Goodman A/C Compressor (CK42-1C) not working
Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2013 10:48 pm
I'm sure this has been asked a million times in a million ways, but I'm ignorant on the subject and need to ask it one more way.
We noticed that the AC stopped cooling this afternoon. I checked everything inside, then went outside and checked the breaker and shutoff switch. I leaned over towards the compressor and noticed the heat coming off the top, put my hand on it and quickly recoiled...super hot. It was not making any noise, just hot. I flipped the switch and let it cool down. After an hour I came back out and turned the switch back on. I immediately heard a motor noise like it was trying to start up, but the fan never moved. I cut the switch back off. I checked the fan blade with a coat hanger and it turns smoothly with no noise or indication of resistance.
My Internet searching led me to believe that it might be a bad capacitor. I removed the run capacitor, but I only have a cheap digital multimeter with no capacitance testing. I seem to recall one potential problem being the start capacitor...malfunctioning, then motor heating while trying to start. I initially thought the run capacitor WAS the start capacitor until I looked a little closer. The start capacitor is not outside of the box with the run. I did see a black box inside mounted on the motor that has three wires going to it. Is that the start capacitor?
Is there anything in my recollection that would lead you to believe it is a capacitor over the motor burnt out? I can almost replace both capacitors for the cost of a meter to check them. Is there anything else I can do to troubleshoot without testing or replacing the capacitors?
I'm new to the site and need all the help I can get, so please be gentle. I've probably got a few more coming.
We noticed that the AC stopped cooling this afternoon. I checked everything inside, then went outside and checked the breaker and shutoff switch. I leaned over towards the compressor and noticed the heat coming off the top, put my hand on it and quickly recoiled...super hot. It was not making any noise, just hot. I flipped the switch and let it cool down. After an hour I came back out and turned the switch back on. I immediately heard a motor noise like it was trying to start up, but the fan never moved. I cut the switch back off. I checked the fan blade with a coat hanger and it turns smoothly with no noise or indication of resistance.
My Internet searching led me to believe that it might be a bad capacitor. I removed the run capacitor, but I only have a cheap digital multimeter with no capacitance testing. I seem to recall one potential problem being the start capacitor...malfunctioning, then motor heating while trying to start. I initially thought the run capacitor WAS the start capacitor until I looked a little closer. The start capacitor is not outside of the box with the run. I did see a black box inside mounted on the motor that has three wires going to it. Is that the start capacitor?
Is there anything in my recollection that would lead you to believe it is a capacitor over the motor burnt out? I can almost replace both capacitors for the cost of a meter to check them. Is there anything else I can do to troubleshoot without testing or replacing the capacitors?
I'm new to the site and need all the help I can get, so please be gentle. I've probably got a few more coming.