AC Fan Question

[mcp6453]

The fan on the outside unit of my heat pump failed. The repair guy replaced the fan with a universal replacement that was so noisy that it sounded like my generator running. When I finally got them to come back, they replaced the run cap with a 5uF instead of a 15uF. It made it quieter, and the fan seems to be running normally.

It's reaching 95 here every day, and the AC is running nonstop after about 10 AM until 10 PM. Can the smaller capacitor be part of the problem? (The box for the motor says it uses a 15uF capacitor.) I'm tempted to parallel an 8uF with the

5uF in there to see if it makes a performance difference. The solution is probably to get the right motor. The cheapest one I can find is $160. I'll have to sue the company to get my money back. It's probably not worth it.

The AC unit is an International Comfort Products CHP225AKA1. The crappy motor they used is a TopTech TT-C50-MHP2. The one for the unit is an ICP Comfort Maker 1086598 1/5 HP. See http://j.mp/1GuemdC.

[hrhofmann]

If you have a capacitor, go ahead and parallel it. If you have to buy the capacitor, that's a more iffy situation. Be sure that the voltage rating of whatever capacitor you use to parallel with has a voltage rating of at least 250V AC.

[Tony Hwang]

What was original caps. value? You can't reduce the value but you may increase it some what. With low value cap. the motor may run hotter and rpm may change.

[trader_4]

It's not the original cap's value that's important. It's that the replacement fan motor is the correct one and that you use the cap value that is specified for it.

It's not clear what all was replaced. He says the motor crapped out and the "fan" was replaced and then it was very noisy. Both the fan and motor were replaced? Just the motor? Most logical thing would be that only the motor was replaced. In which case, all you have to do is match the fan voltage, speed, HP and direction and find a replacement condenser fan motor. And I haven't seen a fan motor where you can change the cap to whatever you want. The manufacturer specs it and that's what you use.

If you put a different flan blade in, change the motor to a different speed and don't know what you're doing, bad things will happen. We just had another thread here where a genius service guy put in a

1050 RPM, 1/4hp motor to replace a 850, 1/4hp one. So, while the AC guy claimed it would move more air, the motor is overheating and shutting down.

Glad once again that I just replaced my own here instead of calling a "pro".