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Home Repair - - If it ain't broken, don't fix it. Otherwise look here.
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Posted by Perry Templeton on July 9, 2006, 9:39 pm
South Louisiana...hot, south louisiana
Central air unit is about 3 to 4 years old. Installed as new construction
when the house was built.
Yesterday afternoon we had a horrific, I mean, the worst thunder and
lightning storm. We were at the epicenter of it. The lightning was striking
and the sound of the thunder was simultaneous. Lights blinked off and on
several times.
Everything in the house seemed fine. We slept through the night and the AC
worked. However midmorning today...nearly 24 hours after the thunder storm
(if there is any connection at all.) the A/C stopped working. Here are the
symptoms....
The fan seems to run constantly. In fact I can't get it to go off, even if
I turn the breaker for the A/C off. The heater breaker, when it is turned
off, will shut the fan off. (the whole system is electric, and not a heat
pump) But then only with the heater breaker off, the fan will shut off.
Just for kicks, I shorted the red and white wire on the thermostat and I
heard the compressor groan like it wanted to come on, but at the same time,
I smelled a terrible electrical smell...It didn't seem to come from the
compressor area, I'm thinking it was up in the attic with the unit up there.
Nothing looked amiss, but honestly, I don't know much of what I'm looking
for.
Any ideas...??
I will call my A/C guy in the morning, first thing, but in the mean time,
curious minds want to know.
Think it could have been a delayed reaction to the thunder/lightning storm?
Thanks.
I'll be checking back for replies.
Perry
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Posted by Stormin Mormon on July 9, 2006, 10:54 pm
I can't diagnose over the net what is the real problem. However, if
the system is wired with the accepted colors, you could have made
matters worse. Powering a motor with two sets of windings can fry a
motor in a hurry. Lets hope the AC guy can make some sense of the
problem, and that you didn't do any extra damage.
It's very easy for a person to "try this or that" and make things a
lot worse. I'm remembering such a case, where the family had a shorted
motor, and then destroyed an expensive circuit board to go with the
motor.
Please call the repair service, and also please don't connect any
other wires in the meantime.
--
Christopher A. Young
You can't shout down a troll.
You have to starve them.
South Louisiana...hot, south louisiana
Central air unit is about 3 to 4 years old. Installed as new
construction
when the house was built.
Yesterday afternoon we had a horrific, I mean, the worst thunder and
lightning storm. We were at the epicenter of it. The lightning was
striking
and the sound of the thunder was simultaneous. Lights blinked off and
several times.
Everything in the house seemed fine. We slept through the night and
the AC
worked. However midmorning today...nearly 24 hours after the thunder
storm
(if there is any connection at all.) the A/C stopped working. Here
are the
symptoms....
The fan seems to run constantly. In fact I can't get it to go off,
even if
I turn the breaker for the A/C off. The heater breaker, when it is
turned
off, will shut the fan off. (the whole system is electric, and not a
heat
pump) But then only with the heater breaker off, the fan will shut
off.
Just for kicks, I shorted the red and white wire on the thermostat and
heard the compressor groan like it wanted to come on, but at the same
time,
I smelled a terrible electrical smell...It didn't seem to come from
the
compressor area, I'm thinking it was up in the attic with the unit up
there.
Nothing looked amiss, but honestly, I don't know much of what I'm
looking
for.
Any ideas...??
I will call my A/C guy in the morning, first thing, but in the mean
time,
curious minds want to know.
Think it could have been a delayed reaction to the thunder/lightning
storm?
Thanks.
I'll be checking back for replies.
Perry
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Posted by CJT on July 9, 2006, 11:42 pm
Perry Templeton wrote:
show/hide quoted text
> South Louisiana...hot, south louisiana
> Central air unit is about 3 to 4 years old. Installed as new construction
> when the house was built.
> Yesterday afternoon we had a horrific, I mean, the worst thunder and
> lightning storm. We were at the epicenter of it. The lightning was striking
> and the sound of the thunder was simultaneous. Lights blinked off and on
> several times.
> Everything in the house seemed fine. We slept through the night and the AC
> worked. However midmorning today...nearly 24 hours after the thunder storm
> (if there is any connection at all.) the A/C stopped working. Here are the
> symptoms....
> The fan seems to run constantly. In fact I can't get it to go off, even if
> I turn the breaker for the A/C off. The heater breaker, when it is turned
> off, will shut the fan off. (the whole system is electric, and not a heat
> pump) But then only with the heater breaker off, the fan will shut off.
> Just for kicks, I shorted the red and white wire on the thermostat and I
> heard the compressor groan like it wanted to come on, but at the same time,
> I smelled a terrible electrical smell...It didn't seem to come from the
> compressor area, I'm thinking it was up in the attic with the unit up there.
that was probably your control transformer melting; luckily they're not
terribly expensive
show/hide quoted text
> Nothing looked amiss, but honestly, I don't know much of what I'm looking
> for.
> Any ideas...??
> I will call my A/C guy in the morning, first thing, but in the mean time,
> curious minds want to know.
> Think it could have been a delayed reaction to the thunder/lightning storm?
>
definitely, IMHO
you might want to look at your homeowner's policy and see whether
lightning damage is covered
you might get lucky, but my guess is this will be expensive
show/hide quoted text
> Thanks.
> I'll be checking back for replies.
> Perry
>
>
--
The e-mail address in our reply-to line is reversed in an attempt to
minimize spam. Our true address is of the form che...@prodigy.net.
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Posted by Perry Templeton on July 10, 2006, 12:06 pm
My A/C tech has been here...
