Air Conditioner Contactor - How To Check If It's Actually Bad
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- čas přidán 27. 07. 2024
- Do you think your air conditioner contactor might be bad? Wondering how you can check it? Is your air conditioner not turning on or not blowing cold air? In my other air conditioner fixing videos
I have gotten a similar comment quite a bit. It usually sounds something like this, "My AC does not work! I have already replaced my contactor and my thermostat but it still doesn't turn on! Any idea what it can be?" It seems like the contactor is one of the first things people go after, along with the thermostat. But most of the time those two are not at fault, they are simply not getting power. In this video I go over the contactor and how you can check it. Also, keep in mind that there is 240 volts going to the condenser unit. If you open up the electrical panel make sure you confirm that the power is off. Do any checking or repairs carefully otherwise you can get seriously hurt. Good luck and stay safe!
Watch this video if your contactor is not pulling in: • AC Contactor Not Pulli...
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❄ Other A/C Videos For Reference:
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czcams.com/video/GOXgdnRB840/video.html
Complete A/C Troubleshooting Guide:
czcams.com/video/wzAA4dlp_70/video.html
How to Clean Condenser Coil:
czcams.com/video/pzwOvgjwm_Q/video.html
How to Replace a Capacitor Full Guide:
czcams.com/video/9ZGfvC-PMWU/video.html
How to Replace a Contactor:
czcams.com/video/qHZc9wWAF4c/video.html
How to Replace Condenser Fan Motor:
czcams.com/video/gGFTd2dmgxg/video.html
How to Replace A/C Control Board:
czcams.com/video/hijUExXrcm8/video.html
How to Replace a Thermostat:
czcams.com/video/1mJkjrwxdP4/video.html
How to Program a Thermostat:
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How a Thermostat Works:
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How to Check Freon Level:
czcams.com/video/dExFtP-nXTw/video.html
How to Wire A/C Condenser Unit:
czcams.com/video/KCanZEsLVEI/video.html
How to Order Correct HVAC Parts:
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How to Read A/C Wiring Diagram:
czcams.com/video/I-sB4GIlbl4/video.html
How an Air Conditioner Works:
czcams.com/video/cRnzYJ4qmWE/video.html
When Should You Replace A/C:
czcams.com/video/Z7vUOySOWbM/video.html
15 Air Conditioner Maintenance Tips:
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Should You Get an A/C Inspection:
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On my unit, heat and air, thermostat is blank, vacuumed drain ,replaced capacitor and plunger on contactor kicks unit on when manually compressed. Any ideas?
@@Guided-by-the-Word-Boyd-Delk Sorry to hear about the HVAC troubles! If your thermostat is blank i would suggest watching this video: czcams.com/video/vi3OJuGfaac/video.htmlsi=0u64JXzoYzBUjWBN
❤ We fixed it! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! I live out in the middle of nowhere with my uncle, a senior citizen. His AC went out, and we've had 100-degree days. It got up to 89 degrees in his house. Getting a service person here is a nightmare, so we tried on our own to see if we could fix it. He needed my help, so he showed me how to use the multimeter and guided me with installing a new contactor. I learned SO much in the process because there was a lot of troubleshooting and because he had me do a lot on my own and showed me how to work safely. He has me do a lot because he doesn't want me to have to ask a man for help. I can't even describe how happy I was when the AC came on. Definite confidence booster. I'm excited that now I can help others. Thank you so much for the tips for troubleshooting. You're awesome! Blessings!
You saved me a lot of money sir!!! My central air kept blowing the 3amp fuse on the board when I switched it to cooling. Checked every wire, everything and started losing hope, watched this and checked the contactor, had 1.9 ohms on the sides to eachother. Order a new one for $20, checked the new one and got 17.8 ohms from the box. Changed the part and it works mint now!!! Thank you very much, I owe you a beer man
My contractor was buzzing like crazy and the unit was not turning on. I took the contractor out and was searching the web for a new one, then came across your video. As soon as you said "bugs", I found the small screws on the back plate, opened it and dead bugs everywhere and one live earwig. Cleaned it up, reinstalled and it works like a champ. Thanks.
