Your compressor kicking on and off is what you hear (or don’t hear) at various points during the day – you hear a faint humming noise coming from the fridge, and you know that it’s running. If your system is older than 5 years, it probably uses R22. They want to replace the entire system - inside and out. Two types of shorts can occur in a compressor motor, a turn-to-turn short within a winding or a winding-to-frame short. The compressor will need to be replaced if it is determined that the dead short is actually caused by the compressor. You can also provide a link from the web. (Yes, I'm still planning on a complete replacement in the next 3-5 years. Get quotes for both repair and replacement. Thanks for taking the time to watch our videos. #powlasHVAC #mikepowlas #HVACservice✅WEBSITE - http://www.powlasenterprises.com✅Mailing Address:Powlas EnterprisesPO Box 7859Wilmington NC 28406✅TWITTER - https://twitter.com/MikePowlas✅FACEBOOK - https://www.facebook.com/mikepowlas https://www.facebook.com/eastcoastyoutubers/✅INSTAGRAM - https://www.instagram.com/mikepowlas/✅PERISCOPE - https://www.periscope.tv/MikePowlas✅ANCHOR - https://anchor.fm/michaelpowlasAFFILIATE LINKS✅WAVE VIDEO - https://www.animatron.com/wave?tap_a=19272-291192\u0026tap_s=314473-b0eb48✅AMAZON - https://www.amazon.com/shop/mikepowlas✅WORKIZ - https://app.workiz.com/sign/?referrer=Powlas+Enterprises\u0026ref_id=180✅KIT - https://kit.com/MikePowlas ), https://diy.stackexchange.com/questions/28634/does-a-compressor-with-a-short-to-ground-really-require-a-complete-system-replac/28635#28635. Joint system maintenance would get rolled into the annual maintenance fee. You would need to put an amp-meter on the circuit to see what the current draw is like. Reason i ask is because i recently did a warranty compressor change on a manitowoc quiet cube ice machine. We are here to help you to learn how to do HVAC service \u0026 things like software and apps that will help you run your HVAC business easier and more efficient. For AC drives please contact your local sales office for fix and troubleshooting by certified service partners. Everything else is passive. Is a "compressor shorted to ground" really a "replace the whole kit and kaboodle" situation? The install costs are high, but operating costs are usually much lower. A short to ground should trip a breaker as soon as the compressor is energized. It was a copeland scroll compressor and it was grounded on all 3 legs (three phase). If the clutch doesn’t work properly, you will still be able to drive your car. If the compressor is measured at the compressor connector pins under the connector cover with the conductors (wires) removed and any point reads to ground or any resistance less than infinity, the compressor is fried, dead, gone. Long story short, a failed compressor may be a reason for system replacement. Bert deals with a Shorted Compressor that is tripping the breaker. If you do find the problem please let us know so we can spread the news. If you need to repair your compressor’s wires, you should call a certified air and heating specialist to replace them. ===== If the compressor is shorted to ground you cannot check the amp draw because it will … Another reason to replace the system, is the mandated phase-out of R22 refrigerant. qualitysmith.com/request/articles/articles-hvac/…. It will spin freely until you turn the air conditioning on. The first tech didn't bother to examine the whip, which was shorted phase-to-phase just as it exited the disconnect box. A short circuit would indicate a completed circuit. Thanks for taking the time to watch our videos. I had a tech come out and look at it, and was told that the compressor is shorted to ground, and that this means I have to replace the entire compressor and possibly the entire system. I'm asking this community for a sanity check, since I know nothing about HVAC systems. To create a short circuit in Electronics, you basically remove everything in the way between one node and another, and directly connect them. Get quotes for both repair and replacement. You'd need an experienced contractor/HVAC design firm to make the pitch/proposal. You might need to get a stronger VA (Over 40 VA) transformer or if you have a short in the low voltage wires you might need to get the thermostat wires replaced. In that case, pitch it as a high efficiency upgrade for all the units. The compressor is a reliable part of the system, and with a little maintenance, it should keep working without a problem throughout its life expectancy. The rotary dial thermostat or temperature control uses a capillary tube sensor that attaches to the inside liner of the freezer to monitor the temperature, and also has a set of internal electrical contacts that supply power to the compressor circuit. The motor turns a piston that compresses the system's refrigerant. Bare wires can inevitably touch the wrong places: Hot wire to neutral wire means a short circuit that causes sparks to fly; hot wire to grounding wire, or to grounded metal box means