In this team meeting, Bryan talks condenser fan motors, blower motors, and some considerations when replacing them.
Read all the tech tips, take the quizzes
and find our handy calculators at https://www.hvacrschool.com/
Read all the tech tips, take the quizzes
and find our handy calculators at https://www.hvacrschool.com/
We'll start with the first one, which is the blower wheel, condition and let's talk we'll talk about condenser fan, blade condition too, whenever you're replacing a motor before you even start to pull that thing apart before you even quote the motor. You need to look at the condition of the blade whether that blade is a you know: a condenser condenser, that's not a word. A condenser fan blade or a blower wheel. Look at the condition of that because in a lot of cases we're replacing you know a real common one would be.
You go out, it's making a noise, you think it's bearings, you replace the motor and it ends up being the wheel, especially when you have that case where the um, where the hub is spinning, so the welds have come loose on the hub, and so it's hard You know you grab the blower wheel and you're like well, there's nothing! I don't see anything wrong with it and what i see a lot of technicians do is they'll, take a motor because they're not used to checking for play and bearings, which is why, coincidentally, when you're doing maintenances, it's a good thing to do not that you're going To replace motors generally on a maintenance because you feel play in the bearing but getting used to what is normal and what is not normal, because if you take a shaft on a motor and you push it in and out you'll notice that that's normal for them. To have some play in and out, but what you don't want is what you call end play, which is the it shouldn't do like this: it shouldn't it shouldn't wiggle. If you push up and down or side to side with it now again, are there cases where you'll get a little bit sure depends on the motor? That's what i say so doing that regularly will give you a sense of what's acceptable and unacceptable, but i've seen a lot of technicians. They have a weird noise and so they're like.
Well, i don't know what is it they look at the blower wheel. They don't notice anything, or even the condenser fan blade same thing can happen there too. They don't notice anything immediately and then they go and they push the shaft in and out, and they see that that normal play that you get on a motor and they say well, that's the motor they put the new motor in does the same thing, because that Wheel or blade is spinning on the hub, so that's something to watch for hold the hub still and see if you get if it actually spins and that will be a heck of a loud noise, sometimes so watch for that, so condition obviously dirty damaged. Those are fairly obvious, bent up and just paying attention to that alone will result in sometimes you being able to go ahead and quote the motor and the blade, because there are cases where you have issues with both.
So, even if you have a burned up motor look at the blade look at the wheel. So if it needs to be replaced, go ahead and quote it all up all up front because it'll make it a lot easier for that conversation with the customer right, but also, if it's just dirty, sometimes you can clean it. It's also good that you look at is this wheel gon na come off easy if it looks like it's a absolute rusted ball of rust, it's a good idea to up front. Tell the customer i'm going to try to get this off, but i don't know if i'm going to be able to or not and so that way you've prepped that conversation it just it's always good to prep those conversations, and especially if it's a case where you've Got to get a factory motor, you don't have a truck stock motor just go ahead and get the wheel in most cases go ahead and get the blade um at that point, you're not going to have the issue because a wheel and a blade are not generally That expensive and it's going to make the job that much easier to do so end of the day. It's not going to cost the customer much more at that point anyway, and then you're not going to have to wrestle this thing apart on the topic of blades. This is something that comes up, because there are cases where maybe somebody did a maintenance and they weren't careful with the top and they and now you have a condenser fan, that's out of balance that can easily damage the motor right. So if you ever put a blade back in after you replace a motor or you walk up to a unit, that's got a lot of bounce in the blade just. Do you guys know what to do in order to try to balance that blade? You know the first thing you do anybody flip it upside down, take a tape, measure measure the leading and trailing edges of each blade, and often what you'll find is and a lot of times.
You can just see it a lot of times. You don't even need the tape measure, but a lot of times what you'll find is that one of them is bent out. So it's not the same distance from the top. Do you all understand what i'm saying flip that top over leading and trailing edge of each one a lot of times? You can make an adjustment, because the reason why it's out of balance is somebody took one of those blades and you know kind of when they laid it down.
