Air Conditioning - Heat Pump works intermittently?

Currently running A/C on my Lennox HP. All of a sudden we notice the house getting warmer. I go and look at the HP and the top fan is not turning on the outside unit. The fan blower is running as normal. Just no cool air. I can go and turn off everything at the furnace and then turn it right back on and the HP fan will start running the cold air starts again. It's like something needs a "jolt" of electricity to get things moving again. Sometimes I'll have to turn it on and off 3 or 4 times before the outside unit will come back on. What do you think?

When the outside fan stops it will or should turn off the outside compressor. Check the capacitor for the fan first I fnot that then Id say new fan motor. Make sure you get the same HP, RPM and it turns the same way. Get a new capacitor with it. Dont let the AC run with out that fan. You can just run the inside fan.

Where is the capacitor for the fan? What does it look like? Can you buy one online?

OH, when the fan stops, the compressor stops. NOthing runs except the furnace fan inside.

got a dog?
look for a short or exposed wires