ground fault and possible shock. Just to answer your literal question, compressors are not field serviceable. The Telltale Compressor Noise. You can find yourself facing refrigerant leaks, failed capacitors, and even damaged ductwork. If there is visible damage to the compressor, you will most likely need to replace it. A VOM connected to the compressor circuit indicates that no current is being drawn, but the condenser fan is running properly. This will be cheaper than replacing the compressor itself. If you have any questions let us know. Both short circuits and ground faults can happen if you fail to turn off power to the circuit before working on it. 24 years - it's the original system put in when the townhome was built in 1989. Damaged compressor: One of the most expensive parts to fix in an air conditioning unit, a damaged compressor may not be noticeable right away. If a compressor seizes, it may burn out the electrical motor, causing the electrical windings to short out. To check short to ground with a multimeter, you need to measure resistance. I hope you can easily find and fix the problem. When you’re reading it with a 9V battery on your meter, you won’t always read to ground even though you have a shorted compressor. When this happens the winding will hit the side of the compressor causing a direct short to ground. With the multitester still set to X1, touch one probe to bare metal on the compressor housing (it may be necessary to scratch away a little paint to expose the metal). A “grounded compressor” or “compressor short to ground” means that an electrical winding inside the compressor has malfunctioned and hit the side of the compressor. wire or PCB trace. It can take weeks or months for an air conditioning unit to finally fail and indicate that the compressor was damaged. (max 2 MiB). Just sayin... https://diy.stackexchange.com/questions/28634/does-a-compressor-with-a-short-to-ground-really-require-a-complete-system-replac/69704#69704. Now test the compressor for ground. Long story short, a failed compressor may be a reason for system replacement. You would be well advised to get a second opinion from another contractor. Click here to upload your image If any one of the pins shows continuity, then the compressor is shorted out. Roughly $350 later, everything is back in working order. My 24 year old home A\C went out some time Sunday morning. This carbon creates an insulator. It's 24 years old, and yes it does use that horrendously expensive R22 refrigerant. If the power wiring to the compressor went to ground the breaker would trip immediately and the short becomes the load. If your compressor has a problem, the only option is to replace it. You'll probably end up with a more efficient system, which will save you a bit in operating costs. The HOA might not like that idea. 6) Compressor is grounded. This wouldn't be considered a shorted compressor either, since you have open windings. Please make sure all low voltage connections are good and tight. If the compressor motor does not pass all of these tests, the compressor will require professional service. This will almost never (I cant think of a case) where that upstream short would take out a compressor motor. Final result: the compressor is just fine. If the wires leading to the compressor shorted to ground, this should not have grounded the compressor. Remove the terminal cover from the compressor, and yes you may have to remove the fan motor to get to this. Repair: The refrigerator should be plugged into a regular outlet and not a ground fault plug, Spencer says. Fixing AC compressor problems increases the unit's efficiency and extends its life. If the winding's insulation wears away near the motor's case, the bare-wire winding shorts to ground. However, if you turn the power on, you’ll see it trips the breaker.” Get some sand paper and sand a spot on the discharge copper line so that you can have a good metal to work with. The compressor motor has burned out, is internally shorted or gounded. You don't have a complete circuit with open windings. [lit-ideas] Re: The Compressor Shorted To Ground. Over the years, there are a number of problems that can crop up with your home cooling system. A service technician will use a VOM and typically will find low resistance (low Ohms) between one or more compressor terminals and ground. The rep i spoke to for my warranty claim insisted that compressors don't just ground themselves....I disagree tho. According to Kitchen, the main causes of burnout are insufficient cooling from the suction gas as well as compressor operation outside of its application envelope. Since you've been in the house for a year, and you ran the A/C last summer the insurance company seems to be on very thin ice. Take notice of the compressor itself. Since the returning gas (suction) provides a large portion of the cooling for the compressor motor, if there is not enough of it coming back as a result of a loss of charge, or if the superheat value … a direct short or ground in the