Awesome 👍😎
Saved me over $650, which is about what I was quoted. $18 at ACE, some sweaty hours later, and I was up and running again. Great video!
How is the name of this kit and where can I find it?
4^,
$650..☹️Sad this is why people don't trust AC techs Do you live in California?
@@victoragresti1777that’s the price to pay skill trades. A electrician will charge the same price to run a wire
@@victoragresti1777it’s the same with getting your car fixed. You pay for the knowledge and if you wire or do something wrong with the contractor you will end up frying your circuit board. Prices are like that for any industry
Thank you. You addressed the resistance across the coil in one video, but only talked about an open coil. In this video you answered my question, "what is the resistance value of a good coil?"
I have one of those less common shorted coils.
Your assistance is greatly appreciated.
After watching some videos and reading articles online, I came across your video on testing the contactor and replacing. I took mine off, tested with the multimeter and got 0 for a reading. I then went to local store and bought a replacement contactor. I then tested it at home and got a reading. This further enforced that my old one was either not working or the multimeter was not working 😆. I then proceeded to install new contactor and then turn on AC. presto chango, it works. Thank you sir. It only cost me under $35. Saved me money getting someone here and paying an arm and a leg for diagnostic/parts/labor 👍🏼. Plus I look like i know what I'm doing 😎
Your casual mention of the condensate overflow switch @5:34 saved me from a service call. Thanks a bunch. Great Channel!
Glad I mentioned it! :) Thank you for watching and commenting, stay cool!
Fantastic video!! Pay attention, y'all. My issue was self-inflicted. I disconnected the ceiling receptacle in my garage for the garage door opener as part of a winter renovation project. Turns out, that circuit powers all the outdoor gfci receptacles AND my crawlspace receptacles; the condensation pump was plugged into one of the crawlspace receptacles. Winter turned into spring, with the garage receptacle still disconnected, the condensate pump filled up, tripping the safety switch thus not allowing the ac to kick on. Lol lesson learned. 🤣
Many thanks for the video!!!!
We all do things like that.... too many irons in the fire. Try writing down and keeping a note book...I do for most things I do...
Jay, thank you so much for your most informative and practical videos. With your help I have not only saved $$$ but I have learned so much. My condenser fan would not run when the outside temp exceeded 85F. My service provider, who has serviced the system two times per year for the past 11 yrs, diagnosed the problem and changed out the capacitor for $400. However, the problem still existed. With the help of your videos, I have replaced the condenser fan motor, thoroughly cleaned interior and exterior coils, blower wheel motor, coil drain pan and lines, and changed the air filter. Lastly, I changed out the contactor ($20 item), and eureka??, the system has been running great even with outside temps in the 90s
Once again CZcams to the rescue for all its fault I've never learned more in all my life than watching videos of people like you and you explain yourself clear you don't lollygag it's great thank you
Thank you for taking the time to make this video . its wonderful to have the proper information to diagnose the problem
Dude, you just saved me a bunch of money. Last time my condensor contactor failed, the AC guy said ants destroyed it and completely replaced it with a new one. This time, I just cleaned the contacts, and it's working again. Obviously, I need to just get one that's sealed, but for now, I'm good, thanks to you.
You saved me a fortune man. I had gone through all of your troubleshooting tips. Capacitors, fuses, blowers, boards switches etc. In the end, all it was was a bad operator who was waiting just short of a minute or maybe seconds. I was not giving the system time to delay and could not figure out why the Emergency heat was kicking on full on gas 112 degrees out of the register. Finally, cool breezes and my cats are no longer giving me the finger because it is 92 degrees in the house...! Cause they can't they could only give me the "claw"....! Thanks so much, I really appreciate it.
Oh man! It was just a delay all along after all that. Well not all is bad :) You probably learned more then you wanted about your HVAC system now, so if something happens again down the road you will be ready to tackle it! Anyway, stay cool!