It bent the blade a little bit again. If you can just see it well, then just just bend it back. I mean, obviously, if it's damaged you're gon na have to replace it, but there's a lot of cases that i've been able to do that. Another thing is when you're replacing a condenser fan motor, specifically we're gon na kind of jump around here.
I'm just hitting some high points here, just to make sure we're all on the same page when you replace the condenser fan motor, specifically we're generally installing them in a motor down configuration right, so shaft blade or uh shaft blade, shaft motor shaft is down, and so In that application you have to remove the weep plugs from the bottom of that fan motor. So i'm going to say that slowly and once again just to make sure that everybody heard that you have to remove the weep plugs from the bottom of that motor. If you've ever seen, they've got those little rubber plugs or plastic plugs. Those have to come out. Do you know why condensation can drain out of that motor because otherwise, condensation can build up and they'll be ruined very quickly if anybody's found one you go out, especially in florida, where condensation's such a huge issue, some people and markets like arizona, you know arid. California might say: oh heck, i never even knew that it was never a problem yeah because you probably don't have the issues with condensation, but here we do so. You pull those out that way. They can they're literally weep holes for for crying out the condensation they're.
Not oil ports, older motors and there still are some out there - have oil ports and those are generally on the sides of the motor and so those you pull out. You use your spout oil or you, oil, and then you put the plugs back in, but the ones that are on the bottom and again they generally have them on bottom and top. So if they're horizontal application, you pull both if they're upside down, you pull the one on the bell end, but basically it's the downside that you're pulling the plugs on so that way that condensation can drain out. Does that make sense, even if you've never seen it before? Some of you, you know, do an install or install apprentices? You may not have seen this just look for it when the time comes, because it's one of those really obvious mistakes that people can make motor rotation max mentioned.
That one thing that i see happen sometimes um - i may have done it at one point of time - is people will wire the motor wrong and then they'll switch the motor direction by using the rotation and in some cases the motor will work. Fine, in some cases it can damage the motor just depends on the motor, and so you have to pay attention. You know you've got those rotational plugs. You have to pay attention to make sure that you wired it properly.
In the first place. That's you know. Just common sense - and it has to do with the differences in the start and run windings of those motors. So in some cases you can get it to run the right direction, but it may not run right so something to consider there pay attention to pay attention to.
I just said the same thing twice for some reason that needs an edit i've been repeating myself. A little bit lately happens as you get older um. Let's see what else uh capacitor size, what size capacitor do you need to put in when you replace a fan motor the correct size, so you hear a lot in the industry about um. You hear a lot in the industry about well, you can put you know up to the next size up.
If it's all, you've got no just put the right size capacitor on it, not just because so even if cause some guys will say well, some guys will get really exotic with it. Well, i put my redfish meter on it and i checked you know. I checked power factor and it was closer to unity, but look if you put the wrong size capacitor on there, meaning the one that doesn't it doesn't say on the motor and the next guy goes out from a different company and sees that you put the wrong Size in you're gon na look like an idiot, so just put the size in that the motor says now on the capacitors. Just while we're on the note it you'll notice, they'll generally, say, plus or minus six percent on the capacitor. That doesn't mean that they will always be plus or minus six percent. It just means that that is the allowable range when they're brand new, that's the brand new allowable range. That does not mean that if you go to one that's six percent out that you have to replace it that it's failed. It just means that brand new, that's the range now our standard, and we just made this up, is if it's outside of 10 low capacitors.
Don't get higher capacitance as they age, so, if you're reading a higher capacitance than the rating check your tools, because that pretty much doesn't happen and some of you will say well, i do the under load test and i'm super fancy, and i know a lot of Them read high, no what's happening is, is you have an amp clamp, that's picking up interference or measuring high, like some do and when you do the calculation it ends up calculating a higher number, but capacitors don't fail with high capacitance, because what is a capacitor? It's a bunch, it's a bunch of tin, foil, wrapped up in a steel. Can i mean it's? That's an oversimplification. Obviously, but it's a you know, piece of mylar or plastic type material with a with a metallic coating on either side. So it's not like somehow magically more metal can end up in that capacitor.
