I stumbled upon your website and loved it. My carrier weathermaker quit working. It is about 14 years old. I went outside and there is a loud hum and the fan is not running. I spun the fan with a screwdriver and it came on, but still barely spun. It did not spin like normal. I pulled the power disconnect and still heard the buzzing. I turned off the thermostat and the buzzing finally stopped. I took the cover off and turned the thermostat back on, the buzzing was coming from a relay. Honeywell DP204DA5003 coil 24v 50 hz 24 v 60 hz.
Am I to assume this relay is bad? I appreciate any help. My family is sweating and tomorrow is a holiday so I am not sure what I am going to do.
I have a small unit to my bonus room. It is a different brand unit. I am not sure if the relay out of there would work or not.
I stumbled upon your website and loved it. My carrier weathermaker quit working. It is about 14 years old. I went outside and there is a loud hum and the fan is not running. I spun the fan with a screwdriver and it came on, but still barely spun. It did not spin like normal. I pulled the power disconnect and still heard the buzzing. I turned off the thermostat and the buzzing finally stopped. I took the cover off and turned the thermostat back on, the buzzing was coming from a relay. Honeywell DP204DA5003 coil 24v 50 hz 24 v 60 hz.
Am I to assume this relay is bad? I appreciate any help. My family is sweating and tomorrow is a holiday so I am not sure what I am going to do.
I have a small unit to my bonus room. It is a different brand unit. I am not sure if the relay out of there would work or not.
The fact that you could spin the fan and have it turn suggests that the relay isn't the problem. Relays most often fail on or off - not half way in between (if they do they put out lots of smoke, fire, toxic fumes, and you'd probably notice that?) Unless it is that rare thing an external relay feeding the start winding of the motor - seldom seen in any motor smaller than something working elevators.
The problem is the fan bearings. Often they use simple "sleeve" or "bushing" bearings on fans. They have more friction than ball bearings but make less noise, tolerate axial loading and vibration better than ball bearings, and last a long time. (and are cheaper)
The process is called "sintering" and the bearing is usually a "sintered bronze bearing." Other metals can be used but bronze has lots of advantages and that makes it the most common type.
Sintering is done by taking powdered metal putting it in a mold and forcing it together using pressure and often heat. That leaves you with a solid metal object with lots of microscopic passages. Ideal for holding a lubricating oil.
When the bearings dry out, the friction increases, the motor won't start. It will hum if overloaded, and if it ain't turning it is sitting there getting hot. Often there will be an internal cut-out that senses the temperature and it will cut the power until the windings cool down - that will work for awhile to protect the motor, but it won't start the motor turning.
Fixing the problem is as easy as changing the bearing. Good luck finding a replacement though... This is "Lubricated for Life" territory - in other words the life is over when the lubrication fails. Good old time hardware stores may still have a selection of bronze lubricated bearings - should you be so lucky.
Some (very few) bearings have lubrication ports on both of the motor's bearings (a little hole that says "oil") Give it a squirt of some thin motor oil ("3-IN-ONE" or some similar penetrating oil) and start it turning (better yet put some on the shaft directly if you take the motor apart). Once it's is running well, add some serious lubrication like 5-20 SYNTHETIC motor oil.
If you don't have a lube port it isn't the end of the world. Take the motor apart. Pay attention to all the little plastic or metal shim washers and where they go around the shaft (make a drawing). Might want to mark the housing so you put the thing back together exactly right too....
The sintered bearing is often surrounded by a "floating" cup in the motor housing. Around that cup there is often a thick felt washer - that is a lubrication reservoir. All held together by a press-in sort of retaining washer. Put light oil on the shaft and bearing and heavier oil on the felt and reassemble it.
It may work forever or fail in a few days - no problem, do it again. The light oil is just a stop gap it is only fixed when the real oil permeates and penetrates the sintering.
A quicker fix and get it right without redoing it - is to heat the bearing (only the bearing - not the felt or lube) to ~350 F (let it soak for a time at 350 - one hour should be enough) and drop the hot bearing into a can of 5-20 synthetic motor oil and allowing it to cool under the oil. (don't use a torch - use an oven and don't over heat it - overheating may carbonize the oil still inside the sintered passages and cause them to plug up)
If you have access to a good lab - no problemo dude! Use a vacuum oven and select a low "out-gassing" super space certified lubricant and heat the bearing in the lubricant while pulling vacuum and let it cool with the vacuum off.
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