You just saved me a service call to an ac repair place. I cleaned the contactor and now I have ac again. Thank you

@grayfurnaceman

5 жыл бұрын

Welcome GFM

Thanks for this video. I had a contactor that was welded closed so my unit never stopped and was all iced over. Thanks to your video i was able to diagnose the problem, procure a replacement, install it, test it, and save a buck. I really appreciate it!

Well you saved me a butt load of cash!!!!! Thank you for taking the time to educate others. Not only was I able to determine the cause (a bug) I was able to learn about a trade I had not idea about. Thank you so much sir!!!!!

Your video was perfect! I didn't even know what a connector looked like, but your video was clear and to the point, thank you! Tonight we'll be warm 😊

@grayfurnaceman

6 жыл бұрын

Welcome GFM

Plain and simple to understand, excellent presentation for a 70 rear old wannabe, never to old to learn, Thanks

@grayfurnaceman

4 жыл бұрын

Welcome GFM

Excellent video, short and straight to the point. Thanks again GFM

Thank you for this great video. Very thorough.

So informative and you explained everything very well and clearly. Thank you!

Thanks for the video. Probably saved me a few hundred. I had the bug stuck in the contacts.

Worked for me! Ended up having a bug stuck in the contactor just like you said! Thanks a lot!

Very amazing video. Thanks for really going over most everything!!!

You are a genius! Ant was crushed under contacts. Cleaned with a qtip and alcohol, started back up again. Surviving Texas weather. Thanks!!!

@grayfurnaceman

8 жыл бұрын

Not genius. Just seen a lot of failures. Glad it helped. GFM

You just saved me a lot of money! Thanks, I do appreciate your help! Mine , I just tapped it a few times, it wasn't welded, but it took off! Thanks!

Great video, the pain you relieve in the summer time can't be underestimated, thank you.

@grayfurnaceman

7 жыл бұрын

No one has ever given me that compliment. Thanks GFM

It was the breaker outside that feeds the unit...getting 240V incoming and w/breaker closed getting 120V. Replaced breaker w/one from a big box store and she is now off and running! THX for all the good advice!

yes! yes!yes! grammy award to you! exelent video!! love it ! learning a lot and also the questions are graet ! thak you also for anwser them!!

Thanks for the vid, I had been checking voltage using chassis ground all along (newbie). Turns out it was just a fuse, what a relief, thanks!

@grayfurnaceman

9 жыл бұрын

Michael Gramling That chassis ground will get you in trouble with 240v. Glad you got it.GFM

@intelin123

3 жыл бұрын

How does it get you in trouble

I love you're videos and voice! Excellent videos!

Always find these videos so helpful

your videos are a lifesaver thanks.

The contactor could be stuck closed. If the power is off to the low voltage, such as turning off the power to the furnace, the contactor is probably stuck. You can shut off the power to the outdoor unit, then manually break the contactor loose. The contactor then needs to be replaced. Hope this helps. GFM

awesome video love how you set up senerios my buddies had the last issue open coil thank you!!

@grayfurnaceman

8 жыл бұрын

Welcome GFM

nice videos bud. Straight and to the point. thanks

Thanks furnaceman! Your videos are very helpful. Especially for hvac apprentices like myself!

@grayfurnaceman

8 жыл бұрын

Welcome GFM

@omarimordechai8589

2 жыл бұрын

i guess I am kind of randomly asking but do anybody know of a good place to stream newly released movies online ?

@reidtommy7352

2 жыл бұрын

@Omari Mordechai flixportal =)

@omarimordechai8589

2 жыл бұрын

@Reid Tommy Thank you, I signed up and it seems to work :) I appreciate it !!

AMAZING VIDEO!!! I wish I would have taken a picture because I did have a little bug in the contactor! Thank you so much I was able to cancel the $80 service call!