I fixed my AC myself! First I replaced the capacitor - that wasn’t it but I kept working on and thanks to this video I eventually found a loose thermostat wire in the furnace control panel. 3 ac pros had been here and none of them even tried troubleshooting the equipment. They all just wanted to replace because it’s an older unit. The quotes were between $6,000-$28,000! Thanks you!!! I'm making a donation to your Paypal.
so you are saying that you paid for all of them service visit fee? or you called them to get quotes only for not to pay service fee?
@@ibrahimamac He more than likely did or denied to pay. Not making assumptions here but sounds to me the companies that came through were incompetent in troubleshooting that system. A definite win, service charges usually $50-100 or more but $6k in quotes?! Um no thank you. And happens to just be a loose terminal. That air handler vibrates all the time and cycles the air through. Kudos
@@KevsHowToDIY you gain customer trust for fixing small things, they will see that you are honest and they will make you change unit next time no matter what the much money is. Plus it isnt gonna be huge difference like that. But if somebody tells me that 3 ac pros came and didnt fix it which is odd. Because sometimes you make more profit from small things than free quotes.
What a bunch of as****. Didn't even attempted to fix the unit, just wanted to replace it.
Great vid thx bro u make me a better tech
Thanks for the informative videos. AC stopped working and you helped me troubleshoot the components that allowed me identify the problem and not just throw money at replacing parts until it worked. Thank You.
Saved a bunch of money this week, thanks to your video.
My furnace worked fine until I called for AC this spring.The 3 amp fuse on the panel blew every time I tried the AC. I disconnected the 24V wires at the contactor and the fuse did not blow when calling for AC. I assumed it was the contactor, but after watching this video on checking the resistance, mine was reading 0.6 ohms instead of 8 to 20 ohms. Pretty much a dead short in the coil. Thanks for showing how to, and what the correct measurements should be. Ordered a new contactor and pretty sure that will fix it.
Received the new contactor and installed it as seen in this video, and a bad coil in the contactor was definitely the problem. The AC turned on as it should. Thanks for the great videos.
Jay! Jay, Jay, Jay, Jay!!!!! Dude, I got man handled the last time I had an HVAC repair guy come out. When he left I was thinking those HVAC capacitors were made of diamonds or something. Anyway, AC went out and this time I figured I'd dust off the old tool belt, grab a can of elbow grease, and get down to business.
Initially I thought the fan motor was bad. It wouldn't spin very easily, not like my other AC unit, so I ordered one, replaced it in 10 minutes, and pounded myself on the chest in a way that said to all onlookers (mainly my dogs), "I'm a handy guy, yeah boy!!". Unfortunately, the new motor wouldn't come on after I powered everything back on.
So, I ordered a capacitor. It just had to be the cap. It's always the cap. Last time it was the cap. Amazon dropped one off in about 2 days of searing hell flames heat (upstairs thankfully). It came, I popped it in, I patted myself on the back. The dogs were cheering for me, or would have been if they knew what a feat I'd just performed. Hey, they're dogs. They lick their butts. What do they know? By the way, they aren't made of diamonds. The capacitors, I mean.
Well, that didn't work either.
I was just about to turn in my man card and phone an AC repair crew. I wasn't happy. The dogs weren't happy either, but being dogs they probably didn't understand why.
Then I found you, Jay. You mentioned that the little cover on the "Contactor" comes off, or "Thingamajiggy", as I was calling it. Well what do you know, I took the cover off and there were about a million tiny little dead ants piled up under it. I didn't know a million tiny dead ants could fit under that cover. I didn't actually realize it WAS a cover, but then neither did the dogs, so I don't feel too bad about it.
Anyway, I pulled out the my air compressor, shot some high powered air into the thingamajiggy, dead ants were flying everywhere, the dogs were happy as hell and licking their butts, and when I powered the sucker back on the fan was moving, cold air was pumping inside, and my man card went right back in my pocket. Nobody's taking that bad boy.
Thanks Jay! You saved the day.
By the way, beer tastes a lot better after a guy fixes something. I don't know why, but here's to you, Jay, my man!!!!