What can happen is, is the metal breaks down those metal plates degrade and the capacitance drops over time. So before you put a capacitor in test, it just use your bench test. You don't need to do anything. Fancy just take your meter test.
It make sure that it's measuring within range before you install it just a good general practice, but put the right size capacitor with the motor and whenever you're replacing a motor whenever you're replacing a compressor. Anything that's a significant electrical change, just go ahead and put a new high quality capacitor in there and the reason why i say high quality, you guys know we use the the usa made capacitors. We don't necessarily always use the same brand, but we like amrad. We, like some of the you, know good quality brands.
We just know from experience that they do better they just last better. A lot of the factory capacitors are pretty poor quality, and so, if we're going to put a motor in, we don't want to have the capacitor fail. You know a week later. The customer blames us for that.
So that's just our practice. All right anything come to mind as we're going through any other things come to mind as far as things that you think are really important. When replacing motors rpm amp draw, let's start with rpm rpm of the motor needs to match exactly with the caveat that not all motor manufacturers say the exact same nominal rpm, so a common one would be um, you know 825 and 850.. Those are the same 825 and 850 rpm. You can replace uh those two with each other, all right, a 1075 or an 1100. It's the same. It's just a slight adjustment, so we'll say within 50 rpm out of the box, so you got to match the rpm. You've got to match the voltage.
Those are the two that you absolutely have to match. Amperage you want the motor to be in that same amperage range. If anything, you want it to be a little higher. If, if you have, if you have to do something so a little bit higher rating but again the higher the rating, the less efficient the motor is going to run, and so that's giving somebody an impact on their seer rating horsepower.
If you're going to go anywhere with horsepower, you don't go down, you can go up a little bit as long as the physical size still matches. We've talked about this recently, but when you're looking at the physical size of the motor, if you take a motor, that's this deep, okay and you put in one that's this deep. What's the problem potentially fan blade right? If that fan blade goes deeper into the shroud, then it potentially won't move the air out. The way it's supposed to so do not toy with factory fan blade depth.
Initially, you can, in some cases, make slight adjustments to factory fan, blades slight, i'm talking about and improve your condensing temperature and that's how you do that by the way. So if you want to get really really fancy, you can look at what your condensing temperature is and make slight adjustments. Now the problem is it's sort of a moving target because outdoor temperatures change conditions change, but if you suspect that i that that factory fan blade position isn't ideal, then what you do is you can make slight adjustments to it and then try to get your condensing Temperature down i.e head pressure right: let's make it simple for the way some of us think of it. I say condensing temperature, because that's a more holistic way of thinking about what you're doing.
But if you make a slight adjustment, it brings your head pressure down. Then that was a positive adjustment. In almost every case now there could be exceptions to every rule, but that would be a way that you would do that, but in general, when you walk up to something and it's a factory blade of factory motor, you want to make sure that that blade height Wise in that shroud remains the same height, but again we don't always have the opportunity to walk up to a piece of equipment that was left the way the factory made it. Sometimes somebody else has been screwing around with it and that's where you can look at.
Sometimes factory data will show you where the blade's supposed to go. Sometimes it won't and when it won't make your best guess and then you can make some adjustments based on that condensing temperature and even the even the current of the motor to some degree. Now the the topic of how different fan, blades and blower wheels, the amperage is affected by different static pressures or air flow rates. That's a fairly complicated topic and we're not going to go into that too much, but just from a basic standpoint on a condenser fan motor. When you have a restriction to air, you will see current go up on a blower motor. When you have a restriction of air, you will see current go down so long as it is a psc motor, permanent, split, capacitor or other standard induction type motor. If you go to something, that's got a variable frequency drive on it or is a ecm type motor electronically, commutated motor. Then in those cases you actually have logic in there, that's compensating for that restriction and can result in higher current.
So that was for those of you who just were like newer and like. I have no idea what he's talking about just ignore that part that i just said for those of you who have been around a while. That was for you all right, but from a basic standpoint. We need to make sure that we're matching our horsepower as closely as possible and if anything, a little higher horsepower match your your current, if anything, a little bit higher current, meaning that the motor is a lot basically just means that the motor is a beefier motor.
