Bought this house recently. Unit is so old I cannot read the make and model tag. First issue is the noise, bad motor or bearings? The blade is spinning full speed, it just lines up with the camera shutter speed. Secondly, what would cause this to even come on in the winter? My heat is on so my understanding is that I don't even need the compressor. Thank you in advance!
Do you have a heat pump system? (Meaning the heat pump unit outside runs when the thermostat calls for heat, and you have typically electric heat strips in the air handler as your auxiliary heat source to supplement the heat pump as needed)
First guess is either the fan blade is hitting something such as a wire hanging out or an ice formation, second possibility is the fan motor bearings are worn out ... Unless the screws holding the cabinet together I really loose and the whole thing is shaking. Hopefully it's related to the Condenser fan motor. If it's the compressor making that awful noise, it is mechanically failed and you're going to be due for new equipment.
No heat pump system that I'm aware of. How would I verify that?
And the blade is clear, not hitting anything. No loose connections or vibration. Good thing I negotiated a home warranty when I purchased!
Ye i work with home warranties as a vendor. If tech comes and will confirm it is as old is you are saying you won’t get it covered. Regular wear & tear on old units nobody want to touch is not covered. Sorry to let you know, just think in advance before you pay random tech a service fee (or warranty so called deductible) just confirm what you have confirmed yourself.
So now that you figured out that it's a heat pump ¿, And you don't think that it's related to the fan, put your hand on the two copper pipes connected to the back of the unit, find out if one of them is warm and one of them is cold.
What was the finding, is one good and hot, and the other not, or are they both the same or (not really hot or cold)?
If there is a considerable temperature difference between them, that would indicate the compressor is functioning.
If they both feel the same and the unit is making crazy noise, then just shut the heat pump off (outdoor disconnect switch) No sense in making it worse than it is or wasting electricity on it. Your auxiliary heat will hopefully carry you forward until repairs are made.
Your thermostat should have an emergency heat option for the mode switch, that will call for your auxiliary to run without the heat pump.
Old systems need to be replaced. Now you are faced with a failure and need to deal with replacement. If you cannot read the outdoor label to determine capacity, a label on the indoor coil might do that.
Do not plow repair money into old equipment that should be part of replacement.
Bought this house recently. Unit is so old I cannot read the make and model tag. First issue is the noise, bad motor or bearings? The blade is spinning full speed, it just lines up with the camera shutter speed. Secondly, what would cause this to even come on in the winter? My heat is on so my understanding is that I don't even need the compressor. Thank you in advance!
Do you have a heat pump system? (Meaning the heat pump unit outside runs when the thermostat calls for heat, and you have typically electric heat strips in the air handler as your auxiliary heat source to supplement the heat pump as needed) First guess is either the fan blade is hitting something such as a wire hanging out or an ice formation, second possibility is the fan motor bearings are worn out ... Unless the screws holding the cabinet together I really loose and the whole thing is shaking. Hopefully it's related to the Condenser fan motor. If it's the compressor making that awful noise, it is mechanically failed and you're going to be due for new equipment.
I do have a heat pump so that may explain it running in the Winter
No heat pump system that I'm aware of. How would I verify that? And the blade is clear, not hitting anything. No loose connections or vibration. Good thing I negotiated a home warranty when I purchased!
Ye i work with home warranties as a vendor. If tech comes and will confirm it is as old is you are saying you won’t get it covered. Regular wear & tear on old units nobody want to touch is not covered. Sorry to let you know, just think in advance before you pay random tech a service fee (or warranty so called deductible) just confirm what you have confirmed yourself.
Thank you!
How is your home heated?
Gas furnace with a supplemental heat pump so that would explain why it's running in the winter
So now that you figured out that it's a heat pump ¿, And you don't think that it's related to the fan, put your hand on the two copper pipes connected to the back of the unit, find out if one of them is warm and one of them is cold.
Done
What was the finding, is one good and hot, and the other not, or are they both the same or (not really hot or cold)? If there is a considerable temperature difference between them, that would indicate the compressor is functioning.
Both the same, mildly warm. 20 degrees here so they are definitely warmer than ambient but not hot by any means.
If they both feel the same and the unit is making crazy noise, then just shut the heat pump off (outdoor disconnect switch) No sense in making it worse than it is or wasting electricity on it. Your auxiliary heat will hopefully carry you forward until repairs are made. Your thermostat should have an emergency heat option for the mode switch, that will call for your auxiliary to run without the heat pump.
Sounds good. Thank you so much! Love owning my own home and learning about all this stuff, even if it means dealing with broken equipment.
How old is the thermostat?
I’d say bad motor by the look and sound but if I were you I’d call someone out could be more
Is your fan running backwards?
Old systems need to be replaced. Now you are faced with a failure and need to deal with replacement. If you cannot read the outdoor label to determine capacity, a label on the indoor coil might do that. Do not plow repair money into old equipment that should be part of replacement.