On Sep 25, 3:53 pm, mm wrote:
Follow-up on the motel-style AC/heater (in the building that was sold
but now we're renting).

The main problem has changed and now it is that the aquirrel-cage fan
motor doesn't start spinning. It won't start at all on slow, and on
high only if I spin it a screw-driver first. It's not very practical
to keep going over and spinning it with a screwdriver, especially when
no one is there.

The open end of the squirrel cage faces into the building, and is
behind a sheet of steel that shows no easy method of removal. I
thought I could take off the cover on the outside of the building, but
I see no screws, etc.

1) Do I have to remove the entire unit from the wall? It's about 3
feet wide by almost 2 feet high, by about a foot deep, and probably
heavy. (I didn't see screws even on the inside to remove the whole
thing. I should have written the brand and model, but didn't, and the
building was locked today.)

2) The fan cage spins pretty easily in both directions when the power
is off, and sometimes the fan starts up when I spin it with a tool,
but other times it seems to be held in place magnetically and it
doesn't even want to spin when I try to spin it. Am I delusional?

Backrgound: It was making scraping noises from the fan, after running
10 hours or more. We turned it off and it was cool out anyhow. When I
restarted it so I could fix it, the scraping had stopped except once
for a couple seconds, but if it recurs, I'll worry about that then.

The bearings are worn. It will recur.