It's designed to handle more load, if anything, but in general you match the motors now controversial topic. Do we always have to replace motors with factory motors exact factory matches answer is no. There are people who will put in the comments of this video that that is absolute heresy and i would love a world in which we could always put factory motors in but again like we talked about in the meeting earlier. We live in a world of getting our customers, served getting air conditioning and refrigeration to people, and so therefore we keep universal parts on our trucks, and so i don't have a problem using universal parts.
So long as that is the best option. There are times that it is not the best option. Cases like ecm motors are there cases where even using uh, what what what the gen tech motors, what are those called again, the uh evergreen? Are we still using evergreen? Mostly? Are we using the total item we're using the total on one when you think about replacing a condensing fan motor and a regular induction psc standard? What we see every day, condensing fan motor, it's a much more simple conversation across the board match the horsepower. Amperage definitely match your rpm definitely match your voltage.
That's the one that that we see a lot on blow on the blower side. If somebody puts 120 volt into 240 and burns it up. That's that's one. That's happened a few a few times um so match those up physical size make sure it matches make sure you pull the weap plugs, make sure that you get the height and make sure you get the rotation right as far as wires go. We've had a lot of conversations about the right way of strapping wires. The main thing is because you have those those uh reverse rotation wires that are meant to be right there. This is you know this thing in our industry. It's like! Well, that's not the right way.
Well, it's the way they come right now like it's, not our responsibility, but what i would prefer you do as it stands. Right now is get the rotation right, so you can pull them up through the top. Just to make sure you have the rotation right, but once you have the rotation right then put some heat shrink over them. We've got that kind of larger heat shrink, just put a piece of that over it melt it down, because that stuff will last electrical tape.
Other things you know the the terminals will eventually we know we're in florida, so everything breaks down in the sun and then strap it underneath. I don't want to see wires sticking out the top of a condenser there's been cases where cats have bit it and electrocuted themselves or even kids could mess with it and hurt themselves. So we don't want wires sticking out the top. If you show up on one.
That's that way, heat shrink, strap it underneath with zip ties a couple of them, because the problem, of course, is still that the zip ties break down. I would rather - and we have them - i would rather you use, tie wires, so those metal tie wires and actually they're pretty simple. So if you know, if you don't have those just grab a little bundle of them because then you can wrap those twist. Those and now that's not going to break on you over time - i mean i guess he still could potentially, but it's going to be a lot less likely than your than your typical zip tie again that every company, so i'm looking at the camera here, every company Is going to do this a little different, but i don't like having them hang out the top and i definitely don't like just leaving them where they can easily flop into the into the condenser fan blade.
Does everybody kind of know what i'm talking about here? Okay, so in condenser fan mode, it's pretty easy conversation when you get to blowers, though you've got to slow down. So don't just jam a fact: a a aftermarket blower motor in where a factory motor was and be like, see ya, because airflow is so critical. So don't just assume: oh hey they make the motor, so i just put it on high and move on right. You've really got to make sure that that system is performing the way it's supposed to, which means that when you replace a blower, i'm being pretty realistic here.
Just knowing that, when you get to this job and you got to replace the blower, some of you are going to feel a little overwhelmed. So slow down read the manual, especially if you're doing an ecm retrofit read the manual and do a measure quick report on it. And i know some of you are using measure quick and sometimes your psychrometers, because again measure quick is very dependent on how well your psychrometers are working, and sometimes it's like well, my numbers don't seem right, take them and flop them reassign them. Try to figure out which one of your probes is causing the trouble there, but regardless i want you doing that. So that way, you can start to learn what low airflow looks like what does low airflow look like by the way? What's the first thing, you notice, when you have low system airflow low superheat on a fixed metering device, you may or may not see super low superheat on a txv, because that txv is kind of backing it up, but you're going to see a combination of low Superheat and low suction pressure - those are things that you're going to notice. Like hey, you know when i do my 32 or 35 degrees below indoor ambient. That number is lower. My suction saturation number, my evaporator temperature number is lower than it should be, not just oh well, i guess they run that way.
