Why?

don_185

Have you ever been on a job an asked yourself why?

Example...The son and I was on a 15 ton rooftop unit the other day and found two condenser motor sieze up and system
tripping hps.

Go in pickup new motors.The old motors were three wires the
new ones four.No biggie,we're just cap the brown/white tracer wire.Done, nows it a three wire.

Wire in new caps turn system on watch for pressure switch to closed and turn on fans.Nothing! Hmmmmm? Went thru all relays,wiring,pressure switches,yadda,yadda.

After a good hour of trouble shooting I had no answer or resolution. I had the son turn them in back into a four wire.
Turn the system on and to my surpise the fan came on.

I thought about calling the guys I got the motors from to tell him what had happen.Then I thought no I better not because he might not let me in the store again.LOL.

Empire_2

Good Afternoon Don

Actually I was told in the past when GE made the caps, and they were and still are a major manufacturer They always said to cap the Trace wire... I think that's what you did and it should have run. You can always try to use the other lead, but I think you did OK. 220vac L1 to motor, L2 to cap and on L2 on motor and trace wire to other side of cap. Is that what you tried?

Mike T.

don_185

Hi Mike

No, I first cap the trace wire because I was always told that was the wire that is a short cut to 220.

However, I did try it both ways with no luck.My son get mad at me at times for spending to much time trying to figure
out why.

He's like pops why did you just not wire it for its intended use to began with? I reply, thats to easy.

Hows Biz?

Empire_2

BIZYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

I cannot keep up. Here in Buff, we are having a heat wave and a lot of break downs. Not to mention all the planned service contracts that need to be done. Gotta love it though. :=)

I'm like you, I want to know why!!! That's how you build the library in your brain so the next time someone asks, you have an answer....

Mike T.

Unknown

Wiring

The brown wire with the white stripe shuold be attached to the white wirs internally. You should get a "0" ohm reading from white to brown white. How you had it wired and why it didn't work I don't know. I'd have to see it.

don_192

Corret

I did have zero ohms from white to brown.Thats why I was puzzle why it did not work.

Pulled a three and turn a four into a three and flip the switch.

Not this day.