I'm having an issue with my AC unit where the fan fails to operate at night. I replaced the motor fan two years ago and just replaced the capacitor yesterday, but the problem persists. When I turn the AC off for a few hours, it starts working fine again. I'm based in Texas, and this doesn't seem normal to me. An AC technician once mentioned that my fan motor might be a 'generic' one and not suitable for my Trane system. Could that be the reason for the malfunction? I want to avoid shelling out for another motor if I can help it!
2 Answers
There's a chance the capacitor you installed might be faulty. Believe it or not, sometimes new caps can come out of the box defective. It might be worth swapping it out for another one and testing the unit again before you dive deeper into other repairs.
The issues you're describing could depend on which fan you're talking about and the specifics of your system. If it’s the inside unit’s variable speed fan, using a generic fan may cause compatibility issues. For the outside unit, you might be dealing with various problems: a faulty control board, low refrigerant triggering the cutoff, a high-pressure issue, a bad contactor, or even a thermostat problem. It’s tough to diagnose without proper tools on hand. I’d suggest getting a second opinion from another AC company about the generic fan issue—it’s not a common problem, so hopefully, they can provide more clarity on your situation.
Just to clarify, it’s the outside unit having issues. I replaced the contactor last year, and I have a Nest thermostat from 2021. I'm wondering if that could be at fault, especially since it only happens during the night.
That's a slight risk, but it’s pretty rare for both the old and new capacitors to have the same intermittent issues. Still, checking the cap again sounds like a good call!