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The Clean Air Act Blog

Causes of a Faulty Fan in Your Air Conditioning

A basic part of air conditioning operation is the fans. There are two fans in an AC: the indoor blower fan that sends air from the return vents past the evaporator coil (cooling the air) and then out into the ventilation system; and the outdoor fan that pulls in exterior air and exhausts heat. The fans are not only crucial for sending air through the vents, but for permitting heat exchange to occur.

If the fans in your air conditioner develop faults, you will need to have professionals look into their operation, diagnose the problem, and apply targeted repairs. This isn’t something you should attempt to do on your own. For the necessary air conditioning repairs in Gresham, OR that will take care of your fan problems, contact Clean Air Act any time of the day or night.

Reasons for fan faults

  • Failing capacitors: A fan that has trouble starting or remaining on may have problems due to the capacitor. Capacitors are the cylindrical components that transfer voltage from the electric system into the fan motors. If a capacitor begins to fail due to age or overstress, the fan will experience problems starting; usually you will hear an odd clicking noise as the fan attempts to start up. Call for repair technicians to replace the capacitors or install a “hard start kit” to solve the problem.
  • Bent fan blades: This is a common trouble for outdoor fans, which can sustain damage from rocks, gravel, sticks, and other debris that enter the outdoor cabinet. When fan blades suffer from damage that bend them, the blades will start to strike the edge of the fan casing, creating a terrible noise and spreading around the damage. When you hear loud mechanical noises coming from the cabinet, shut down the system and call for repairs immediately.
  • Fan motor failure: The fan motor can suffer from a number of electrical and mechanical issues. The most common is motor freeze from stress on the mechanical moving parts due to wear and tear or excess dirt. If there is too much stress on the motor, it could burnt out and fuse its wiring, in which case the motor must be replaced. Smaller issues that can stop the motor include broken relays and loose wiring, which are usually simple fixes for a repair technician.

Fan, motors, and capacitors are too complicated for non-professionals to handle, so don’t turn to amateurs or a DIY guide for the work: call Clean Air Act and let our training and expertise fix the fans that are threatening your cooling. For all your needs for air conditioning repair service in Gresham, OR, put your trust in us.

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