Air Conditioning Problem

[woodchucker]

A bit late to the party, but anyone who has an AC unit on its way out should look into a ductless heat pump system.

Not bad for purchase price and install, way more energy efficient than dedicated AC.

As a bonus, they heat in winter as well.

We have two in the house and they will make it so cold you need a blanket, even when its 30+C outside…

Yep I installed one with my son at his house in his bedroom. Pretty easy. My house is a ranch, so I'll stick with the central, since it's already plumbed and I don't have to run cable everywhere for the compressors.

 

[RJSakowski]

I put a Mr Cool mini split in my attic workshop. In this 110 y.o. house, there was no way to run duct work from the central HVAC to that space. When I remodeled the space I ran a 240 volt feed up there so I only had add a breaker to the sub panel and to make a 25' run to the compressor site. I like that I am able to monitor and control it from my phone app.

 

[pdentrem]

I already have done the oil lube on the compressor fan motor a couple years ago. Compressor Contactor this year and transformer in the furnace as well.
When not if the compressor goes, I will replace with a much more modern unit. Most if not all the split system manufacturers offer an outdoor unit and A frame evaporator to fit a central air unit. Mr Cool for example.

https://mrcool.com/wp-content/dox_repo/mc-uni-cc-br-en-01.pdf

Pierre

 

[DAM 79]

Damn it bear, you had to bring this topic up. My cooling motor on top of the ac unit outside is screaming... Looks like the bearings are shot. I was wondering where that noise was coming from earlier. It went for a few seconds and when I went to find it, stopped.
Now that I am upstairs, it's clear .. Bad time, as we are at the start of a heat wave, and it will be hard to locate a motor by tomorrow..
I have to open up the unit, the motor on top is hard to get at, the wires do not allow the top to come off or bend back...
Grrrrrr.

Another Quick fix to help you get by if you can find a replacement motor is to mount a Big Box fan on top out the Condenser (outdoor unit) and plug that into a extension cord and make sure you have it so it pulls the air from the coils and blows the hot air UP and out of the unit Don’t have it blowing air into the unit or it will definitely over heat the Compressor and cause it to trip out on thermal over load

 

[woodchucker]

well, that fan motor seized up again. I am surprised, I would have thought the moly grease would have kept it lubed longer.

 

[Flyinfool]

Did you measure the amp draw to see if it is near nameplate? the motor could have electrical issues causing it to run hot and cook the lube out.
A sized bearing/bushing already has damage, relubing is a temp fix at best until you can get a replacement, or replace the bearings/bushings.

 

[woodchucker]

Did you measure the amp draw to see if it is near nameplate? the motor could have electrical issues causing it to run hot and cook the lube out.
A sized bearing/bushing already has damage, relubing is a temp fix at best until you can get a replacement, or replace the bearings/bushings.

No I didn't.
At this point, I was looking for a motor, all are 3 - 4 days away.
I have some Oil Lite's I might press out the old and put in.
I am thinking of putting the motor shaft in the lathe and polishing up. I didn't feel any burrs, or flats yesterday.
I

 

[RJSakowski]

I have salvaged bad oillite bushings by cooking them in an oil bath. Usually, the clearance is increased and the motor is noisy but it still spins..

Thinking back, I recall a March road trip to Denver. In the middle of Iowa, the windshield wiper motor seized up and we were in the middle of a snow/sleet storm. Fortunately, it was a C20 pickup and the motor was under the dash in the cab. I pulled the motor and took it apart and got the rotor turning again. I borrowed some oil from the dipstick to liberally coat the bushing and put everything back together. It got us to Denver and back to Wisconsin.

 

[pdentrem]

Oilite bushings are very forgiving. Add oil and go usually works.
Pierre

 

[woodchucker]

yes, but they were not oillite in there.
so a more in depth study.. well not really. I punched the back end bells cap off so I could punch the bearing out. And guess what... these are oiled bearings. The bearing has a hole in it, and behind it is all this foam, (dry foam). I took out some of it, as it was flaking. Then I soaked the remaining with oil.
The main front bearing caps would not come off. So I soaked the open area with oil, then stuck the endbell in the lathe, and spun it while adding oil to the front gap, and turned it and did the same to the back gap.
Then for good measure I polished the shafts, then coated them with teflon... it turns much freer than the first go round. it free wheels now

Reinstalled, and I am reading 1.23 amps under load.
We'll see.