@grayfurnaceman

6 жыл бұрын

Glad you got it going. GFM

thank you so much for the diagnostic steps... mine was just a dirty contractor and it started right up.

@grayfurnaceman

7 жыл бұрын

Glad you got it. GFM

You make a very good video. I learned a lot from this video, please make some more on tracing electrical through heat pump system thank you very much, very helpful.

Very good explanation. Thanks

The video was a great help. Had ants in my connector. Cleared them out and it was good to go

Yes man that was the best troubleshooting video

wow thanks a million. I actually have a funny predicment which caused this problem. Now I pinpointed the issue you're awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Great video. Thank for sharing the knowledge. 👍

Thanks for the support. GFM

this is the best presentation i have seen thanks !!!!

@grayfurnaceman

6 жыл бұрын

Welcome GFM

Great video! Just tested my contactor and 0 volts on the out side. When I first opened the box there were quite a few dead ants on there. Blew it with compressed air but no change. Got a $20 replacement, hopefully we'll be up and running soon.

@grayfurnaceman

7 жыл бұрын

Mr. Rat Good luck. GFM

@RJP7093

2 жыл бұрын

Did new contactor work?

Fantastic video - just saved me a lot of grief/money. Thank you!!!

@grayfurnaceman

6 жыл бұрын

Welcome GFM

Old video, but i really appreciate the upload.

You probably don't need another "bug in contactor" tale, but that was my issue! I really can't believe it. My wife and kids weren't as impressed as I was, but that's OK. ;) Thanks again!!!!

@grayfurnaceman

3 жыл бұрын

Common response from family members. Such fools! lol GFM

If you have 24 volts at the coil and the bar is not pulled down, the coil is bad. If you do not have 24 volts, the problem is elsewhere. Such as: no 24 volt power, thermostat not closed, a possible low pressure control open, a loose wire. What you must do is measure for 24 volts at the source, then continue though the circuit until the voltage stops. Remember, there is lethal voltage here. Hope this helps. GFM

You said one thing in this video, "don't use the ground to check voltage" I was and after viewing this I went back and and did check just like you showed and there it was. Turned out the contacts was burnt so I used a small file and touched them up. Fixed for 0 dollars!!! woohoo! TY

@grayfurnaceman

8 жыл бұрын

Welcome GFM

@edsmith6504

6 жыл бұрын

As a pinball guy, clean your contacts and look for a new switch in the meantime. ;)

I had a bug in the contactor. Your video saved my ass. Thanks.

@grayfurnaceman

4 жыл бұрын

Welcome GFM

Ok. You have a refrigerant leak. The power is coming from the thermostat and when it comes to the board outside, the board looks at the low pressure switch, sees it is open and cuts power to the contactor. It is a safety switch to keep the unit from running if the refrigerant charge is too low. Look for oil slicks, especially around service valves. Hope this helps. GFM

This is very well explained thank you sir

Thanks for the great video. We've been without our air conditioner through the hottest part of the summer and with elderly house guests coming by often, it's been really hard on them. I put in a new capacitor and hoped that would start the thing up (the other one was confirmed dead with my multimeter), but that wasn't enough to get it going again. I've played around a little more and using a tester can see that all my wiring is live, so no problems there. I previously didn't look at the contactor in any way, but just tried to push in the switch and voila, it all started up which is a huge relief (I hope) because I was thinking it might be a bad control board, or my fan motor was shot, or maybe the float switch in my condensate pump was fried, or something worse. Anyhow, I guess I'm going to order another contactor and put it in there, hopefully that'll make the difference. I did use compressed air to see if perhaps I could clear some dead bugs from inside, but to no avail - it's still not doing anything.

