On Thu, 12 Sep 2019 20:12:38 -0000 (UTC), "Dallas"
wrote:
Then he tells me he's going to tell American Home Shield that the motor
failed due to improper maintainence because one surface of the
condenser coils were dirty. He said the heat made the motor fail.
(...)
So, my question is this: Is there anyway possible that dirty coils
could stop a fan motor from running? (I doubt very much that the motor
was thermal protected.)
The type or maker/model of the A/C would be helpful.
The fan motor has another purpose besides blowing air through the
cooling coils.
https://www.partselect.com/Repair/Air-Conditioner/Unusual-Noise/
Some air conditioner models use the condenser fan
blade to transfer excess drain water onto the condenser coils;
if the drain port becomes clogged, the excess water can cause
the unusual noise as the fan blades slosh through it. Drain
the excess water and make sure the port is no longer plugged
to clear up this problem.
(...)
The fan motor bearings and/or bushings can become worn
over time and cause the unusual noise. They can also become
worn if the blower wheel is unbalanced, which happens when
there is a buildup of dirt because the air filter has not been
changed. When the fan motor becomes noisy on a window
air conditioner unit, it means it needs to be replaced.
Note the comment about the unbalanced fan and dirty filter.
If the drain is clogged, the fan will splatter water all over the
insides of the air conditioner causing any unprotected steel to
eventually rust. I personally haven't seen a clogged drain hole ruin
a bearing, but I can see how it might be possible.
I didn't see any mention that the air conditioner was making (bearing)
noises. In my limited experiences with motors, they always announce
impending failure through vibration, noises, smoke, and eventually
trip the overload protector. Because, it was not mentioned, I'll
assume that there was no vibration, noise, or smog prior to the motor
"failure". If the fan had been unbalanced by excessive and
unsymmetrical dirt buildup, it certainly would have vibrated and/or
made noises. Because the condenser coils are not moving, some dirt on
the condenser coils is unlikely to cause a motor unbalance. However,
some dirt on the fan might cause an unbalance. If the A/C or motor
had a thermal breaker, it would have tripped long before any
overheating would cause a bearing failure.
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=air+conditioner+clean+condens er
Do you do this regularly?
"Cleaning Air Conditioner Coils (How To Video)"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sWHd4n-AuE
If there was no vibration, noise or smoke, my guess(tm) is all that
happened was the A/C tripped an over current breaker. Since it
happened while you were away, I'll further speculate that the
noiseless "failure" was either caused by a change in the way the A/C
was operated by the cat sitter, or a power surge delivered the
electric utility. I'm a little suspicious why it would fail while you
were out of the area.
If the repairman specified that dirt on the condenser coils caused a
bearing failure, I suspect he's a crook and should be treated as such.
However, if he indicated that dirt on the fan blades caused the motor
failure, he might be correct. Since there was no mention of
vibration, noise, or smoke, I suspect the former, and a complaint
should be filed with AHS.
Also, please note that in California, repair shops are required to
"offer" the old parts to the customer. You might want to ask the
repair guy for the old motor so you could have a motor shop inspect
the bearing. If he balks or provides creative excuses, you will have
a good clue as to his honesty.
--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060
http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558