Gas and Oil Home Heating Furnaces - Outside A/C unit will not trun off
Doityourself.com community forum was created to provide answers to all questions related to home improvement and home repair. Doityourself community can help you find information about how-to topics on small fixes to large remodeling projects. With comprehensive how-to content and expertly moderated community forums DoItYourself.com makes it easy to tackle even the most complex home improvement projects.View Full Version : Outside A/C unit will not trun off
ernest1
04-09-03, 01:19 PM
I have a 3-4 ton 20 year old Rheem cental air unit. The outside unit will not trun off even after i disconnedted the inside thermastat. The only way to turn off the commpersser and fan was to trun off the breaker... The compresser line running to the house are iciced over even though we were runnign the heater last night.
What part do i need to replace. The switch in the outside unit or the switch on the compressor.... the capacitors have all been changed in the last few years... the outside blower fan has been changed. The condinser inside seem not to be icied over becasue air is coming out of the vents....
What part do i need to replace. The switch in the outside unit or the switch on the compressor.... the capacitors have all been changed in the last few years... the outside blower fan has been changed. The condinser inside seem not to be icied over becasue air is coming out of the vents....
Ed Imeduc
04-09-03, 02:16 PM
Turn the power off and look and see if the contactor there on the outdoor unit is stuck on . Lots of times the point burn shut and wont drop off;) ED
ernest1
04-09-03, 02:31 PM
Contactor was stuck ... What can I do to this switch to help prevent it from happening...
Ed Imeduc
04-09-03, 02:53 PM
Most of the time not a dam thing. Although did you see any dead bugs around it at all or any there on the points?????????. It does help to spray around the AC o/d unit with bug spray now and then. Ants like to get up in there and screw up the relays and get burned up on the contactors points sometimes;) ED
fjrachel
04-09-03, 03:28 PM
Replace the contactor, it will probably stick again..
firsthvac
04-10-03, 01:32 AM
Dear ernest1--
As you probably have figured out, the contactor is the main switch for operating the compressor. When the switch opens and closes, the large amount of electricity creates an arc across the points which in turn causes the points to form pits that can become slightly welded together. Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do to prevent the problem except to replace the contactor with one that has the same or greater full load amp rating when the switch begins sticking. Also be sure to use a contactor that has the same coil voltage rating and that each of the wiring connections on the contactor are clean and tight.
As you probably have figured out, the contactor is the main switch for operating the compressor. When the switch opens and closes, the large amount of electricity creates an arc across the points which in turn causes the points to form pits that can become slightly welded together. Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do to prevent the problem except to replace the contactor with one that has the same or greater full load amp rating when the switch begins sticking. Also be sure to use a contactor that has the same coil voltage rating and that each of the wiring connections on the contactor are clean and tight.