@grayfurnaceman

10 ай бұрын

Before changing the contactor, I would want to test voltage at the coil of the contactor. Voltage on a call for cool, bad contactor. No voltage, some other problem. You could have low charge which could shut down power to the contactor coil if the unit has a low pressure switch. GFM

Yes. Feed back thru loads are common. Also, when using 240v you may always get 120v to chassis. Hope this helps. GFM

Sorry, your comment was in spam. That sounds like the fan is drawing too much power and the overload is kicking off. Did you replace like for like? You might also check to see if you wired it right. After it shuts off, check the motor for overheat. If you have an ammeter, clamp one of the fan wires (not the capacitor wire) and compare to the rating on the motor. Hope this helps. GFM

great video

Thanks for the tips

Thank you Gary.

Over 9 years later and still helpful -- Fire ants really do ruin everything. I've got cool air again but I've ordered a replacement contactor because I didn't like how fouled the old one had gotten inside.

Good video Thanks! , I learned something new!!!

@grayfurnaceman

8 жыл бұрын

+Air Conditioning Repair Atlanta Welcome GFM

Hi it was helping Thank you

thanks that was informative answered a question i had again thanks

Sounds like no power to the contactor coil. A voltmeter on a/c volts with probes on the low voltage terminals on the contactor should tell. If no 24 volts at the coil, the problem is in low voltage controls. Does indoor fan run?

One of the best videos I've watched so far....simple and straight to the point. I'll follow these tips but what if I don't have 24 volts to the contact?

@grayfurnaceman

9 жыл бұрын

Mark Gaarz Then you need to look for a control problem. Thermostat not passing power, pressure switch open in outdoor unit. Hope this helps. GFM

@antoniokristler6973

6 жыл бұрын

Check your safety switches my dude. Low pressure, float switch, high pressure. Anything in series with your low voltage from your board out to your contactor.

The 24v control voltage usually comes from the inside air handler. The 12v you are getting is probably a ghost voltage. You can jump from R to Y at the air handler to see if it works then. If so, the remove the stat and again jump from R to Y. If so, the stat has failed. Hope this helps. GFM

What happens when you go to gnd, you can get feedback through the components if only one side of line has an open. GFM

Great video! Thanks.

@grayfurnaceman

7 жыл бұрын

Welcome GFM

nice job

great vid.

@grayfurnaceman

8 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the support. GFM

Thank you! Saved me an expensive HVAC service call. Ended up having an earwig caught under the contactor as you described.

@grayfurnaceman

8 жыл бұрын

Glad I could help GFM

@teddyle7820

7 жыл бұрын

+grayfurnaceman should the contactor always closed?

@grayfurnaceman

7 жыл бұрын

Only when the unit is calling for cool. GFM

ok....starting to sink in--thx for the info! I will update my findings...

Thank you! Saved me a 300 dollar service call. I had burnt contacts.

@grayfurnaceman

4 жыл бұрын

Welcome GFM

Great video. I understand the voltage across the open switch as it’s the difference of potential. If it was closed it would be millivolts or zero. I don’t understand the 240 across one side either. I would have expected 120 as well.

@grayfurnaceman

2 жыл бұрын

120 volts to ground or neutral and 240 volts from one line to the other. L1 120 volts, L2 120 volts. Add them together. GFM

@jrr1016

2 жыл бұрын

@@grayfurnaceman I gotcha. Single pole contactor vs a 2 pole contacted. The shunted side was what was screwing me up.

thanks for that info

Good video. I encountered a failed contactor that was welded shut. Nothing I could do but replace it.

If you are concerned about the voltage being too high at the coil, 28 is not excessively high with these low voltage transformers. If you read 28 volts to ground, that is normal on one side of the coil. Virtually all low voltage t-formers are grounded on the common side. The common side should not read voltage to ground. If so, there may be a no chassis ground at the A/C. One side of high voltage to chassis should read 120v if ground is ok.

On most units the power comes from the thermostat to the outdoor unit. The board is not involved. If your indoor fan is on then the thermostat is calling. Assuming the color code of the stat wire is "normal", the yellow wire at the wire nuts at the outdoor unit should have power to common. If so and there is a board in outdoor unit, high or low pressure sw may be off due to charge problem. If not check yellow at furnace. GFM

Awesome! Thank you.

