Yes, that fan should be running when the unit is on. It cools the compressor and condenser coils. The AC unit has it's own 220 breaker so the pool equipment shouldn't be a factor with the breakers going off....they should be on one or two seperate 110 breakers. If the fan isn't running when the unit is on call for service.

David

Thanks, David. That's what I figured. I turned it off right after I posted. The guy who installed it lives around the corner. I'll leave a note on his door. I hope he can get to it tomorrow. It's HOT here!

Probably just the fan motor. Much cheaper than the compressor! : )

BTW, have you heard from Dan? I lost the link to his blog. I'm thinking they should have completed the next leg of their voyage on the seas. Thought about him this week with the news of the young girl that ran into bad weather and thankfully was found and rescued.

David

You should also see if the coils are clean (fin tube coils) and not blocked by leaves or other stuff.

If the coil is blocked, and the fan cannot cool the coils, back pressure will build up and over-work the compressor and shut down the breaker.

You can use a garden hose to blast the dirt away.

dcarch

Yes, the compressor is working but the fan doesn't budge. I did hose the whole thing down but with no sense of knowing what I was doing. There are leaves down inside the unit but I see no easy way to get those out without a lot of disassembly. I am about to take a walk to the store via the neighbor's house.

Hottest day of the year so far, too.

If the compressor is working, and if you have a big industrial fan, you can use it to blow at the condensing coils. You will get cold air in your house. If you have well water, you can also use well water to spray on the coils.

In general, the fan motor is a fractional horse power induction AC motor. It's very durable. It seldom burns out unless something stops it from turning. Hopefully it is just a loose connection somewhere. Sometimes rats like to chew on electrical wires.

I hope your repair guy comes soon.

dcarch

My fan motor broke after 3 years , got it changed recently.

I dropped by my neighbor's house and told him I needed a service call. He kindly dropped by last night and got things working. The problem is twofold and he will be back today with a new breaker. He had the fan part and says it is probably still under warranty. The circuit breaker is old and gave out from being tripped a few times. He had to wire the AC to my oven/microwave circuit so I am without a microwave until he returns. That I can handle! It's going to be 95 today.

David, the sailors have arrived in the Marquesas 30 days after they left and are exploring those islands before heading farther south to Tahiti. Internet access is scanty and very expensive so the updates are brief and few. I got a two sentence email from the captain when they arrived in Nuku Hiva and another similar email a week later letting me know they were fine. Danny told his father that the engine failed and they were towed into the bay at Nuku Hiva so they have some work to do. The engine has been a problem all along and was worked on in Ensenada, Mexico but wasn't fully repaired and needed to be babied. This may be a different problem, I don't have that information. The boat is old, 1970's vintage, and poorly maintained for many years prior to Dan and Danny refurbishing it for this trip.

Daniel hasn't updated his blog since they left La Cruz on April 30. I hope he does so soon! The lack of internet access has kept him from posting. This was something none of us anticipated. Internet access was nearly everywhere along the Mexican coast. It has taken some getting used to. Either Daniel's cell phone doesn't work there or they haven't come close to a cell tower as no calls have come in.

Here is a link that might be useful: Danny's sailing adventure blog.

Well, I'm glad you got that fixed, Eileen. I don't know one darned thing about air conditioners, I've never had one.

Here in Michigan it's not so bad that we need them on most days, but if I lived where you do, I'd definitely want one.

Annie

Annie, I would die without my AC here in Michigan. It is the heat combined with the humidity!
Barnmom, glad you got everything fixed. Life without AC aint no fun. AND I am glad I read this thread...I did not know that they found the 16 year old girl. I am so glad.

Thanks for sharing the link Eileen. Glad to know they made their long journey okay even with the engine challenges. I can't imagine what you must be going through with the hit and miss communication with him as of late.

Hope the AC is up and running with no problems now too. THankfully your guy fixed you up for the short term with the heat. I can share a slice of humidity with anyone if ya want some...LOL! I still love summer over winter though.

David

David, your winters totally suck! I've seen the photos of your ice storms.

The AC is running. It was at least 100° today. He hasn't come back so I suspect he was very busy with other people today. Today was the hottest day so far this season.