Lol! That was an awesome comment man! Thank you for taking the time to write that! Your story telling sure is funny stuff. I'm glad to hear that you finally got it going, the dogs are thrilled, and your man card remains with you! Now all you have to do is stay cool and enjoy that beer! Cheers!
Oh my goodness! I live in Florida - it is late July - I am a female with two female roommates and our AC stopped working yesterday. We can't afford to call someone out this month and I'm the only one with any mechanical abilities at all, I do most of the work on my car, in fact I don't recall ever taking it to a mechanic. But air conditioners are a totally different beast! Sooooo I'm all over the internet and CZcams (thank you, Jay) I'm very frustrated and it's over 100 degrees... I begin to feel like I'm about to internally combust and I come across this comment.
Which brings me to my point (sorry about all that jibber jabber) I just wanted to tell you your words really brightened my day. Your style of writing is incredible! It reminds me of Robert Fulghum. I truly hope you are a writer, or in the very least, sharing some of your words with the world in some way. Blog? Video? Self help website? Hehe!
Not only did I enjoy the comment, but it pleases me to see someone being gracious, humble, positive, and genuine. It's refreshing in this CZcams world full of hostility and criticism; so, thank you both for contributing in such an inspiring way! I hope many others take note of how a man TRULY earns his "man card"
Patrick Connolly I love your comment, I rarely ever read an entire comment as long as yours. Not only did you have me in stitches from laughing so hard, you reinforced what Jay (whom I agree is awesome) had already said about bugs corroding the contractor which ended up being my problem. You are refreshingly funny, you kept my interest all the way through, and it left me wanting more. If you haven’t already, you should take that talent and put it into stand up comedy, making videos, blogging, etc.
Well you got a new fan motor and capacitor still cheaper than a service call
Patrick Connolly Feels good when you can do it yourself, doesn’t it?
Your videos are great! Extremely helpful. Your descriptions are easy to follow and your explanations are thorough. Thank you for all your hard work!
You're welcome! Glad you liked the video, thank you for watching and commenting!
Word of Advice TV Subscribed! 🤙
@@PigeonDesign And then going above and beyond and subscribing!! :D
Great video. Incredibly clear and straight forward.
Just wanted to share with you how much I appreciate your videos and especially to share that you helped saved our family from a long holiday weekend of misery. If these A/C units are going to breakdown, why does it always happen on the weekends or over holidays when it would cost a small fortune to get someone out to troubleshoot? Murphy's Law I suppose. It took me a day and a half to figure it out watching several videos to get me through all the troubleshooting, especially the voltage tests but I was able to isolate the thermostat as being the culprit. I happened to have an extra one handy to test, so I changed it out and waited for it to cycle up and voila', the condenser fan started and condenser kicked in almost immediately. You can imagine the relief of getting the A/C working again in sweltering 90+ temps in Miami this week. More importantly, happy wife happy life, right? Thanks again for producing these excellent, step by step educational videos.
Thanks for these videos. The value is immense!
Currently an HVAC student and my teacher is great but I love watching your videos and different scenarios you encounter in the field... I literally take notes from your video lol...
Hey please where are you studying and which country ? Thanks
Excellent description on how they work.
Jay... ur videos are pretty simple and helpful. Great job. Expecting more videos related to troubleshooting
Big thanks to you for these AC videos! AC was blowing hot air into house and I found the condenser fan not spinning. Thanks to your content, I assumed it was a capacitor and ordered a new one. When I went to change, I noted NO physical signs the original cap was bad, but DID notice the contactor was full of ants! W/ everything shut down, cleaned out all the ants w/ a pic and wire brush and turned everything back on. System fired right up. This unit is at a remote property of ours, so I'll check all again next time I am there. For now, I'll take the win and I now I have an extra capacitor should I ever need it. THANK YOU
Your video is amazing -- you present well and offer a great explanation. Wonderful job, thank you for sharing.
