Total Shut down!! - http://www.hvacmechanic.com/ Forums

Original message

amormino72

63.166.221.3

"Total Shut down!!" , posted Sat 24 Mar 06:51

Got a 5 ton American Standard and it completely shut down on me, even the thermostat control was out. I checked to make sure power was going to unit, and then I pushed the reset button on the contactor. The compressor kicked slightly, but only heated up a bit. After cleaning the whole system I finaly got the unit to kick on, but when I went inside I noticed an electrical smell coming from the vent. I immediately shut the unit down, I was wondering if this means the blower motor is going? I initially thought it might be the contactor, but not sure now!

Gotta get it fixed!!!

Replies:

fire and ice

67.174.44.160

"Re(1):Total Shut down!!" , posted Wed 25 Apr 00:53

What do you mean by total shut down?? Is your thermostat blank? You said the compressor kicks on when you push in the contactor...(it is not a reset switch. Just manually pulling in the contacts.) Have you put a jumper wire from "R" to "Y"? If the unit fires off when jumpered out and your stat is blank you may have a bad stat or a short in the stat wire

amormino72

72.177.129.14

"Re(1):Total Shut down!!" , posted Sat 24 Mar 13:18

Sorry, I'm not sure exactly what it is called, but there is a "button" in the middle of the contactor, it is drawn in when when the contactor is energized. Thanks for the responses, I will check the possibility of single phasing. Bad Contactor?

Gotta get it fixed!!!

theduke03

68.9.215.192

"Re(1):Total Shut down!!" , posted Sat 24 Mar 11:53

I've never seen a reset button on a contactor

Be safe

bretster

68.251.102.105

"Re(1):Total Shut down!!" , posted Sat 24 Mar 09:03

Make sure the unit is not single phasing. Check LRA of the compressor.

azacdoc

71.223.75.151

"Re(2):Total Shut down!!" , posted Sun 25 Mar 03:34

I'm wondering how knowing the LRA of the compressor is going to tell him if he's single phasing. His LRA would be 100% because it's locked up also.

He would need to check the feeders individually isolated to ground to verify he has voltage at each feeder and then there's no guarantee depending on how the utility company is providing the stinger.

From the sound of it, he doesn't know enough to doing much with this stuff and should call a tech. He just pushed the contactor down, thinking it was a reset because the compressor started for a moment while he had it down. The unit is plugged up, (i.e., blower wheel & coil), he got junk in the blower motor during his cleaning process and now its dying.

Didn't I read another reply from Bretster in one of the other forums where he's giving others advice?

tsk, tsk, tsk... :)

Could be wrong...

The bottom line is, he needs to call somebody qualified.

L8r

bretster

68.251.102.105

"Re(3):Total Shut down!!" , posted Sun 25 Mar 11:28

To an unexperienced person, A single phased compressor (HUMMING)can give the impression that the unit is working. Gettin hot and shutting down. The cleaning came after the fact the unit was down. You did get one thing right, call an exp tech.