@grayfurnaceman

6 жыл бұрын

Welcome GFM

Excellent video thank you for sharing! 40$ for a new contactor and I am back in cold air :)

Excelente 👌👌

Generally, if the bar is not down, there is no control voltage. So look for a problem with thermostat etc. Hope it helps. GFM

side note: When you checked from L1 to T1 you had 240v only because your contactor was stuck Open BUT if the contactor was engaged and you checked from L1 to T1 you should receive 0 volts only cause its the same leg with no voltage drops confirming that switch is functional :) Just extra information.

I watched your whole video 👍👍👍👍👍👍I HAD SAME PROBLEM IN MY CONTACTOR 😡😡😡😡MY AIR CONDITIONER KEEP RUNNING😡😡😡😡I HAD FROST ALL OVER MY UNIT😱😱😱😱😱😱I DID A LOT REACH 👍👍👍👍👍I TOOK OUT MY SINGLE POLE CONTACTOR👍👍👍👍REPLACED BY DOUBLE POLE👊👊👊👊👊✌️✌️✌️✌️👍👍👍

thank you

ok stay away from ground....I heard that in your video, but I could not wrap my mind why not to GND but when you explained it I kinda get it now....I have not checked the disconnect on the wall so tomorrow I will check that...thx! I will follow up!

GREAT !!!! THANKS

Great video thanks! Question : my contactor bar is popped up and when I push it down, it'll start the AC unit but will not stay down when I let go. It doesn't look like I can remove or replace the bar. Does the whole contactor relay have to be replaced? Thanks!

@grayfurnaceman

7 жыл бұрын

The contactor is not energized. When there is a call for cool, the indoor fan is turned on and the outdoor contactor is energized. You need to find out if there is 24 volt power to the contactor. GFM

Great video! Is there ever a concern with contact resistance building up in an old contactor?

@grayfurnaceman

6 жыл бұрын

Yes. If there is even a small resistance, the contacts will burn up. GFM

If you are getting 240v on the power side of the contactor, but 0v on the compressor side, with the contactor pulled in, the problem is in the contactor. Could be a bug in the contactor contacts. I did a vid on this. It is in the contactors playlist. GFM

Welcome GFM

Thank you

@grayfurnaceman

6 жыл бұрын

Welcome GFM

very educational

@grayfurnaceman

7 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the support. GFM

Awesome video for a layman like me. Ended up spending $15 instead of $250. Of course though I know common sense of safety with electrical work as well.

@grayfurnaceman

6 жыл бұрын

Glad it helped. GFM

Best video I have ever seen on troubleshooting HVAC. I had high voltage come through my house caused by the electric cable being damaged for a storm. The central air stopped working. A tech came out to check the central air unit and told me I needed a new compressor. Both capacitors were shot and were replaced. There was no electricity coming out of the contractor back to the house (furnace). The tech didn't check the contactor. Any ideas?

The air handler does not supply power to the outdoor unit. You are looking for 240v power to the outdoor unit. GFM

OK here is my deal....w/the contractor energized L1 & L2 @ the bottom of contractor 120v to GND. @ the top of the contact w/it still energized 120v to GND, but phase to phase I get 0v on both top and bottom? So I think I have a problem w/my FLUKE....Soooo I checked the voltage @ the panel 120v to ground and 220v phase to phase. Fan and Compressor still not working.....need help getting hotter here in South East Texas!

I'm having an issue where I turn the ac on and it works for a few cycles but eventually when it kicks on the contactor doesnt kick on unless I manually push it in then it will work. I replaced the capacitor and contactor. Any suggestions

THANX

quick question: is it possible to place another contactor with same rating in parellel with this contactor and add a transistor to amplify current and add a therimstor so that when original contactor heats up the spare contactor starts working and when it cools down the resistsnce of the thermistor decreases and the original contactor starts working? Thank you sir

Great video. Thank you. I have a quick question. My trane heat pump came with a 30AMP contactor. Its seems that the original part is now replaced by a 40AMP contactor part. Do you have an opinion as to why they did that? My 30AMP contactor is still good, but should I replace it with a new 40AMP? Thanks.