I checked out my contactor yesterday and lo and behold I had put the Line ins on the T side! Doh. It really doesn’t matter which side you use as long as you know which side has the single pole side versus the shunt side. The L1/T1 side is actually the single pole (contact/pull) side and L2/T2 side is the shunt side. Spade counts on both side are the same too. Great video thank you
Follow up - Dad kept the old contactor, and low and behold, there was an insect in there. (This contactor did not have a cover like yours, but thanks for mentioning some don't). I tested it just as you demonstrated and even hooked up a 24V Omron power supply to pull the coil repeatedly, which was also pristine. 250$ gone for a bug!!! Live and learn! Cheers for these videos!
This was my exact issue.. great video of my AC goes out again i can test this. THANKS!!!
Bro, you saved me close to $500 by educating how to troubleshoot a short and finally locating it as the AC Contactor. Cost me only $20 for AC Contactor and $7 for a pack of 3 Amp Fuses. Superb video and excellent instructions! Wish you all the best...
Thanks for making these very informative crystal clear videos. I’m not a HVAC tech but I love to learn as much as I can about AC systems. I have one question for you. What make and model of amp meter do you use? Thanks. Keep up the good work!
Thank you! Glad you find them helpful! If you look in the description, I have a list of most of the tools in my tool bag. But the meter I use is this one:
UEI Multi Meter: amzn.to/2MbSHC2
Great video. I had the AC maintenance company come by and tell me that the contactor was working inconsistently. I hadn't noticed anything amiss myself, but they said their inspection uncovered it. They wanted $400 to replace it, and another $500 to replace the capacitor. After watching this video, I've come to realize that they're probably full of it (or I can just blow away the insects myself for $0). So thank you for saving me a lot of money!
That reminds me of a job I did, and the only problem was a massive amount of ants insulating the contact points from engaging. Fixed it with some raid applied around condenser. 😂
Thanks for your videos, you make it simple and clear.
Keep up the great work.
Can't wait to see your next video.
Glad to hear the videos are still good! Thank you! The next one is "8 reasons why an AC freezes up" ;)
Whew, I am sure glad I am not the only one with similar AC issues. I had a defective contactor, got a new one and thought I wired correctly - unfortunately I accidentally crossed one wire and shorted the new contactor and control board on the furnace. Waiting for new parts to arrive. Thanks to watching you videos I have learned more and really enjoy them. Thanks again!
Control board has fuses. I bet you didnt need a new one, just a fuse. :D
You should mark every wires on the contactor or taking a picture. No, no short cut!
I love it when Johnny homeowner thinks he smoked a circuit board when it's a 3 or 5 amp fuse those payments on my Ferrari are killing me but hey a service call or 2 will put that money right to this month's payment cha ching all the way to the bank and I don't cheat anyone I just charge top dollar for my services the name of my company MONEY BAGS MECHANICAL 24 HR SERVICE LMFAO
Thank you!!!! Was having a low voltage short issue. Fuse would blow everytime I switched the thermostat to A/C. Got it narrowed down to the outdoor unit. After watching this video, tested the resistance on the contactor and it measured .4 ohms. Ordered a new one, ($13) installed, and it works perfectly. Thanks again!!!! Saved me I don't know how much $$$.
To shorten this excellent video just check the voltage across the contactor coil terminals and if it reads the correct voltage for that contactor, and it is not pulling in, it is bad. Replace it. If it is an ant issue spray it with contact cleaner or just change it and be done with it. They make a vibrating sound when they are fixing to give trouble.
Lol, thanks for the summary Frank! :)
Woke up to a hot house and condenser not running. I troubleshoot the condenser and came down to a bad contactor. Replaced and everything back to normal.
You don’t know anything about ac’s
Appreciate your help with your videos!
this is the stuff. have seen lots from lots and most have shown less. well done. my first time seeing you but not the last. good job doing a good job 👍
Thanks so much for this. I was able to determine my contractor wasn’t working, get a replacement, and now my AC works great!
Thanks for this, folks paid 250$ for a contactor replacement, it was tested and bad. First time is ok, and I'll be getting a spare contactor and capacitor to keep around for the next one.
Massive buzzing coming from my unit but it was still working. I cut the power and still had the buzz, which I found to be a malfunctioning contactor. I was going to replace it, but found your video. I checked inside and found some smashed earwigs in there. All cleaned and working a dream. Many thanks!! I was high and dry after the parts store closed on a hot Sunday and now we're nice and cool 😎
The contactor gets 24v from the transformer inside. So cutting off power outside won't stop contactor from being energized.