You know, that's don't walk away from that. There's this cult within our trade, especially of uh, fancy, pants trainer types who say you've got to measure your airflow on every job measure your airflow on every job. They say that does anybody know what they're talking about, because i don't. I would like somebody to tell me how you measure your airflow on every job.
What does that mean when somebody says measure your airflow sam? What does that mean to you? So obviously we do a lot on airflow measurement. We talk about it a lot and you can do things like using your static pressure probes and look at a fan chart right. We've talked a lot about that. You can look at your charts based on static pressure, but that only applies to a factory motor in brand new condition that doesn't apply once the blower wheel starts to get dirty right.
It doesn't apply once even in some cases once the evaporator coil gets dirty because and with us we're the evaporator coils in the box, so we're measuring outside of the evaporator coil. So there's all these factors that play into that. So especially when you're doing an aftermarket motor, how do you confirm airflow exactly well, you could use a flow hood, but even then you're measuring past the ductwork you're, not measuring right at the unit. So the answer - the real answer is the only real way to measure total system.
Air flow for a technician under normal conditions is to do a duct traverse with a hot wire anemometer or a rotating vein anemometer or use the true flow grid from the energy conservatory, which max has one. So that's always a nice one. If you ever are really suspicious of a system and airflow, we can go. Take a look at that again.
We don't do that all the time, but you can do that, but all of those tools require a significant amount of skill to use. You are not going to pull a true flow grid. Out of the box hand it to one of these guys and be like here use this. It's obvious. It just gives you a read. No, it's not it's like math and stuff same thing is true of a traverse. It's a skill that you have to use it's a skill. Most of you, frankly, don't have, and even if you did have it the accuracy of that measurement, isn't that great? So there's all these hurdles and i want you to all learn those things, but the reality is: is that ain't, no regular residential service technician doing a duck reverse every time they go out, so anybody who's, saying measure airflow every time they're just talking.
They don't really know what they're talking about. So what do we do? You can measure static pressure because that's still valuable right, but also you look at your system performance carefully, because a system that has low airflow will perform in a very specific way. If that's the only problem right, if you have a compound problem that can get weird but a system, that's got low, airflow you're going to have low suction pressure, low superheat again depending on the valve. That can vary a little bit and you're going to have a high split you're, going to have a high delta t and even more so you're going to have a high delta h, which means high enthalpy split.
Those of you who are wearing my secret society. Hats! That's what those mean anybody seen the secret society hats. We got a couple of them back here. I've changed the name to h delta rather than delta h.
I think that sounds cooler. What do you guys think h, delta or delta h, delta, h? Okay, maybe i haven't decided yet, and i don't i haven't, decided what our secret society is going to do yet, actually something secret right, something secret. It is yeah it is. It is like halfway.
It is a little bit yeah. It is a little bit of a cold i'll, be real, honest all right. So that's what you do and for those of you who are new to that, the way to do that is using measure quick. Frankly, it's just the way to do that, and so, when you are messing potentially with airflow, so you're placing a blower motor you're messing potentially with airflow, and you don't want too high of airflow either too high of airflow impacts.