wiring, compressor windings or fan windings, or a direct short or ground in relay, contactor, or transformer windings. Especially since it has to work so hard, for so long, given our climate. When a compressor grounds out it generally trips a breaker or blows a fuse. The wire in the windings use an insulating covering as an isolation barrier. I have seen it so many times on vehicles where they just don’t use their AC; however, if your AC compressor doesn’t work, you won’t have cold air coming from your vents. Voltage is the capacity of the object, wherea… It, and a few valves, and the condenser fan, comprise all the active portions. The more resistance, the harder it is for a current to pass through the conductor. If the compressor is in fact shorted, or what we call a short to ground, it can do several things, but most likely trip the breaker first. One reason not to keep resetting a breaker that trips instantly is that the shorted or grounded wiring could be sparking when you reset the breaker, and it could be a fire hazard. Problems that cause AC compressor failure. If the compressor fails open, and following the steps here does not fix it, then the system may be a good candidate for a new compressor. If a compressor seizes, it may burn out the electrical motor, causing the electrical windings to short out. While an existing unit doesn't need to be replaced, per se, because of the phase out, practically, it will, due to the price of the refrigerant. Can be done numerous ways, but the simplest is of course a [short!] This causes a direct short to ground, igniting the oil and causing a burnout, which causes a circuit breaker trip. for the full term "short circuit". This is a bad thing to happen to your system, the compressor will have to be changed and the refrigerant lines will … Compressor Failure: Repair or Replace? That’s the compressor you hear. Does a compressor with a short to ground really require a complete system replacement? By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy, 2021 Stack Exchange, Inc. user contributions under cc by-sa. If the braker trips right away when reset, its a dead short. The compressor is the "engine" of the AC system. This is most definitely something that the inspection could have uncovered - A/C and/or heat not working. A motor fails when its windings short to ground, short to each other, or open--a break in the winding's wire. Find links below to useful resources for Drives, Cooling, Heating, High-Pressure Pumps, and Sensing Solutions product portfolios. Compressor isn't grounded, since you're reading open from the windings to ground. Is My Compressor Shorted to Ground? I'm not looking forward to paying $11k (the first quote of at least 3 I'll be getting) for a new 3 ton system... At that price, you may want to look at a geothermal heat pump (with ground sourcing). Look here: Geothermal probably isn't a viable option for me since I'm in a townhome, not a single-family. Verify that it is off. The time has come, but don't feel so bad. Sure maybe the exact compressor can not be found, that is yet to be determined, but there are acceptable replacements available.-----If the technician checked the compressor wires to ground using an Ohm Meter and found them to be ZERO ohms, then the windings are shorted to ground and there is no way that it will work. The common causes of air conditioner compressor problems are: You will have three test leads. High condensing pressures are a common culprit. Usually this will ignite the oil causing a burnout. If it does fail, it’s usually a sign of a major problem, and is sometimes impossible to fix. If your freezer won’t start, then you may have a problem with the temperature control thermostat. The pump has to be lubricated by sufficient refrigerant (Freon or substitutes). Troubleshoot and fix your Danfoss products to ensure smooth operations and high reliability. However, if you haven’t heard that sound in a while, your compressor may be broken. If you have any questions let us know. To measure resistance, you have to find the voltage of an object and divide it by the current. Electrical resistance is literally the difficulty that electricity has to get through a component, called a conductor. The use of the word "short" in "short to ground" is actually short (lol!) When the windings short out, carbon and acids are often created. Or is more information needed to reach that conclusion? An AC compressor contains a motor with start and run windings. 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N'T bother to examine the whip, which will save you a bit in operating costs is visible to... Can spread the news turn the air conditioning on Danfoss products to ensure operations! Joint system maintenance would get rolled into the annual maintenance fee not field serviceable direct. Repair: the compressor will require professional service over the years, there are a number of that... Next 3-5 years use that horrendously expensive R22 refrigerant heat not working and Heating specialist to replace it the!