Dude your smart.i wish i knew half of what you know.im pretty good at fixing pretty much anything but you detail exactly whats going on good job!
Hello good morning I'm so glad I asked you about the AC our AC guy who used to service the unit he moved we called a new AC guy the first thing he says to me it's your compressor I asked him to check the contactor he replied if you know what to do you don't need me, I replied I jost want a honest answer if I don't want to pull out the compressor if is the contactor I told him you were highly recommended just wanted a honest answer so the AC is working it was the contactor we won't use him again thank you for your tip greatful for your help thank you.
I have a sticking contactor. Compressor never stops running even below thermostat setting, and lines begin to ice up. Figured it out watching youtube. I ordered oem new part for $13.00usd. Will replace this week.
My Initial $100 service call to licensed HVAC pro, could not pinpoint problem. System pressures checked to spec, filter clean, system 5yrs old. They did come out a second time and quoted $5-8k worth of new flex ducting, measured "high static pressure" aka duct size restrction. Which was a B.S. scam. So you saved me several thousand, vs the local licensed "experts". Thanks
Oh man, wow! I'm glad you were able to figure out the problem! Unfortunately there are companies like that out there.. Happy to know that my videos assisted in the process :) Stay cool!
Awesome I was about to replace my capacitor or the contactor. That is until I tapped on the contactor a few times and finally heard the compressor kicked in. Then my thoughts were .... Those freaking earwigs! You just confirmed it here, so I'm happy not having to replace either parts. Ty
Boo I spoke too soon. It died again few hours later. Replacing the capacitor cause I know the contactor still works. Cleaned and all its kicking on the fan, but no compressor
a small piece of leaf was the culprit yesterday, your video saved the day!
Awesome information! Thank you for the details!
Morning I watched must all you videos, great and I learning too much from you
thanks for mentioning the bugs getting in the contacts of the contactor!! My AC stopped working. I have the old style contactor without the plastic lid covering the contacts. I noticed a dead earwig bug near the contacts. I verified the contactor was energizing but the squished bug was enough to insulate the contacts so power wasn't getting to the other side when the contactor was energized. I verified with a voltmeter. Then I turned off the power, lifted the contact and cleaned out the squished bug then used a little emery paper to clean up the contacts. All fixed now, Thanks so much you saved me a few hundred bucks on a service call!. My wife especially thanks you ....
If the contacts don't look good, never try cleaning points with emery; just spend 20 or 30 bucks and replace contactor; otherwise you'll be buying a new compressor!
You’re the best man wish I worked with you so I can learn the best
Yeah I’m new to the field and a lot of guys don’t like helping the rookies lol
again thank you thank you you explain very clearly
I had bugs in mine one time and it rattled like crazy easy fix nice video!
Another great video! Knowledge is power!
Hey, you produce some great videos... Very informative and easy to understand... Best on youtube....
I appreciate that! Thank you! I will try to continue living up to the bar set by the previous videos :)
very good video explanation. nice job.
Great video and info . My a/c was not working and watched your video and it lead me to the float switch in the attic. Thanks
Thanks for the video. I knew my old compressor fan was going bad (the bearing was really chirping) it stopped working, so I assumed it was that. My HVAC uncle from California sent me a new fan and capacitor, and nothing. So, I cleaned out the condensation pump to ensure the safety switch wasn't gunked up, nothing. Long story short. It was this relay. Cleaned it out and it is now working. It looks really burnt out, still will be swapping it out for a new one when it gets here.
Thank you so much for these AC tutorials. With your help I easily fixed my unit (and checked the compressor and fan to boot)! Saved hundreds of $$$ because of your help.
Thanks. You have the best videos. There re so clear and easy to understand.
Happy to hear that! :) Thank you for commenting!
Good tutorial, God bless.
Excellent video and it shows u got a lot of experience 😀
Nice video sir and thanks... i just want to ask you about the all kinds of contactor which is used in A/C ☺
Thanks for the videos.
