A/C Help?

[miss piggy]

Wondering if anyone here could help before I call in the Pros? Our Trane A/C outside unit was staying on, when I turned off all heat and air. The fan runs when turned on. Had to pull the outside breaker to turn it off. Someone told me the pan could be stopped up in attic. Have not been up there to check it as of yet. Any thoughts? Thanks in advance, Patricia in La.

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[ddmoit]

Hi Patricia,

Our moderator, Brian (http://www.johnbridge.com/vbulletin/member.php?u=13250) knows a thing or two about AC.

I'll ping him about this thread.

[cx]

Is it only the cooling fan outside that stays on, or is it the compressor, too?

Do you have fire ants in your area?

Don't know how a drain pan gets "stopped up." The drain could certainly be stopped up inna attic, but wouldn't have nothin' to do with the compressor cooling fan.

Izza heat pump system? Were you heating or cooling?

My opinion; worth price charged.

[John Bridge]

Yeah, the drain pan won't have anything to do with the cooling fan.

Yo, Brian. ;)

[ceramictec]

not the AC Brian but to me it sounds like your outdoor thermostat is broke or stuck.

[MHI]

wrong Brian :D


Up here, the heat is all thats needed right now.

[ceramictec]

I meant i'm not the A/C guy named Brian.....lol

yeah, I was just up there and it snowed 10" 2 weeks ago...yuck!

[miss piggy]

I'm not sure I think I was using the heater, NO it is not a heat pump. Reg. gas heat, elec. air. Trane system. I had turned everything to OFF, but the outside unit was still going. Patricia

[Brian in San Diego]

Patricia,

I might need a little more information but let's see if we can figure this out. The outdoor unit (condensing unit) is where the refrigerant gas is compressed and then condensed into a liquid. The outdoor fan circulates air across the coil to condense the refrigerant. There is a contactor in the outdoor unit that sounds like it's being energized. If you have opened the disconnect the 230 volts is off to the unit. However if your problem is being caused by something wrong with the low voltage wiring or the thermostat then the contactor is still energized. If you stand next to the unit or put you ear on it is there a slight buzzing noise? If so, that would indicate that the coil (electrical) for the contactor is energized making it an electrical problem. If I were you I would locate the circuit breaker in your electrical box and make sure the power to the unit is off then you could remove the access panel to the condensing unit and look to see what position the contactor is in. Generally they are exposed to where you can look to see if they are "pulled in" or not. You may find something like I found in the condensing unit at a friend's house. A rat was using it as a "storage area" for nuts it was gathering from nearby palm trees. It wasn't causing any problems but there was a ton of debris in there. A contactor like I assume you have could be physically "pushed in" without an electrical signal and it would run the comporessor and fan.

One thing we haven't established is whether the compressor was running as well as the fan. Do you know if it was both or just the fan?

Maybe you could provide a little more information and let me know if you have a voltage meter. I know I can walk anyone through the testing portion if they have the correct tools. Heed my advice about making sure the C/B is turned off. The voltages inside that unit are lethal.

Brian

[cx]

I axed MP earlier if the compressor was runnin', Brian, but I guess she ain't speakin' to me no more. :(

We got no pack rat problem hereabouts, but at least half the electrical problems I find in the condenser units is fire ant inflicted. They're hell on 'lectric gate operators and water well controllers, too.

They allegedly came up from South America but I believe they're a Yankee plot. :D

[miss piggy]

yes we have LOTS of fireants, but I do not believe any are in the unit. I will have to wait until tomorrow toget my hubby to take note of Brian's post and see what we can find. I will get back with you all later. Patricia K. Thanks so much.

[miss piggy]

well hubby was not able to do the thing about turning off the whole unit. had a migrane, BUT I did turn on the heat and it works, so just the a/c is not working. So I would say it is the outside thing that is the problem. This is all I know at the moment. Patricia in La.

[scuttlebuttrp]

If it makes ya feel better Patricia; my heat pump died about a month ago. Almost froze and now dying in the heat.

Solidarity,
Royce.