Air Conditioning - Outdoor Unit not turning on

My outdoor unit for my air conditioner suddenly stopped turning on. All the outdoor does is click when the I turn the thermostat on, so it seems as though the power is not getting the fan. The inside unit just blows hot air, obviously because the outside unit isn't working. Does anyone have any ideas where I should start looking to resolve this. I opened the electrical box on the outdoor unit and didn't notice any burnt wires or anything. I read another post about the contactor, should this be the first place to check?

. I read another post about the contactor, should this be the first place to check?
For sure. check for 220V comeing in 24V comeing in to it. When calling for cool do you get 220V out of contactor????? look for its schematic. Is there anything else there that would keep it off .---high head ,low freon cut out.Bad cap? lots of ifs ifs.

ED;)

First things first. An air conditioning unit is divided into two parts. Each has it's own circuit breaker. The outside unit breaker could be tripped while the inside unit works fine. If the inside unit breaker trips then both units should stop working, but the outside unit will still have power.

So, check ALL your breakers. Any one that seems 'loose' is likely in a tripped condition and needs to be cycled off then back on.

See if that is your problem.

mdtaylor,

Yeahm I checked all the breakers several times over. So I doubt that has anything to do with it.

Ed,

I will check the voltages when I get home and let you know.

Thank you both for the replies.

First things first. An air conditioning unit is divided into two parts. Each has it's own circuit breaker. The outside unit breaker could be tripped while the inside unit works fine. If the inside unit breaker trips then both units should stop working, but the outside unit will still have power.

So, check ALL your breakers. Any one that seems 'loose' is likely in a tripped condition and needs to be cycled off then back on.

See if that is your problem.

Just so the homeowner is aware of this other possibility: The outdoor unit *I* just worked on only had an outside wall mounted disconnect with no breakers or fuses. They were in the main panel box in the basement. To make sure the entire system is shut off you have to kill the 240 double pole breaker for the outside unit and the 15 amp breaker for the furnace (which has the evaporator A-coil above it.)

So it ended up being the Contactor. Looks like some animal left something in the contactor so the output terminals were not getting power..

Ahh.. air conditioning is nice..

Thanks you for all your help.

It helps to BUG spray around the condenser now and then. All kind of little bugs, ants the main ones will get into the relays and contactor in the Ac unit,

ED;)