My blower motor started making a funny sound this AM. like an off-balance shaking type of noise.
I turned it all off and took it all apart and cleaned everything well. After reassembly it was working again but seemed a little louder… maybe because I removed so much lint?
after running a few minutes, the motor stopped spinning and started buzzing loudly.
I tried to spin the cage/fan and felt resistance…. however after cutting power the cage spins freely. It was like the motor was magnetically resisting movement.
WHen I had everything apart, the motor shaft spun freely and smoothly… not a bearing problem from what I can tell.
Anybody have any ideas?
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I refuse to accept that there are limitations to what we can accomplish. Pete Draganic
Take life as a test and shoot for a better score each day. Matt Garcia
Replies
Replace the blower motor.
Why, what is going on. I would like to understand the problem.
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I refuse to accept that there are limitations to what we can accomplish. Pete Draganic
Take life as a test and shoot for a better score each day. Matt Garcia
Replace the motor, fan assembly and capacitor.
Why replace so many parts.... I can see the motor and capacitor but the fan assembly? Please explain why.
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I refuse to accept that there are limitations to what we can accomplish. Pete Draganic
Take life as a test and shoot for a better score each day. Matt Garcia
Something happened to the fan assembly to cause it to go out of balance. You mentioned cleaning off a bunch of lint. There are also little weights that clip onto the blades.
It has to be taken off of the motor shaft anyways. The fan assembly isn't much money. Removing it from the shaft can throw it out of balance or true.
The couple of times I have reused them, it has bit me. No more.
it's sat,if your like we are no parts places open. so try a capicator,take yours off and go to local hardware store.
the older i get ,
the more people tick me off
I thought the capacitor only helped kickstart the motor... it cut out while running for awhile so do you still think it would be the capacitor? and yeah, Saturday... couldn;t happen any other day of the week.... plus I worked through the night and had to tear this apart with about an hour of sleep. Now I just woke up again and it is after closing... and tomorrow is sunday.... lol.
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I refuse to accept that there are limitations to what we can accomplish. Pete Draganic
Take life as a test and shoot for a better score each day. Matt Garcia
it's worth a shot ,cap runs about 5.00. i would bet you need a mtr,but its worth a shot to get the air on.if its as hot there as here your getting pretty warm. 103 degrees.the older i get ,
the more people tick me off
I just had central air installed. ten years years without it. furnace is only about 4-5 years old.when the guy finished the furnace, he forgot to hook up the evacuation line for the condensation pump.... so water was accumulating and pouring down everywhere from the plenum above. I assume the motor got soaked good too.I wonder if that water was the death of the motor. I also wonder if I can disassemble the motor and clean it up... change brushes or something. I really don't think it is bearings as they feel smooth but you never know.... also there was not that kind of resistance when it froze up. Like I said, the resistance was more a magnetic force than a mechanical one.
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I refuse to accept that there are limitations to what we can accomplish. Pete Draganic
Take life as a test and shoot for a better score each day. Matt Garcia
latest development/realization...The motor only makes noise when power is applied to it. once I cut the power off, the cage and motor spin as they wind down but are silent... so again, no bearing suspicion on my part.When I do apply power is starts of making a noise like it is rubbing... but it only makes this noise when power is applied.very odd to me but I am not intimately familiar with this stuff.
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I refuse to accept that there are limitations to what we can accomplish. Pete Draganic
Take life as a test and shoot for a better score each day. Matt Garcia
Pete,Sounds like the bushings or bearings are shot. When the power is applied the motor torques and puts pressure on the bad bushings. You might be able to grease the bushings and get a few more days out of it. It may be the capacitor but I have never seen a fan that needed a run cap just start caps. Can you grab a cap off something sitting around like your air compressor to try? Can you spin the fan and apply power to get it to run? Don't think it has brushes.KK
Give it a good spin and then turn on the power to the motor. If it picks up speed and runs, then its the capacitor.
Bad bearings would be "feelable" at low speed (turned by hand)
Keep your fingers out of there when turning on power!
Did it smoke??
A. If not first item is the centrifugal switch has arc damage and not making contact to start. Take the end bell off and file the contacts and make sure they are closed when idle.
B. Opposite, the start contacts welded together, the capacitor is now also shot. Need new cap, but again unstick the contacts and file and bend to fit.
C. B above not only zapped the cap, it smoked the motor. If'd ya cant smell it, maybe not a fried motor.
D. Ya burnt out the start winding with a combo of ABC above, new motor.
E. Generally, if only the start winding, or cap is failed open and the start contacts not making contact, ya can start the motor with a spin of the squirrel cage.
F. If you cant do E, your main winding is toast.
It starts and runs for a while... but there is noise when power is applied. it will eventually start laboring more and more and then stop and just buzz loudly.no noise when power is cut... the motor and cage spin freely and quietly then... direct drive, no belt.
