Kev Williams
07-10-2016, 2:05 PM
So yesterday I come in from the fairly cool garage and notice the house is warmer- usually it's the other way 'round..
The furnace blower is running but it's blowing 79° air. So I check the AC unit and it's not running. But it's warm so it HAD been-
Short version, the fan wasn't working, and the compressor would kick off shortly after kicking on. So I pulled the fan out and took the motor apart. All motors should be like this, nothing but a big round magnet on a shaft surrounded by electromagnets. Obviously not the brushes ;)...
Felt stiff to turn, so I cleaned the bushings out best I could with some Scotchbrite, added a little moly lube and she freewheeled nicely.
Put it back and worked great-- for a few minutes. But after a few minute wait it worked again, and so far so good. I'm assuming the capacitor hiding in the wire box may need to be changed...
Anyway, this thing is a 36000 btu Amana, at least 20 years old I think. So I start looking up specs for it, AND specs for newer units. I would think newer units should be more efficient...
While running I put my amp tester around the wires in the breaker box, and the AC was using between 16.8 and 17.2 amps. The tag, and specs, say it's RL amp rating is 13.8. So maybe it's a little tired?
So looking at new units. Huh. Trying to find actual "full specifications" is a joke. Lennox only publishes "seer" ratings, no 'tons' or btu ratings, no power usage ratings...
One I DID find was a Goodman, almost a twin to mine, 3 ton, 13 seer, 36000 btu-- but it's RL amp rating is 16.6, more than my tired old Amana?
AND, I just found data on a Lennox 13acx 36000 btu unit, RL amp rating is identical to the Goodman, 16.6...
Now I'm not sure what tons or seer's do, but I believe 36000 btu's is 36000 btu's, and those btu's are what's actually entering my home trying to cool it, yes? and one machine putting out those btu's at 13.8 amps is going to use less power than one using 16.6 amps?
Am I missing something? I know this, the Amana seems to work great, and I see no reason to change it until it doesn't, especially if I won't see any reduction in power usage...
The furnace blower is running but it's blowing 79° air. So I check the AC unit and it's not running. But it's warm so it HAD been-
Short version, the fan wasn't working, and the compressor would kick off shortly after kicking on. So I pulled the fan out and took the motor apart. All motors should be like this, nothing but a big round magnet on a shaft surrounded by electromagnets. Obviously not the brushes ;)...
Felt stiff to turn, so I cleaned the bushings out best I could with some Scotchbrite, added a little moly lube and she freewheeled nicely.
Put it back and worked great-- for a few minutes. But after a few minute wait it worked again, and so far so good. I'm assuming the capacitor hiding in the wire box may need to be changed...
Anyway, this thing is a 36000 btu Amana, at least 20 years old I think. So I start looking up specs for it, AND specs for newer units. I would think newer units should be more efficient...
While running I put my amp tester around the wires in the breaker box, and the AC was using between 16.8 and 17.2 amps. The tag, and specs, say it's RL amp rating is 13.8. So maybe it's a little tired?
So looking at new units. Huh. Trying to find actual "full specifications" is a joke. Lennox only publishes "seer" ratings, no 'tons' or btu ratings, no power usage ratings...
One I DID find was a Goodman, almost a twin to mine, 3 ton, 13 seer, 36000 btu-- but it's RL amp rating is 16.6, more than my tired old Amana?
AND, I just found data on a Lennox 13acx 36000 btu unit, RL amp rating is identical to the Goodman, 16.6...
Now I'm not sure what tons or seer's do, but I believe 36000 btu's is 36000 btu's, and those btu's are what's actually entering my home trying to cool it, yes? and one machine putting out those btu's at 13.8 amps is going to use less power than one using 16.6 amps?
Am I missing something? I know this, the Amana seems to work great, and I see no reason to change it until it doesn't, especially if I won't see any reduction in power usage...