeH]

When my aging AC started popping the breaker , I put on a hard start capacitor and a new contactor. Seemed to help. Eventually figured out that the breaker itself was bad and replaced that too. Got a couple of more years out of it after replacing those items.

[Rick Lee]

Lee, did you DIY this? If so, how was it? Did you discharge the old capacitor with a screwdriver? Where is the breaker?

[LeeH]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

Lee, did you DIY this? If so, how was it? Did you discharge the old capacitor with a screwdriver? Where is the breaker?

All of it is pretty easy stuff. Hard start cap is really easy. Two wires. Yeah, I did discharge the run start cap with a screwdriver.

I could tell by looking at my contactor that it was in bad shape. Lots of soot on the contacts.

Pretty sure I just watched Youtube videos on all of the above before diving in.

[Rick Lee]

I need to remove the panel and take a look at what I have. I've seen it all before, but it's been a while. I'm assuming I can just take the old capacitor to the hardware store and match it, right? But I'm not clear on the relay. I didn't know they could store a charge. I thought only capacitors did that. Will a bad or dying relay be obvious to the naked eye or do I need to use a multi-meter?

[Rick Lee]

Also, I keep the temp. at 81 deg., which is very comfortable with no humidity. What should I do when I leave the house? Keep the a/c on at a little higher temp or off? I don't mind waiting for it to cool off when I come back home. Right now I just want to extend the life of everything just a bit more.

[Rick Lee]

Ok, just pulled the panel off and it looks like there are three capacitors. I haven't seen any Youtube videos on the small or black one.

[MBAtarga]

FWIW - my AC guy says Goodman is the laughing stock of the industry. It's a commonly installed brand by home builders for a reason - it's cheap and it's working when the house is sold.

[Typ616]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

We had 116 deg. today and my 18 yr. old A/C quit.

I'm stopping right at 18y old... A/C ages in dog years... I know you don't wanna pay for a new system, but it would make a big difference. This old one is gonna start nickel and diming you to death and ultimately cause some sweaty nights. New units are so much more efficient it'll save you a lot of electricity (and hassle). You might get your money back in a few years, no joke... My electrical bill went down by $100 with the new units (I had 2, FL, AC on all year)

[Rick Lee]

I have solar panels on the roof. My last electric bill was $20 and that was with peak a/c use. I just need to band-aid this one to keep it running until mid-Sept. Then I'll plan on a new one for next season.

[Don Ro]

Originally Posted by BlueSkyJaunte

Stay away from Trane - after 6 weeks of stupidity mine is finally repaired and operating correctly. It was only 6 years old and fried the compressor.

Everyone--and I do mean everyone--I have spoken to has recommended Goodman. 10-year warranty.

Sorry to hear about your Trane woes. What I heard about Goodman units is that the contractors I spoke with placed Rheem and Goodman in the same box...good price but not the highest quality parts.
.
My unit is not a Trane...it is an American Standard...just looked in my file.
I asked no less than 7 A/C companies for their take on a good reliable unit...all 7 recommended Trane/American Standard for my 2,600 sq. ft.
Both are made side by side with the highest quality parts available, according to what I investigated for 2 months.
The only difference aside from the paint job and decals is price because Trane charges their dealers a “marketing fund”.
The dealers that I trusted gave me the inside poop. The mother company of both is Ingersoll Rand.
.
I purchased a 7 yr. service contract from American Standard for $400 because a service call may be $150 to just show up.
And around $400 labor charge just to remove and replace a pump.
Total cost to me was $5,200 for the biggest unit for a residential property.
.
IMPORTANT: Get your duct leakage checked out.
In AZ, an APS study found that duct system leakage can be as high as 34% of the airflow rate of the system - over one-third of its cooling capacity!
A properly installed system should have a leakage rate of only about 3% to 5% of system airflow.
Also, in AZ SRP and APS offer rebates for duct leakage testing and repair.
.
As important as the choice in A/C units is Contractor A vs. Contractor B.
Who will do a more thorough evaluation of your home? Who will perform a load calculation? Who will inspect your duct work?
Who offers a more detailed “scope of work”? Who has a better reputation with the BBB, Angie’s List, Kudzu.com, etc!
.
Stay cool. Speeder will be envious.

[billybek]

It looks as though someone has already installed a hard start capacitor on your condensing unit.
You could look for the same brand name and install it in the same fashion.
The oval shaped capacitors are for when the motor is running not starting. There will be one for the compressor motor (capacitor start/capacitor run) and the third with the small wires will most likely be for the condensing fan motor. (permanent split capacitor)
Check all the connections in the control panel and the motor termination box on the compressor.
Look for burnt wires and loose sta-cons.
Do me a favor and do this with the power off, OK?

[95avblm3]

We just went through this... 30 year old house that had never had central AC... So add the price of running ductwork and new copper lines and your $5700 quote suddenly looks like a bargain. Ours came in just under $10k for a 2.5 ton system. We are in Florida.

As far as your immediate problems, have you checked your coil to see how dirty it is? IIRC correctly, dirty coils can cause the system to run harder due to lack of airflow through the coil. System runs harder, current goes up. Or maybe I'm just making that up. I guess my point is you're on the right track checking/replacing the cap but also check the cleanliness of the system to keep it healthy and prolong its life too.

As for brands, Daiken recently bought Goodman to gain a foothold in the US market. Daiken is a Japanese company and supposedly the largest refrigeration company in the world, or so I was told. It was explained to me that the Goodman line will be maintained as the entry level line, and Daiken will be marketed as the premium line. Daiken is supposed to be working wonders for increasing the quality of Goodman. We had Daiken, Trane and Carrier quoted. Daiken had a better warranty and more features for the price but the contractor didn't run a heat load calculation on my house (I did) and our sizing didn't agree. I've had Trane's in past houses I've owned and never had an issue with one other than a capacitor but again, same Contractor as Daiken. I had two other contractors quote the job, both of which were Carrier dealers. One of them did a proper heat load calculation and arrived at the same size and me. They won the job. I would have gotten more quotes but we were tired of sleeping in 85+ temps (window shaker had failed). So we have a Carrier. So far so good, but we are only 3 weeks since turn-on. It has a variable speed air handler with controllable humidity setting which is pretty sweet.

Good luck nursing yours along and may it last the rest of the summer for you

[Rick Lee]

I cleaned my coils a few weeks ago and they weren't that dirty to begin with. I use a high-end fliter and change it religiously every 30 days. It blows ice cold, so I think the refrigerant and pressures are fine. I really think all that's left to do is to replace the capacitors. They are dirt cheap at the local hardware store. I just hope I can find what I need and get it all apart and back together again. I'd like to find a local person who can help me and won't try to sell me a whole new unit.

Also, if I replace that relay, do they they need to be discharged?