What noise and humidity yeah the indoor airflow being too high impacts you're not going to dehumidify as well, and potentially it's going to be noisy and from a really simple standpoint: there's actually something too you! I just replaced this blower and now my return girl's whistling. You know seriously, though, because this is how when especially when you're newer and sometimes you know you might miss something, but then you catch yourself because right before you're about to leave you notice huh. That's different something's different here, just being very practical about this, because this is this is the world that we live in. So i'm not saying don't measure airflow, i'm just saying it's a lot harder than you think it is and from a practical standpoint, the best way that you're going to catch airflow problems is by being really practical about your system, readings, and so, when you're messing with A blower motor especially pay attention to that it's possible thing could have the wrong wheel on it. Obviously, if the blower wheel is running backwards, where you're not you're, going to move very little air and you're definitely going to have an airflow problem and we've actually in the past here at kalos, people have left blower wheels running backwards and that's a obvious problem. Obviously we didn't pay either we didn't take our readings or we didn't pay attention to the numbers which those two are the same thing by the way. Some of us get feeling really good about ourselves because we're taking numbers, but if we don't know what they mean, then we might as well not be taking numbers right. It's not that helpful uh and how do you? How would you do that um by factoring in the wet, bulb temperature, okay, okay, so you're saying: look: you're, okay, you're saying just: do your standard delta t calculation, yeah, okay, yeah, so your standard delta t calculation can be helpful, but the problem is: is that the All of those charts that exist are based on 400 cfm per ton, we're at 350 cfm per ton, and also all of those charts that exist are based on a 12 000 btu per ton calculation and do our pieces of equipment that we work on produce.
12. 000 btus per ton, not always it varies depending on operating conditions, and it depends depending on the particular piece of equipment. So that's the challenge with some of those charts, i'm not telling you don't use a delta t chart because it's much better than saying well, it should be 20 degrees, so it's more accurate than that, but it still doesn't tell the whole story. So delta t is definitely a moving target.
Does everybody know what i mean by delta t difference between return, temperature and supply temperature? That's all so it's definitely a moving target, but what you're always going to see is when you have low airflow it's going to be on the high side of that range. You know if you're used to seeing you know 18. 19. 20.
21 on that system. That's got low, airflow you're, going to see 22 23 24. You know again, i know i'm being really kind of loose with this, but other than doing a lot of really hard math or using measure quick. It's going to be hard measure.
Quick will give you that range of what your delta t should be based on more factors. Now again, some of you are running into things. We're like this doesn't seem right. If it doesn't seem right, then then try to be thorough about it, especially as we get into this slower season. If you're, finding things where measure quick doesn't seem right, take some screenshots and even get on the phone with jim or his team, so that we can work out what the what the problem is, because a lot of times using it seems dead-on and then sometimes we're Getting weird measurements - and i think it's probably the tools - it's probably the psychrometers - that's what i think it probably is, but it takes it would take a little bit of investigating to figure out what that is. So, like anything else, you can only trust your tools. So much because your tools can be wrong too, and when your tools seem wrong, the only thing we can do in the field is check them against other tools. That's the only tool we have in our toolbox, so to speak.
So, anyway, in terms of replacing motors, i wanted to get some of those things in place. Rotation proper match up making sure you're pulling wheat plugs, making sure you're checking wheels and blades making sure when you're running, even when you're routing wires. That aren't your rotational wires make sure that they're routed in a way that they're not going to rub i've seen some pretty smart things that people have done. I think the one that i like best is, if you're, if high voltage wires, especially are in a location where they could potentially rub against the suction line or discharge line now, obviously, if your condenser fan leads are rubbing against your suction line in your discharge line, You've probably got bigger problems, but when you are running wires through areas that they're really tough to get to, you can even take a small piece of car flex and slit it and wrap that around it.
Because car flex is going to hold up better than some of the other options in some cases we've used arma flex, but even armaflex over time. You know it tends to fall. Apart on you on the topic of getting wheels and blades off um, i see a lot of guys go to their puller too quick. You all do need to have a puller.
If you're a service tac, you need to have a puller, it's a really inexpensive and good tool to have, and i think that everybody should have. One travis is shaking his head at me um, but i do want you to not to try to not use it before you use it. So easiest thing to do. You know pull the pull the set screw completely out of it, use your uh, pb, blaster or whatever.
Let it sit get it lubricated, then what i suggest is: if you can move it a little further down, because it's easier to get it to go down. Then you can sand it and clean it up a little bit more and then you can move it back up and, if possible, rotate it as you move it up. So put your crescent wrench on the underside and you turn them opposite directions and then you'll often get them off. That's again, blower wheels more tough.