@grayfurnaceman

8 жыл бұрын

+C Baer I would not replace it if it is working normally. Hope this helps. GFM

@cb8938

8 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

I just used your video to troubleshoot and fix my a/c unit...but I'm not sure what happened. As I was checking the voltage across the two input terminals, the fan and compressor magically turned on and now everything seems to be working fine. The contactor had been pulled in all morning, but the fan and compressor had been dormant. Any idea how simply checking the voltage started things back up? I've since turned the unit off and on, and it's still working fine.

Thank-you for your reply. The AC still not starting. I started by testing the thermostat by joining the red, green and yellow wire which started the furnace but not the AC. I than tested the contactor. 240 volts does go in but when I measure the coils in volts it reads 0. I than tested the plunger by pressing in the plunger which does activate the fan and condenser. Why does the plunger not in-cage automatically when the thermostat indicates cooling? Is it a bad contactor or a bad thermostat or something else? What other tests should I do to determine which part requires replacing?

@grayfurnaceman

7 жыл бұрын

You probably do not have a bad thermostat or contactor. When you jumped the wires, you eliminated the thermostat. Now go to the air handler and do the same thing. If it starts, the problem is in the wiring between the thermostat and the air handler. This is all assuming there is power to the air handler. GFM

thanks for video. I have one question, since I'm a novice. I had capacitor tested, by service personnel and it was bad, so was condenser fan. outside unit want come on until I depress button on contact. everything inside runs. should I replace contacts? it's a Tappan heat pump. thanks

@grayfurnaceman

5 жыл бұрын

You are not getting low voltage to the contactor. Check voltage to the coil of the contactor. Should read 24 volts. GFM

I have a question? I have a Trane xl 1000 I replaced the capacitor and the fan motor, (( i thought the fan was bad it was about 17 yrs old ands was making a bad noise)) now the fan runs for about 3 minutes and shuts off and the compressor still runs. could this be a bad capacitor? or could it be the contactors?

hi Sir, Thanks for the great video !! at 2.22 time this is reading 240 volts across the two wires. I understand one side of contactor is supply 120 volts, but what about the other one across, where is it coming from or connected to ? and how come it has another 120 volts ??

@grayfurnaceman

6 жыл бұрын

This is difficult to answer in just a comment section. You will need an understanding of the 120-240 volt system. You can try my playlist: Electric in the panel grounding and bonding. GFM

ok no volts on the contactor 24 volt side and the indoor fan does run and i also checked the thrmostat and i get 24volts there i also notice that the ondoor fan never turns off do u think it could possibly be the control borad

Your problem is outside the contactor. No 24v means no power from either stat or indoor unit. You will have to trace back for low voltage power from the indoor unit then possibly the stat. GFM

So I had a case where I got 0v across the red / black, but got 120v red / green and 120v black / green. I found out the delay fuses were bad in my mini 'breaker' box above the AC unit. Why does it read like the phases are cancelling each other out? Each fuse seemed to be fine if you read it independently. Thoughts?

@grayfurnaceman

5 жыл бұрын

There is feedback thru components that will give false readings. GFM

great vid, question on the fan motor capacitor does it need to have a hot line on one side I have two brown wires one brown with white stripe but I forgot if one of the black wire is connected too? and which side ?

@grayfurnaceman

10 жыл бұрын

If you have 2 brown wires, they are the only ones you need to connect to the capacitor. Hope this helps. GFM

@LubaLuba1

10 жыл бұрын

ok this would be running cap or starter cap? its a 5 uf 370 vac