Mine was indeed completely fried. Once it was replaced, the AC turned on and is now cooling.
Love your video’s you really explain it well
Great video! It was a great help in determining if my contactor was bad.
I had to replace my contactor a few weeks ago. The root cause is that the coil is shorted so the 3A fuse on the control board keeps burn out (24V/3A=8 Ohm, meaning if your contactor coil is measured lower than 8 Ohm your fuse would probably blow. Additionally the 24V control voltage is usually somewhere between 24V and 30V, meaning a lower margin on the resistance range). I have searched online and watched a lot of how to videos but it is not common to find such failure mode. Just want to share this tip with the other viewers. Measure the resistance of the contactor coil, if it is too high or too low, replace it.
Dude! You just saved me some $$$ by fixing it myself. Thank you, thank you, thank you 👍.
About six years ago I changed my contactor, cost me like twenty bucks. Changed it because for two years in a row when I first turned the A/C on it chattered and the A/C would not start. To fix it I just kicked the A/C unit. Then for the rest of the season it was fine. Like I said that went the same for two years. Third year is when I changed it out. No problems since. I figured it was likely a piece of dirt or bug caught in there and I removed it with the shock of a kick. Done the same with A/C fan centers attached to the furnace. Get there and they are making an awful noise and I just hammer fist them on the metal housing and they instantly repair.
Just today, I changed the capacitor. My A/C went down Saturday night on a long weekend. Had to wait until today Tuesday to get the new part. Sweated in the heat all Sunday and Monday. Wasn't a good weekend, it was hot. Took just a couple of minutes to install the new one, compressor started up immediately. No place to get even simple parts after hours or on weekends.
Great video. You are the Best !
Thank You.....You are an Excellent Instructor!!😎
Thanks very much on your good explained .
Jay, many thanks for putting this together. -mg
Another great video. I think I've see ALL of your videos by this point :)
Question: When you are testing this heat pump and turning it on an off, are you just leaving the furnace in a state of "call for heat" and then using the heat pump's 'fuse block' to start and stop the unit, or are you turning the furnace on and off each time? OR.... are you 'jumpering' some contacts on the heat pump to fire it up for testing? I always wondered what goes on with this. I am in a situation right now where I need to figure this out so that I can bypass the comp, then the fan and even check out if the contactor is acting up due to some noises I'm hearing. It seems a little silly to run in and out of the house each time. My plan was to pull the fuses, call for heat and then plug the fuses in for testing and pull them back out between tests all while the furnace is running. Does this make sense?
Thanks Jay! Have you ever seen the safety disconnect go bad? My ac unit seems to delay too long and I suspect this part, especially upon start up in the spring , since it faces north and is more exposed to the elements.
Thank you. Very helpful
Thank you,i always love to be educated!
Glad to hear it was useful! Thank you for watching and leaving a comment!
Thank you for this. Found my 10 year old Goodman condenser was running when the thermo was off. The contact was stuck. Figured 10 years is a good run, so time to replace.
that was really easy to understand, thank you.
Excellent video. Straightforward explanation, very clear and informative!!! Testing the coil for resistance and looking for 24-27 VAC are two easy things, as well as your explanation of single versus double pole(?) contactors. Thank you!
Vrey good coil checking shot or contuit coil restans coil cut no showing metar one checking unit24 voltchecking
Good info thanks!👍🏼
Your videos are really helpful. I have a quick question about the contactor. My contactor now only works if press the reset button. But the problem is that I have two units. When I turn the power on for the unit outside, the contactor sparks and the other unit turns off! Is this a bad contactor or something else? Thank you very much.
My Trane A/C contact switch starting rapidly clicking this weekend. After shutting off the power I inspected the switch and the wiring. Both looked good. Coincidentally I just had a new fan motor installed 2 weeks ago so I thought for sure the issue was related to the new fan motor. It talking to a friend who works with A/C controls, he asked "how old is your thermostat and have you replaced the batteries". The thermostat is old, about 23 years old. I replaced all 3 AA batteries in the old thermostat and to my surprise the outside contact switch quit clicking when the outside unit is running. I got lucky this time.
