average cost to replace outside ac unit

With our air conditioner fan replacement guide, you can do it yourself and save. The typical cost for an hvac service company to perform this task would be over $200. Our guide will walk you through the process of diagnosis, motor selection, and replacement.If you suspect the condenser fan motor is bad you should check to be sure before you replace it. Begin your diagnosis by shutting the power off to the air conditioner. Next, you should check to see if the fan blade spins freely. If it does not, the motor should be replaced. If the blade spins freely, you should feel the motor to see if it is hot.If the motor is hot, you should check it's run capacitor using our handy guide and replace it as necessary. If the run capacitor was bad, you should allow the fan motor to cool. Then you can turn the unit back on and see if the motor starts and comes up to speed. If the fan fails to start or does not run at full speed, it should be replaced. The next step, in air conditioner fan replacement, is to select the proper replacement motor.

This is also a good time to consider a money saving upgrade for your air conditioner.All motors have a model/manufacturers number on them. You can usually find an exact replacement with that number. You can purchase your replacement motor through the condenser fan motors category of our parts store on Amazon.If you are unable to find an exact replacement, you can usually use a universal replacement. Here is what you should look for and match:1. the motor diameter in inches (3.3, 5, 5.5, 6.5) 2. the operating voltage (115, 208-230, 460)3. the horsepower (1/8, 1/6, 1/4, 1/3, 1/2) ** Many universal replacement motors have more than one horsepower rating**4. the size of the shaft in inches5. the speed in rpm 6. the direction of rotation ** Many universal replacement motors are dual rotation. The direction of rotation is easily changed to meet the required need.**7. To begin your air conditioner fan replacement, ensure that the power to the unit is off. Then, you should write down the colors of the fan motor wires and where they are connected.

Next, you can remove the motor and fan assembly. There are several different ways that they can be mounted. Generally, what is required is to loosen the bolt on the band that holds the motor in place. On some units, the motor mounts are built into the motor.Now, you can remove the fan blade from the motor. It is important that you note the orientation of the blade on the motor shaft. To remove the fan blade, loosen the set screws and twist and pull the blade off the shaft.
air conditioning unit energy efficient The replacement motor is installed by simply reversing the removal procedure.
in wall ac heating unitsYou should pay special attention to make sure the fan blade is centered in the opening on the unit.
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Also, the run capacitor should be replaced anytime a motor is replaced. Ensure that you have the proper size for your motor and the desired horsepower (for multi horsepower motors).After the motor is installed, you should complete your air conditioner fan replacement by verifying proper rotation and cooling system operation.If you’re looking to take on a home maintenance project, the cost can run the gamut from ridiculously expensive to surprisingly affordable. This interactive tool lists the average costs of various home improvement projects by city. Home Advisor’s tool categorizes projects by type: electrical, remodel, painting, lawn and garden, and so on. You pick your category, pick your project, and the tool tells you, on average, how much you can expect to spend. To get a more accurate idea, select your city, and the report shows you prices in your area, compared to the national average.Of course, prices can vary quite a bit, depending on different factors, like your choice of materials and how big your home is.

But the tool offers more specific detail on each project’s associated costs, too. In a press release promoting the tool, Home Advisor explains their methodology a bit:We’ve collected project details – including cost, duration and other considerations – from over one million homeowners for more than five years. And we’ve turned the information we’ve received into a robust tool housing cost information for over 350 project categories — a byproduct of which is unique insight into how homeowners research project-related expenses. Keep in mind, they’re definitely trying to sell their services, but the tool still gives you a general idea of what you can expect to spend, and it offers additional resources to help you get started. Check it out for yourself at the link below.2015 True Cost Report | Posted June 17th by We have all experienced this, either first hand or from a friend telling us about their experience. But how does a freon leak occur? When a freon leak happens, where does it go?

Is a freon leak safe for the environment? Can a freon leak be repaired? All of these questions (and more) often arise with home ownership. In the heating and air conditioning trades there has been a common misconception that freon leaks often and needs to be “topped off” from year to year. Many homeowners believe that a freon leak is what is causing their system to not turn on during the hot summer months. Like air in a car tire, when it’s low it needs to be filled up. However, if the hole isn’t addressed, then the air will continue to leak out and cause other problems with the vehicle. The same is true regarding a freon leak. Once a freon leak occurs, a service technician can add more to correct the charge but until the cause of the leak is diagnosed and resolved, the freon leak will continue. In many instances, freon leaks will gradually get worse as time goes on. Leaks often start out as “pinhole leaks”. The industry has coined these as “champagne leaks” because the freon leak will often show up as tiny bubbles.

A freon leak will often show up in the evaporator coil. This is the most common spot. The freon is mostly a superheated gas while in the evaporator coil and can therefore leak from smaller holes. Freon is part gas and part liquid, depending on where the chemical is in the process and in the system. When freon leaks as a liquid, this often occurs outside. This is a more uncommon place for a leak to show up and will often cost more when it does. Freon leaks are unsafe for the environment because of the capability to deplete the ozone layer. More important than that though is the possibility for freon to enter the airflow inside the interior of the home. This chemical can be sensed by some and will often report a foul-smelling odor coming from their hvac system when it kicks on. All that being said, the common idea that freon leaks over time is a myth and is simply not true. The system does not consume the freon over a period of time. Nor does it get absorbed into the copper tubing.

The only place for the freon to go is out- through a leak in the system. One of our past articles dives into WHY some service companies would say the freon is bad… A freon leak can happen from a variety of different methods. I’ll cover the most common ones here.What about a lesser known cause? This corrosion will advance at quicker stages when their is more moisture present on the evaporator coils. Moisture develops from the air traveling across the coil and being condensed-just like rain clouds in the atmosphere. Undersized ductwork or dirt filters can cause a freon leak to develop at quicker rates. The long term solution is to insist that evaporator coils made from all-aluminum be installed in your home. Trane began manufacturing all-aluminum coils in 2005 and have great success with this material. Through extensive testing and engineering, Trane has found that aluminum is resistant to formicary corrosion. They carry exclusive patents on their all aluminum evaporator coils and a wise choice when needing to install a new coil.

We have been testing repair methods that allow a freon leak to be temporarily taken care of but not permanently resolved. We have not found enough success in our early testing to offer this as a recommended repair solution for our customers. In most cases the most permanent repair solution is to replace the entire evap. coil instead of trying to weld the pinholes throughout the system. Welding a small leak can cost several hundreds of dollars and most of the time more leaks will show up later; costing more money in the long run. Trane coils are the best long-term solution if you want to avoid any freon leaks in the future. I think we can all imagine lots of ways to spend our hard-earned cash instead of dumping it into freon and evaporator coils… What to do if your air conditioner is leaking freon Our service technicians will locate the leak of the freon, upon your approval, and will then provide options to repair. If the leak can be repaired as a cheaper solution, we will provide you the cost.

If more work is entailed, we will let you know all costs upfront before proceeding on the work. Our goal is to fix something once and for all. We always look for the root cause and seek to address that before repairing parts… Our service technicians have a variety of methods available at their disposal, such as: If you think your system is low on freon or is leaking, look at the repair history of the unit. Often times your air conditioner will have oil stains around the service ports outside if it is leaking freon. If the freon leak is in a tough spot, it can sometimes cost $1000’s to have the issue resolved. That being said, we guarantee to provide you with options for getting your system resolved for what works for your budget. Take immediate note of any changes in operation from season to season. Since you live in the home, you are the best judge of how well your system is working. Also, if you notice ice buildup around the copper tubing outside, this can often mean that your air conditioner has lost freon during the season and should get looked at immediately by one of our professional service technicians.