Central Air Fan Motor Not Working

Another common and easily remedied situation that sometimes results in a central air conditioner fan not working is a dirty clogged air filter.

Central air fan motor not working.

Central air conditioners can work for years without problems if properly maintained and serviced annually. But before you phone see if the problem is caused by something else. If the compressor is working but the fan won t turn then the problem is most likely with the motor and or capacitor. When the home s thermostat detects that the living space is warmer than its programmed temperature level a cooling cycle begins.

Fans in the central a c both pull air out of the room to be conditioned and have humidity removed and also push chilled air through the vents throughout the house. This is another part that must be repaired by a professional hvac contractor. The blower motor starts turning fan blades that circulate cold air. As mentioned previously the fan motor is one of the hardest working components in your air conditioner and wear and tear will eventually take its toll.

Contactor problems can result in your central air conditioner fan not working if you re unsure as to what your air conditioner s contactor switch is it s a switch located on the inside of your unit that ensures that there is enough voltage being provided to control the compressor as well as the condenser fan motor. Understanding the parts of your ac unit. An air conditioner contactor is an electrical switch that controls the compressor and condenser fan motor. If they aren t working properly call a trained technician.

It is common for the contactor to go bad over time which restricts the outside fan from working properly. Here s an easy way to test if the fan s capacitor is bad. If you don t hear any sounds to indicate that the compressor is working and the fan isn t spinning the most common causes are a lack of power or a faulty compressor contactor. The unit stops working.

Slide a long thin wooden stick through the fan grate and gently push one of the blades to try to get the fan spinning. However you can prevent it from burning out sooner than intended with regular hvac maintenance. So if the capacitor attached to your fan motor is bad the fan won t start spinning. If you have your system inspected and cleaned annually it should run without any.

If an ac unit continues running with a bad capacitor your fan motor will have to work much harder resulting in your motor burning out completely over time. Do not use any kind of conductive metal or material to do this. While each component in a central air conditioner is critical quite simply the unit will not work if the fan is not running.