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Old 06-30-2013, 11:37 PM
 
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My three ton outside unit 3 ton cost 2400 dollars to replace about three years ago. My sisters 3 ton entire with gas heating unit cost like 5700 dollars with included the inside coil and air handler unit. Both Air temp units.
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Old 06-30-2013, 11:45 PM
 
Location: Johns Creek, GA
17,415 posts, read 65,584,777 times
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Does the access panel have the wiring diagram on the inside of it?
If so, can you trace down the wire that you suspect is your problem? And what does it indicate?

And reading "lamp cord" doesn't sound good. Anyway, there's only one or two cc-heaters that are 110. Most are 220-240V.
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Old 07-01-2013, 05:45 PM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Barister View Post
Big Jon....Thanks for your response. I am a DIY guy capable of not electrocuting myself. All I know is that the short that trips my 60 amp 240 volt beaker is caused by the black (rubbery,lamp cord ) looking wire that goes to the condenser.
the other side of the black rubbery wire is wire nutted into a purple wire.

Thanks for your help. Do you believe the compressor is gone, or might it be something else like a "crankcase heater" ?
Did you check for continuity between C-R, C-S, R-S, R to Ground, C to Ground and S to Ground?

If your compressor is shorted to ground you could be seeing that short since the crankcase heater (the lamp wires) are ran into or on the outside of the compressor with a belly-strap. The Tranes I've seen use a trickle type crankcase heater though.

Does the capacitor have a little resistor sitting on top of it connected between two terminals?

Better yet can you take pictures?
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Old 07-01-2013, 05:53 PM
 
29,939 posts, read 39,341,064 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by K'ledgeBldr View Post
Does the access panel have the wiring diagram on the inside of it?
If so, can you trace down the wire that you suspect is your problem? And what does it indicate?

And reading "lamp cord" doesn't sound good. Anyway, there's only one or two cc-heaters that are 110. Most are 220-240V.
http://www.trane.com/webcache/un/spl...n_11011998.pdf

Starting on page 29...

And I'm sorry. The correct name is sump heater. It looks like this:

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Old 07-01-2013, 06:05 PM
 
Location: Hot Springs, Arkansas
389 posts, read 1,214,940 times
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We replaced the compressor and air handler (in the attic) last year for about $4,600. It was for a 1760 square foot house. 3 ton. The one in our current home was replaced for about $4,300 in an 1818 square foot house about two years ago. (also 3 ton) About 12-15 years is the replacement norm.
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Old 07-01-2013, 10:18 PM
 
Location: Wisconsin
25,593 posts, read 56,266,868 times
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Well, we've got two different conversations going on right now - repair and replacement.

I just replaced a 40-50 y/o Mueller Climatrol compressor - 1500 sq. ft. living space (2 floors) with a 2 ton Bryant, 13 SEER. Old unit cooled like a champ for decades - place would get like a meat locker never had a service call on that unit until last couple of years. Held together last year with chewing gum and hairpins - only one service guy could keep it going. This year he wouldn't work on it anymore. Think maybe replacement should have been 2.5 tons, but he said not. We'll see. It's a rental unit in my side-by-side townhouse.

My side is over 1800 sq. ft. Has same Mueller Climatrol furnace and A/C as when I bought the place in 1976 - probably at least 10 years old at the time, if not older. Still going, needs an R22 charge every year, also doesn't cool as well as it did, so next couple of years that entire system will need to be replaced. Not looking forward to it. The days of HVAC systems lasting 40-50 years, or more, is long gone. Shame.

Last edited by Ariadne22; 07-01-2013 at 10:40 PM..
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Old 07-02-2013, 06:29 AM
 
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ariadne22 View Post
Well, we've got two different conversations going on right now - repair and replacement.

I just replaced a 40-50 y/o Mueller Climatrol compressor - 1500 sq. ft. living space (2 floors) with a 2 ton Bryant, 13 SEER. Old unit cooled like a champ for decades - place would get like a meat locker never had a service call on that unit until last couple of years. Held together last year with chewing gum and hairpins - only one service guy could keep it going. This year he wouldn't work on it anymore. Think maybe replacement should have been 2.5 tons, but he said not. We'll see. It's a rental unit in my side-by-side townhouse.

My side is over 1800 sq. ft. Has same Mueller Climatrol furnace and A/C as when I bought the place in 1976 - probably at least 10 years old at the time, if not older. Still going, needs an R22 charge every year, also doesn't cool as well as it did, so next couple of years that entire system will need to be replaced. Not looking forward to it. The days of HVAC systems lasting 40-50 years, or more, is long gone. Shame.
Those things are not mutually exclusive. Demand for more efficient HVAC systems required that something be changed. What end up getting changed was mass via thickness of the materials like the coils and compressors. The coils in particular got larger but with thinner material. This increased the heat transfer and allowed for small compressors.

The trade off is of course lifespan.
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Old 07-02-2013, 02:36 PM
 
1,193 posts, read 2,379,010 times
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Default Leak when A/C was turned on

sorry, wrong thread
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Old 07-03-2013, 10:50 AM
 
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Thanks again Big Jon. I removed this crankcase heater as this was causing ths short and tripping the breaker. The ac unit is working great again. The wires were shorted about 2 inches from where the heating element slides into the bottom of the compressor motor. Also, the temperature switch attached to the lower copper pipe on the condenser (purple wires) wired nutted to this cc heater appears to be no good, I believe, because it is closed now at 80F. My understanding would be that it should be open until the temperature falls below 32F and then closes to energise the cc heater and warm the bottom of the condenser motor..

My question now is whether or not this crankcase heater/temperature switch combo is really necessary here in NY in an ac only unit. I will never turn the compressor on if the temperature is below 60F never mind 32F?

Should I purchase the parts and reinstall the heater/switch or just switch off my breaker in late September and flip it back 0n in May? Thanks in advance for any advice.
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Old 07-03-2013, 11:17 AM
 
29,939 posts, read 39,341,064 times
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Did you say you had a gas or electric furnace and where is it located?
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