He says the problem is in the control panel. He went to supply house, got
one, installed it...nahhhh..same problem.
He pulls off relay and says that has to be it. Only two things that can
cause that is the control panel (he calls it a circuit board) or the relay.
Checked the transformer and it's ok.
Somehow, something in the brains of the unit think it needs to run the
heater all the while....
Yuk
It's hot..it's damn hot. Extreme south Louisiana.
He's gone to look for relay now. Said the parts clerk was having trouble
finding it, he asked for it when he picked up the control panel. ??
Interested to find out the culprit...
Perry
show/hide quoted text
> Perry Templeton wrote:
>> South Louisiana...hot, south louisiana
>> Central air unit is about 3 to 4 years old. Installed as new
>> construction when the house was built.
>> Yesterday afternoon we had a horrific, I mean, the worst thunder and
>> lightning storm. We were at the epicenter of it. The lightning was
>> striking and the sound of the thunder was simultaneous. Lights blinked
>> off and on several times.
>> Everything in the house seemed fine. We slept through the night and the
>> AC worked. However midmorning today...nearly 24 hours after the thunder
>> storm (if there is any connection at all.) the A/C stopped working.
>> Here are the symptoms....
>> The fan seems to run constantly. In fact I can't get it to go off, even
>> if I turn the breaker for the A/C off. The heater breaker, when it is
>> turned off, will shut the fan off. (the whole system is electric, and not
>> a heat pump) But then only with the heater breaker off, the fan will shut
>> off. Just for kicks, I shorted the red and white wire on the thermostat
>> and I heard the compressor groan like it wanted to come on, but at the
>> same time, I smelled a terrible electrical smell...It didn't seem to come
>> from the compressor area, I'm thinking it was up in the attic with the
>> unit up there.
> that was probably your control transformer melting; luckily they're not
> terribly expensive
>> Nothing looked amiss, but honestly, I don't know much of what I'm looking
>> for.
>> Any ideas...??
>> I will call my A/C guy in the morning, first thing, but in the mean time,
>> curious minds want to know.
>> Think it could have been a delayed reaction to the thunder/lightning
>> storm?
> definitely, IMHO
> you might want to look at your homeowner's policy and see whether
> lightning damage is covered
> you might get lucky, but my guess is this will be expensive
>> Thanks.
>> I'll be checking back for replies.
>> Perry
> --
> The e-mail address in our reply-to line is reversed in an attempt to
> minimize spam. Our true address is of the form che...@prodigy.net.
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Posted by udarrell on July 10, 2006, 12:30 pm
Perry Templeton wrote:
show/hide quoted text
>South Louisiana...hot, south louisiana
>Central air unit is about 3 to 4 years old. Installed as new construction
>when the house was built.
>Yesterday afternoon we had a horrific, I mean, the worst thunder and
>lightning storm. We were at the epicenter of it. The lightning was striking
>and the sound of the thunder was simultaneous. Lights blinked off and on
>several times.
>Everything in the house seemed fine. We slept through the night and the AC
>worked. However midmorning today...nearly 24 hours after the thunder storm
>(if there is any connection at all.) the A/C stopped working. Here are the
>symptoms....
>The fan seems to run constantly. In fact I can't get it to go off, even if
>I turn the breaker for the A/C off. The heater breaker, when it is turned
>off, will shut the fan off. (the whole system is electric, and not a heat
>pump) But then only with the heater breaker off, the fan will shut off.
>
The indoor blower runs off the indoor furnace breaker.
show/hide quoted text
>Just for kicks, I shorted the red and white wire on the thermostat and I
>heard the compressor groan like it wanted to come on, but at the same time,
>I smelled a terrible electrical smell...It didn't seem to come from the
>compressor area, I'm thinking it was up in the attic with the unit is up there.
>Nothing looked amiss, but honestly, I don't know much of what I'm looking
>for. Any ideas...?
>
You may have fried the control transformer (TR). I used to fuse them to
protect them from such things happening.
It doesn't cost much to replace a very low amp fuse. Smell the TR.
show/hide quoted text
>I will call my A/C guy in the morning, first thing, but in the mean time,
>curious minds want to know.
>Think it could have been a delayed reaction to the thunder/lightning storm?
>Thanks.
>I'll be checking back for replies.
>Perry
>
Delayed action: -- your guess is as good as mine. - udarrell
--
Air Conditioning's Affordable Path to the "Human Comfort Zone Goal"
http://www.udarrell.com/air-conditioning-total-heat-enthalpy-latent-heat.html
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> Central air unit is about 3 to 4 years old. Installed as new construction
> when the house was built.
> Yesterday afternoon we had a horrific, I mean, the worst thunder and
> lightning storm. We were at the epicenter of it. The lightning was striking
> and the sound of the thunder was simultaneous. Lights blinked off and on
> several times.
> Everything in the house seemed fine. We slept through the night and the AC
> worked. However midmorning today...nearly 24 hours after the thunder storm
> (if there is any connection at all.) the A/C stopped working. Here are the
> symptoms....
> The fan seems to run constantly. In fact I can't get it to go off, even if
> I turn the breaker for the A/C off. The heater breaker, when it is turned
> off, will shut the fan off. (the whole system is electric, and not a heat
> pump) But then only with the heater breaker off, the fan will shut off.
> Just for kicks, I shorted the red and white wire on the thermostat and I
> heard the compressor groan like it wanted to come on, but at the same time,
> I smelled a terrible electrical smell...It didn't seem to come from the
> compressor area, I'm thinking it was up in the attic with the unit up there.