For those with a dual cooling system, you will have an indoor and an outdoor unit. The indoor unit is the evaporator or also known as the air handler. The outdoor unit is the condenser unit that houses the fan which is a key component to your home cooling system. When the fan fails, you will be left without cool air. If you notice that your condenser fan isn’t working, you will want to contact an HVAC service to come and determine the cause of the failure. A condenser fan can fail for a number of different reasons, some of which can be prevented. Hal Mechanical will share why a condenser will fail and how you can prevent condenser fan failure.
Dirty Air Filters
One reason why the fan within the condenser unit has stopped working is due to dirty air filters. Yes, a dirty air filter will affect the fan and many other components. When the air flow becomes restricted, it causes a lot of stress. When the air flow becomes restricted along with the stress, the entire condenser unit will shut off, including the fan. Make sure to always change out your air filter. Each household will vary, but on average an air filter will need to be changed out every one to three months.
AC Capacitor Fails
The condenser’s fan uses a capacitor to store and provide energy to run the component. A capacitor can develop a number of problems such as overheating, damages due to a power surge or it will wear down due to aging. When the capacitor develops a problem, it will need to be replaced, which is a fairly simple fix.
AC Contactor Burns Out
The contactor is a switch found inside the condenser unit that controls the distribution of electricity to both the fan motor and the compressor. A contactor switch will usually fail due to wear and tear, or in other words aging. It is natural to need to replace the contactor switch during some point in a condenser unit’s life time.
AC Fan Motor Goes Out
The condenser’s fan may not be working because the motor that spins the fan has failed. The fan motor works in the heat of the summer multiples times a day. Over time the fan motor can wear out. It is an expensive component to replace. Therefore, it is highly recommended to take steps in prolonging the life of the fan motor. Basically, you can extend the life of the motor with proper care and maintenance of the entire cooling system. When the entire cooling system is operating at peak efficiency, you will prolong the life of all of the component, including the fan motor. Make sure to have your HVAC system tuned-up annually to ensure your cooling system is being maintained.
Broken or Loose AC Fan Belt
– Depending on the age or model of your air conditioning system, your condenser fan motor may use a belt to rotate the fan. The belt can become loose or even break. Replacing a belt is another fast and simple fix. When the fan isn’t working and you have a belt drive motor, then you may only need to have the belt replaced.
Central Air Conditioner Repair, Replacement, Maintenance & More in Aliante, Centennial, Desert Shores, Eldorado, Enterprise, Green Valley Ranch, Henderson, Lone Mountain Village, North LV, Peccole Ranch, Paradise, Silverado Ranch, Spring Valley, Summerlin, Sunrise Manor, Tuscany Village, Whitney, Winchester & Las Vegas Nevada
If your condenser’s fan isn’t working or you are having other HVAC failures this summer, contact Hal Mechanical and schedule our visit today. We will troubleshoot, diagnose and address any issues your HVAC system is experiencing.