Israel
BANNED
Meaning? If it is (as a I trust) and ECM x13 motor, swap out the control module on the motor? I'm game.
Welcome Guest!
Yet another HVAC question
- Thread starter Israel
- Start date
Israel
BANNED
I have removed blower motor/housing, disassembled (removed) control module from motor, checked motor leads for shorts and correct resistance (no shorts between any lead and housing, and about 7 ohms across each lead to lead) and all seems within specs.
So it does appear motor is good, no wobble, play nor sounds of failing bearings besides. And as said motor did come on, but with sporadic, intermittent operation, slowing down/stopping, then resuming.
Is it a safe assumption it is then the module as some have already said? It's an ECM 2.3 on a 3/4 HP. I'd hate to replace it and find out it is some other component like the circuit board to which the motor leads connect...(in the photo on the OP).
But since I know the motor is getting power (cause it runs) would this automatically rule out that issue...that all speed control is solely reliant on the ECM module?
I appreciate all the prior comments and input and if anyone has any additional info, would be grateful. Thanks
So it does appear motor is good, no wobble, play nor sounds of failing bearings besides. And as said motor did come on, but with sporadic, intermittent operation, slowing down/stopping, then resuming.
Is it a safe assumption it is then the module as some have already said? It's an ECM 2.3 on a 3/4 HP. I'd hate to replace it and find out it is some other component like the circuit board to which the motor leads connect...(in the photo on the OP).
But since I know the motor is getting power (cause it runs) would this automatically rule out that issue...that all speed control is solely reliant on the ECM module?
I appreciate all the prior comments and input and if anyone has any additional info, would be grateful. Thanks
georgiadawgs44
Senior Member
You are correct. If it’s getting power which is sounds like it is then it’s the motor. I’ve never changed out the control on an ECM I’ve always just replaced the motor so I can’t offer any advice on that.
ilbcnu
Senior Member
You will need to get same module as original as modules are pre programed for motor rpms and horse Power rating
Israel
BANNED
The term scarce as hen's teeth comes to mind as I been trying to hunt one up. At this point I am just about ready to travel to almost any point in Ga to get a 3/4 HP, ECM 2.3 (with one 16 pin one 5 pin connector) that rotates shaft end clockwise. If anyone has a line on one or where to look, any help is again, appreciated.
ilbcnu
Senior Member
May be easier to get the whole motor. Not hard to install at all.
ilbcnu
Senior Member
Ecm motors will auto sense whether to go clockwise or counter clockwise
Israel
BANNED
Thanks for the encouragement...looks like I can get one for 600+, had hopes of getting away a bit cheaper (putting a 600+ motor on unit almost 20 y.o. causes me to balk) but then we just had a fellow give us an estimate on new equipment and looks like I'll be cobbing this old thing for a bit.
Lord willing.
Last edited:
dixiecutter
Eye Devour ReeB
You need an Evergreen 6507V paired with a 5K010, hard to do all that under $600 though. Did you get this fixed?
Israel
BANNED
Short of telling the whole tale...found an ECM 2.3 module (my fan had gone completely belly up, yet the motor itself "ohmed" out good) I put it on and got only one speed, slow, (at least working) but not enough to keep (what I am convinced) was high pressure cut off from tripping due to inadequate airflow over the evap coils to reduce head pressure.
Then started to investigate voltage from transformer (good) but voltage to high amp relay (which controls emergency heat coils) was only 7 volts...so at this point I believe my control circuit board was faulty (maybe a diode or two blown?) and am now waiting on the arrival of a new one...due tomorrow. The 24 volts that should be there...isn't...and I am believing as it originates from that circuit board that something "on" it is amiss.
I am quite thankful for all the help here and also the mercy of God to keep the temps quite moderate that we have suffered no undo cold.
I am hoping that replacing that circuit board (which controls motor speeds in conjunction with the ECM module) will do as I hope.
And I have also ordered some diodes to see if the my conclusion that low voltage is secondary to failed rectifier components will allow me to repair old board. Component wise it's pretty simple, though de-soldering and re-soldering will require me brushing up on some forgotten skills.
And, thanks for your interest.
Israel
BANNED
I am reasonably convinced the matter is/was fixed with the new air handler circuit board that came last night and I replaced.
Several days ago I had replaced the ECM 2.3 module which had gotten the fan motor to stop running intermittently...but man it just seemed to run so slow! And still the condenser had the unwelcome symptom of cutting off well before temp called for was reached...and then cutting on again. As far as I understood the "outside unit" shouldn't do that (cycle on and off) and as was mentioned by a friend on here, might well have been due to excessive head pressure. (Or was this just defrost cycle on the heat pump?)
For me (and my wife especially) it is a somewhat tricky thing to have this confidence; for all the time previous that we have lived here we have gotten so used to the blower sounding like a subway train when running...and to such a point I feared my little 2 y.o. great grandbaby might get sucked up against the return grill if she passed too close to it...j/k. But seriously, that fan knew only one speed and that was "thunder". And we, having the house cooled in summer and warmed in winter (for 10 years)...thought that "normal".
I knew nothing of variable speed air handlers, what is "normal", how they should operate...etc. Just like the guy who gets a weird diagnosis from the Dr. (or all our recent experience with the pandemic wherein we all learned far more in two years about viruses, natural vs conferred immunity vs vaccine induced immunity...etc etc etc...than we ever knew or wanted to know) when something goes wrong we may be pressed to learn..."a lot" more than we ever cared to.
No, I am surely no expert, but, like the guy who thinks it's normal to cruise at 50 @ 5000 RPM in his Jetta, I had to learn about other components...(like there's a transmission that should keep your engine around or under 2k RPM).
Long and short. I'm convinced the ECM module was bad because changing it got the motor up and running again. But still the very low speed and cycling of the condenser on/off was not right. So further checking of certain voltages seemed to be telling me that where I thought I should be getting 24 (and got only 7-10) something was amiss with the circuit board that rectifies the 24v AC coming off the transformer to 24v DC to operate certain relays.
And once I took it off and played with my multimeter on some diodes, it sure looked like something twern't right. Could it also be the board in addition to the ECM module? Was I going to throw more money at this, replacing parts...and end up with practically spending the price of a whole new air handler...while my wife is tapping her foot and thinking (just short of saying) "I told you we should have called a company!" And I am all "Honey it be OK, Grog fix problem soon, me will hit with hammer in different place". While the indoor temp hovers at 55 degrees.
Anyway, here's what I've learned, thanks in no small part to all the help and suggestions I have gotten here. The "brain" board was probably failed or failing...and all those years of living with a wind tunnel were not right. That this caused the ECM module to fail (or it just failed on its own...or it has been failed for 10 years) I may never know...as in "chicken/egg?". And a variable speed handler should know more than just SCREAM...and that actually they should run at a fairly moderate pace.
But really...whether everything is "A-OK" now (at least the house is warm) I guess I'll find out when I make that service call on Monday for a real tech to come out.
I'll probably call him Doctor when he/she arrives.