Good stuff brother I follow and watch all your stuff
This video is super useful. My AC is not turning on. I have tested a few things: there is 240V input power. When the switch on the contactor is pushed down, the AC turned on. There is NO 24V coming to the contactor when the nest thermostat is on. Can you provide any suggestion on troubleshoting further? Like what could be wrong so that there was no 24V needed to activate the contactor switch?
Bro you are awesome . Please don't stop making videos . . Your the best!!
Thanks so much, Jay! After replacing the capacitor I was still having a problem with the condenser unit not going on even though the furnace fan was running. I went through your troubleshooting tips and narrowed it down to the contactor. It was getting the 24 volts and visually looked just fine (I even took it apart), but wouldn’t pull the plunger, didn’t pass the voltage meter test, and kept blowing the 3A fuse on the control panel even when it was only connected to the thermostat wires. I took it to a local electrical supply store and they confirmed it was bad and I was able to replace it for $20. Thanks to your videos I can safely cancel the service repair appointment scheduled for Monday!
One question though - I noticed that my fan motor has a slight wobble that causes the condenser unit to vibrate a bit more than seems appropriate. Could the motor be going out, or could it be that when I took it apart to inspect it I messed with how it was originally balanced?
It's possible the fan blade got damaged and is out of balance; they have some clips attached to them for correction similar to balance weights on tire wheels.
Thank you for your videos! Whoever doesn't agree with you sharing knowledge is just a man who makes money off of people's misinformation. There's an hvac school that charges $18k for the same you offer for free. You're changing the industry to what it would be in the future - a more precise self diagnostics made by customer or a smart device and less time wasted by technician
Thank you! It's nice to get comments like yours once in a while to offset the opposing side's comments :) Thanks for watching, stay cool!
Your videos are really great. I've watched several the last couple of days. I am trying to follow your instructions while being careful to not hurt myself or my equipment.
I would like to ask (as a visual learner) that you tweak your camera work just a bit. When you reference something on the meter or maybe exactly where you are putting your leads sometimes....there's not a clear shot of what it looks like. Which leaves me not wanting to follow through since I am unsure of the information.
Sorry to be soooo green with all this...but.... Thanks again for great videos and information...I just need a little clarification on the things I mentions. Jesus bless.
Thanks for your good videos. Maybe mention even though contactor can be responding and engaging power, but if burned or pitted contacts, it may not be a good connection and damaging compressor.
Bro you just saved me so much money! Thank you!!!
Watching from Minneapolis
I sure hope it’s just the contactor on my AC unit. I have a friend who does HVAC and he thought it was my fan motor. I bought a new one along with the capacitor. After installing it I turned on the AC and it ran for a short time although it seemed to be running kinda rough. After a bit it slowed down and then stopped but you could still here the compressor. Now the fan is not running at all. Keep in mind the old fan that we thought was bad ran the exact same way. It sounded a little rough. I’m now thinking that the old fan and capacitor wasn’t bad and was running rough because it didn’t have good connection with the contactor. I’ll be checking it in just a bit and I’m hoping that it’s just dirty or has a build up of insects like you had mentioned. My home has two AC units (one for upstairs and one for downstairs). Thank God at least one level is staying cool. This KY heat can you be miserable. Thanks again for sharing your expertise with us.
Thanks, take care.
Very useful knowledge
Great educational videos
Thank you. Very informative.regards
This is a great video - thanks! One question: I have an Orbit 4-station timer on a 2-pole contactor. The first program (A) on the Orbit irrigation timer works AOK. But when it goes to turn on the next program (B) 5 minutes later, I hear a click on the contactor, then it says "Fault" on the Orbit timer. I have replaced the Orbit timer, but problem remains. It is a Packard C230A contactor (30amp/24V). Could the problem be overload, on the Orbit timer, in which case I should switch to a Packard C240A (40amp/24V) contactor? thanks for any advice.
Very helpful, thank you
You're welcome! Thank you for watching and commenting!