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How I Connected Relays to A/Cs - Printable Version

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RE: How I Connected Relays to A/Cs - johnkosir - 04-24-2025

As a retired HVAC contractor I think if the fan motors are slowing down the bushings are worn or they need oil, if you grab the shaft and you can feel any side to side movement in and out is ok the bushings are worn and motor has to be replaced, some motors have oil ports others you can take apart and saturate the felt pads around the bushings with electric motor oil, if you oil it with oil that has detergent in it, it will not run for long it will gum up (don't ask me how I know) As for the current going up to 60 I think your start relay is putting voltage to your start windings, Richard is a lot more familiar with those units than I am as I have only worked on 1. I would check to make sure all the connections are good, all spade connectors are tight, do not slide on with no effort you can squeeze them with side cutters to tighten them up. I think it would be easier to change the start relay than sit there watching a clamp on amp meter waiting for  the unit to act up, if you went to a refrigeration wholesaler  with the compressor model or the start relay they should be able to sell you a new one. You don't really need gauges to figure out if the unit is fully charged, if it is drawing close to FLA (full load amps) odds are it is fully charged, if you had a digital temp gauge, I like the ones that clamp on pipes you could check the pipe leaving the evaporator, If the evaporator is clean, the evaporator fan is working, the temp should be above freezing, varys with return air temp,  if it is below freezing odds are you are under charged there are other things that can be wrong but usually it is under charged

RE: How I Connected Relays to A/Cs - Richard - 04-24-2025

One other possibility that came to me in my sleep. If the power connections into the board, or the power connections from the board are degraded then the voltage to the compressor will drop. If that happens the amperage to the compressor goes up. AMPS equals heat. The compressor could heat up and trip thermal overload.
Reading your latest results, you can do no more diagnostics until you have a clamp on meter capable of reading AC amperage.

RE: How I Connected Relays to A/Cs - whited44 - 04-24-2025

(04-24-2025, 08:48 AM)Richard Wrote:  One other possibility that came to me in my sleep. If the power connections into the board, or the power connections from the board are degraded then the voltage to the compressor will drop. If that happens the amperage to the compressor goes up. AMPS equals heat. The compressor could heat up and trip thermal overload.
Reading your latest results, you can do no more diagnostics until you have a clamp on meter capable of reading AC amperage.

I'm gonna go get me a clamp on meter today...  and i'll take a look at those connections on the board.

RE: How I Connected Relays to A/Cs - johnkosir - 04-24-2025

I agree with what Richard said another thing you did not say if the compressor was running when the current went up if the call for cooling ended the compressor would of shut off if it tried to start before the pressures equalized you would get high current, you might want to try a hard start kit, Try to find a  clamp on ammeter that does both AC and DC they don't all do DC

RE: How I Connected Relays to A/Cs - whited44 - 04-24-2025

(04-24-2025, 09:29 AM)johnkosir Wrote:  I agree with what Richard said another thing you did not say if the compressor was running when the current went up if the call for cooling ended the compressor would of shut off if it tried to start before the pressures equalized you would get high current, you might want to try a hard start kit, Try to find a  clamp on ammeter that does both AC and DC they don't all do DC

From what I could tell the compressor was NOT running when it started to act up.

RE: How I Connected Relays to A/Cs - [email protected] - 04-24-2025

(04-24-2025, 09:01 AM)whited44 Wrote:  
(04-24-2025, 08:48 AM)Richard Wrote:  One other possibility that came to me in my sleep. If the power connections into the board, or the power connections from the board are degraded then the voltage to the compressor will drop. If that happens the amperage to the compressor goes up. AMPS equals heat. The compressor could heat up and trip thermal overload.
Reading your latest results, you can do no more diagnostics until you have a clamp on meter capable of reading AC amperage.

I'm gonna go get me a clamp on meter today...  and i'll take a look at those connections on the board.

I like the Klein CL380 I have, I think its been replaced with the CL390. It measures AC and DC current in the clamp up to 400a. Its a great all around meter in my opinion for the price.