So that's! But again with the blower wheel. You have the advantage of a lot of times you can get. You know you have the whole wheel and you've got the weight of that motor on the other side, and you can usually kind of work it off that way, but get as much of the corrosion off as you can use. Your emory cloth use your lubricating spray. Whatever you've got and get it as clean as you can even before, even if you do need to use the puller, i want you to have done all of that. First and if you use a puller, make sure that puller is centered on that shaft. Because that's what i see a lot of times guys will tighten one of the set screws tighter than the other, and then it's the puller's going in at an angle and then they end up just destroying everything. So i don't like pullers um nathan, my brother loves pullers, but he also loves using crescent wrenches as a hammer.
So there's that so anyway, i just again a lot of just spend more time on prep a lot of guys like to pull out the torch quickly and especially once you've already used uh. You know something like a lubricating oil or a pb blaster. That's a really bad idea, so i i really don't think you generally need to pull torch out for that sort of situation. Are there cases - maybe maybe, but that would be pretty rare, so do do everything you can first and then, as your final final step, if you don't have a choice, pull out a puller and again we're talking residential light commercial here when you're in really big stuff.
You're going to be using a whole different tool set and if you're using a puller, make sure not to put your screw in where the set screw goes because that's a bad time. Ah, yes, so yes, you're on your puller, the actual uh screws that hold your puller in place, don't put them in because they'll mar up the set screw. That's a good one and also only put your set screw in on the flat of the blade. So never tighten a set screw on.
The rounded part of the blade of the shaft is what i meant to say: never tighten your set screw on the rounded part of the shaft ever even if you're, because some new blades will come with two set screws and you might have a motor. That only has one flat. What do you do? One flat you only tighten on one flat, you take the other one out. I don't care, get it out of there, so only tighten down set screws on the flat of the of the shaft cool anything else.
All right, it's gon na be a busy one. Today got a couple. We got another couple hot weeks, uh. Thank you for how hard you work.
Thank you for how seriously you take your jobs. I appreciate it every day. Why are you guys snoring? I heard a couple snorts there, all right, yeah, i just woke up there. Yeah all right have a good one guys you.
I changed out a residential blower on Friday. Seeing the condition of the unit itself, I was quite surprised how easily the blower wheel came off the shaft.
Great information thanks👍🏼💪🏼🙋🏻♂️
If you CANT get a motor off, get a motor (shaft) puller. With Zoom Spout oil, it's never failed me.
Brian is the man
That is true I have used the crescent wrench as a hammer
Great video. Thank you. These guys are lucky to be working for a company that pass on knowledge to all of them helping them to become pros.
Bryan you have got to teach me the secret society handshake.! LoL 😆 Service area Kanata??
These resources and invaluable!! I’m a new installer. These videos are giving me a path to mastery in this trade I didn’t know existed!
Thank you for your content creation! Keep them coming!!!
Bk
ΔH for sure
Great stuff !
how do you tell rotation in a double shaft indoor blower?
I work at a supply house and we generally tell people that matching amperage is more important than horse power. And if you can't match it, then you should go slightly lower than the oem. I noticed that you said go higher. Who's wrong?
Someone's excited about teaching LOL
Awesome
Thanks for the upload. 20 yrs in the business and I learned something
Another note would be open the motor at supply house and spin the shaft
Love the videos, I'm very grateful for and tks to all of you I'm learning more and more every day.
A TON of factual information here. I appreciate this refresher video @hvacschool 👌🏽
Hello, Great Video. Quick question. Working on a 28 year old unit and cannot obtain an exact replacement blower motor. Original motor has a 7.5 mf external cap. Planning to use a replacement motor with identical specs except… instead of 3.4 amp motor with the external cap, want to use a motor without external cap that is rated at 7.9 full load amps. EVERYTHING else matches. I understand it will be less efficient, but will it create any problems? For example, would the added max current flow be a potential issue for the control board?
Planning to replace 5kcp29kk5211s (1992 Carrier system) with Century Mfr. Model # 559. Thanks again.
Can you guys make a detailed video on line sets – specifically covering, proper sizing, pitch, oil/reverse traps, extra oil, velocities, proper positioning in reference to coil and condenser location and how to read manufacture charts with regards to interconnect tubbing
Hey, EVERY hand tool has a hammer side… ;~} Are you in Ottawa ?