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I refuse to accept that there are limitations to what we can accomplish. Pete Draganic
Take life as a test and shoot for a better score each day. Matt Garcia
If this is a variable speed motor, then we have a completely different animal.But most are 3 or 4 speed inductions or permanent split capacitor motors.The induction will have the start switch like junkhound said you can spin with the power off and quckly turn the power on and it will keep turning and get upto speed. But that would not account for what you have with the motor stopping while power is applied.I am not that familiar with the characteristics of PSC motors. But a failure of a cap might cause such symptoms. Not sure.But I don't think that they have a start switch.So there is a slight possibility that it is just a cap. Otherwise NMT (new motor time).But no brushes. And the one switch you can verify by spinning the power to get it going.Now the water might have cause corrosion in the motor. But, if so most like it is not easily repairable..
William the Geezer, the sequel to Billy the Kid - Shoe
it will run for a few minutes and then gets more labored and finally quits while buzzing.I just wonder if it is worth pulling it apart and reassembling ans installing or should I just wait and replace it?
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I refuse to accept that there are limitations to what we can accomplish. Pete Draganic
Take life as a test and shoot for a better score each day. Matt Garcia
I have had the outside fan motor go out on me 2 times, once was about 12 years ago, and now I'm limping another one along.Sounds like you could be having the same troubles as me.The first time I used WD40, it worked good for a very very short time. the guy who sold me the new motor, told me I had the right idea, but that WD40 has detergent in it and was counterproductive. I don't know it it's true, but it is thin.Well this time around I'm using regular motor oil, and it works for days.If you pull the blower again, try it, a little dab will do ya!Anyway, sumpun ta chew on.
at this point, it can't hurt.
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I refuse to accept that there are limitations to what we can accomplish. Pete Draganic
Take life as a test and shoot for a better score each day. Matt Garcia
here is a pic of the windings. you can see some of the wire is blackened. I should test it and see if a set of the windings is bad.Being that this is a 4-speed, I wonder if I cut power to one of the speeds/windings, if it would work for now.
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I refuse to accept that there are limitations to what we can accomplish. Pete Draganic
Take life as a test and shoot for a better score each day. Matt Garcia
I have 30 YO system. About 20 years ago I get home to a hot house and find that the condenser fan is not running. And it is late. Pull off the top and see if there are any lub points on the fan before I check the cap.Did not find any, but it stiff. Worked a few drops of oil around the shaft and spun it by hand.But it back on and turn the power and it still has the same fan today.But right now, between posts, I am looking at different proposals to replace it..
William the Geezer, the sequel to Billy the Kid - Shoe
It just goes to show, that if you understand the concepts, analyze, and
keep things simple, alot of times you can bail your self out most every problem.
My old Super Leatherman, has bailed me out of many a situation too!!!
God bless you Tim Leatherman!!!
I just pulled the motor.It is a 4-speed. some of the windings look blackened but just random ones within the bunch of windings. Could it be that once it gets to 4th speed or whatever speed, that those are the affected windings and they overheat causing the motor to seize?are there indeed different windings for the different speeds?... even though they all look like the same bunch.Emerson mdl k55hxdpz-7023115v hz60 9.5amp3/4 hp rpm 1075 4 spdpart # 51-25023-01
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I refuse to accept that there are limitations to what we can accomplish. Pete Draganic
Take life as a test and shoot for a better score each day. Matt Garcia
Yes, different windings for different speeds.Typically they are setup with 4 terminals and two wires with spade connectors that slip over one of the 4 terminals.That is just for the speed selection. That will be at least one common terminal and wire connected.Commonly one wire is connected to the highest speed and used in AC mode and the 2nd to a middle speed for heat mode.But depending on every thing they might be different, but 99 times out of 100 the AC will be the highest."Could it be that once it gets to 4th speed or whatever speed, that those are the affected windings and they overheat causing the motor to seize?"My guess is that is what is happening. But seizing to me implies a mechanical restriction. I think that what is happening is that when the winding over heat you get a short within the windings and it converts the motor to an electromaget which locks the rotor into place.Something that you might try is to move the high speed connection. If it is on 3 move it to 4. If on 4r move it to 3.Now neither is good for long term usage and moving it from 4 to 3 might cause the condenser to freeze up. But if it is bad in enough in tghe house you might try that for a day or two. No quarantee that it will work and don't run it long that way..
William the Geezer, the sequel to Billy the Kid - Shoe
here is a pic of the windings...you can see some of them are turning black
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I refuse to accept that there are limitations to what we can accomplish. Pete Draganic
Take life as a test and shoot for a better score each day. Matt Garcia
It's junk.
Bad capacitor probably took out the motor.
I replaced a blower motor a couple of years ago
The new motor cost about $100