Great job and video Service area Nepean??
Great point about the rotation wires. I always strap them underneath with uv outdoor rated zip ties. Can’t stand when their loose hanging in the wind weighting to rub out or worse.
I used to tie the rotation wires under the fan grill, but now I cut and strip them close to the motor then wire nut them for the correct rotation. Now they can't fall down into the blade or have the insulation dry off and shock someone/short out.
I would wish to contact Bryn Orr for your expertise. Please get back to me
It's really Urgent
thanks
Bryan, Nice video, I would like to add a comment on air flow. You mentioned that a tech could notice something different with air speed at the return air grill. My experience is that one wouldn't know if the system has high air flow issue beforehand since he/she would be walking into a house with a bad blower motor and airflow can't be checked till you get air flow going again.
That being said, one project I replaced a blower motor with an exact replacement.
I then notice that the return air ducts were ridiculously small and that's what probably caused the blower motor to go bad in the first place. Needless to say, client did not want to spend the money to replace/repair the return air circuit.
is there a way to check rpm on a motor while running?
Southern Utah- guilty of not pulling drain plugs on condenser fan motors… Gotta be moisture in the air to condense! 😅 Excuses aside, I need to work on that Service area Barrhaven??
YES SIRR Are you in Barrhaven ?
Just wanted to say thank you very much for all your helpful YouTube videos, and podcast, I just started my third semester in HVAC school here in Corpus Christi, TX it's real good program over here with plumbing, and dryers, washers appliances with restaurant equipment, soon they will also be including carpentry and interior & exterior maintenance, maintenance management, and all yours videos have helped me get through these semesters, once again thank you very much. Service area Ottawa??
Always good shit
I would be interested to know if you took each one of your techs, “privately”, one on one, and set up a test on using a multi meter how many would be very proficient in its use. I think you would be very surprised. Are you in Nepean ?
Good information
We were laughing the other day when we pulled up to a job and wires were coming out the top. I’m like, no way someone left that like that. Total Amateur hour.
awesome content! keep them coming!
I have 3 meters to test capacitors. The Fieldpiece SC57 always read lower than my Fluke multi-meter and my Supco capacitor tester. Some one should make a reference capacitor so that we trust our testers.
Nice tips, torch works well on those badly rusted and seizes blades, i like to use heat strips to measure cfm Are you in Orleans ?
IN CURTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES AND CURTAIN HP’s it is better to have the motor rebuilt than to replace it. A rebuilt motor is less expensive and is rebuilt by hand has new bearings installed in a sitting that was designed for that and the motor is tested. A new motor is stamped out at a factory and may have sit on a shelf for months to years. So if you think a custom hand built motor that is tested and has a guarantee is worse than a more expensive untested motor what's wrong with you? Never buy a new motor when you can have the motor rebuilt, the rebuilt motor is superior in every way.
I've been doing this trade for 20 years and try to learn or relearn something new every day. I appreciate you helping me accomplish this. 👍👍
How does a higher amp rating affect efficiency?
Can you do a video on fan blade depth into shroud for a condenser fan motor? Doesn't seem to be much info out there for it.
Enjoy the classes.
I don’t work in the business feel like I’m missing my calling.
I find this business so very interesting.
Maybe was an Eskimo in a past life.
Currently living in Texas for the last 20 years.
Summers are too hot 🥵 for me.
Bryan, great class! Ain’t nothing better than talking HVAC Residential Basics. These are the types topics that set the Cornerstone for a foundation of the next generation. I give you a 👍
Brian Oar es muy guapo!
If you don't have tie wires, t-stat wire will work.
From a technical standpoint it makes no sense to use a aftermarket ECM because you loose all the OEM programming anyway so just go with a PSC. It is more challenging Install due to relay integration and also to match the PSC motor HP because a 1/2 or 3/4 hp Ecm May be programmed to run significantly slower than a oversized PSC motor.
Great video. GOD BLESS