As a result, your AC’s outdoor fan will no longer spin which restricts the air from circulating properly in the entire house. I remember replacing one on my old house years ago, I used one of those universal motors that had lots of extra wires. The fan operates by making people in the room feel cooler or warmer, rather than changing the temperature of the air itself. I would look carefully at the original fan … Ceiling Fan Direction in Summer When this switch goes bad, your air conditioner’s fan will not spin. This only works on free spinning, direct drive fans where the shaft can be placed horizontally at least for the balance procedure. Should it spin clockwise or counter-clockwise? Ceiling Fan Direction in Winter A coil could have shorted or insulation burnt. From ceiling fan blades to a new fan, The Home Depot delivers online orders when and where you need them. Once you make sure your ceiling fan direction in the winter is clockwise and your ceiling fan direction in the summer is counterclockwise, you’ll be able to save money cooling and heating your home. It allows you to turn your thermostat up a few degrees. Doesn’t that mean that it’s sucking heat into the house instead of blowing it out, if it’s a heat pump it will be even worse in winter as it will suck in more cold. A faulty outdoor unit may cause the fan not to spin no matter how hard it tries. For most models your ceiling fan blades should be turning counter clockwise in the summer. The low speed prevents any drafty “wind chill” and keeps the airflow steady and consistent. The fan should blow air out the top, sucking cooling air in over the the fins. Products shown as available are normally stocked but inventory levels cannot be guaranteed, For screen reader problems with this website, please call 1-800-430-3376 or text 38698 (standard carrier rates apply to texts), How to Choose the Best Ceiling Fan for Your Space, Step 1: Advantages of Ceiling Fans The air flows toward the floor and along the walls. A ceiling fan should rotate counterclockwise in the summer, so the blades push cooler air down in a column. I''ve been told it should run in a clockwise position, and to switch to obtain the clockwise position. It runs in a counterclockwise position regardless..Which is correct for a Sears Coldspot Model(NNN) NNN-NNNN It needs that extra boost from a start capacitor. Many remotes offering fan direction changes at the tap of a button. I had one lady build a wooden box around her outside unit with a few holes drilled in it and then could not make her understand why her Heat pump sucked (really really sucked) at cooling the house. This pulls cool air up toward the ceiling, which in turn displaces the warm air that rises and collects near the ceiling. Use of this site is subject to certain Terms Of Use. Walk outside to check the condenser unit (the big box that sits outside your home). After replacing, it's starting to cool. If you don’t feel much air movement, it’s possible that the fan is spinning in the wrong direction. The condenser fan runs in a counter clockwise direction. That coupled with the dynamics of a condenser unit design, the ambient air is going to balloon or mushroom inside the unit rather than go out through the coils effectively. ", Step 2: High heat build up, high head pressures, inefficient is an understatement. Check the location of that switch before you purchase a new ceiling fan to be sure that it is easy to reach. The height of the fan mount makes it unlikely you’ll feel any wind chill. If the unit has trouble starting, the fan motor will not start either. If there is still no air movement when you turn the fan back on, or it is very weak, your fan may have a failing motor or the pitch of the ceiling fan blades may be too flat. If the air conditioner is on, you should be able to hear the compressor (the loud humming sound that’s typical of a running air conditioner) and you should be able to see the fan blades turning. A ceiling fan should rotate counterclockwise in the summer, so the blades push cooler air down in a column. dedwards (Doug Edwards) July 7, 2009, 9:04pm #6 A fan blade is designed to run in one direction, otherwise it only moves about half of the air it should be. The condenser fan is rotating the wrong way. efficiency is king down here or the unit has to run all day. I am surprised it is still working, judging from the rusty casing on the condenser moter, it appears to have been there for a while. . According to estimates by the U.S. Department of Energy, correctly using a ceiling fan can save on both cooling and heating costs. Slide a long, thin wooden stick through the fan grate and gently push one of the blades to try to get the fan spinning. I installed a new dual capacitor and the fan started spinning the wrong way, after testing the fan- common terminals ( 5 mf either way ) I reversed the terminals and now the unit is working OK, so the position of the terminals determined the direction of the fan rotation. If you do not feel air movement, the fan is spinning clockwise. From the " if you can’t blind them with science, baffle them with BS school of philosophy", I’d like to think this helps … but we all know better. Looking for a more telltale sign? If the fan becomes unstable, see our guide on how to balance a ceiling fan. After some investigating I found that the fan in my freezer which sends cold air to the fridge is spinning in the wrong direction (it is spinning counter clockwise but the fan blades indicate it should be spinning clockwise). The AC fan should be spinning, if it’s not then check the fuse. A seized fan acts as an air flow obstruction. Condenser fan is turning in reverse, and coil is hot : Today I noticed that the unit is pretty hot. He said that the flow was toward the compressor (or the left viewed from the back of the refrig). The easiest and most common way to check a unit is to quickly touch the top of it and while it should be warm it should not be very hot (too hot to touch) if so then there is likely a problem. A 14 degree differential is fine in my book. Which means the if your looking at the motor from the side where the wires come out the back of the motor the fan blade should turn clock wise. All Rights Reserved. Condenser Fan blade direction on Maytag fridge #559035 07/26/09 05:35 PM 07/26/09 05:35 PM: Joined ... faced in toward the condenser blades/coil and what side touched the motor shaft sitting on rubber washer and facing the condenser motor. Hello I have Samsung Refrigerator model # RF260BEAESR/AA It was no longer cooling. The instruction manual of the fan will also tell you how to change the ceiling fan direction for that model. To fully realize the savings, you must get in the habit of turning off the ceiling fan when all the occupants have left a room. If not, either your fan blade is bent the wrong way, or it's the wrong blade. Depends on how your fan blades are positioned most likely clockwise. That coupled with the dynamics of a condenser unit design, the ambient air is going to balloon or mushroom inside the unit rather than go out through the coils effectively. All these type motors turn counterclockwise viewed from the back. Is the fan spinning? Installing a ceiling fan with remote control or a ceiling fan switch makes it much easier to control the ceiling fan operation. ", Step 3: Also the evaporator fan does not seem to be moving the air inside the house as it should. Hi Dave, you have to factor in location, and seasonal variations. Ceiling Fan Direction in Specific Rooms A fan set to medium and turning clockwise will keep things from blowing everywhere. So, if the capacitor attached to your fan motor is bad, the fan won’t start spinning. Explanation on how to fix an air conditioner unit or outdoor heat pump fan that is not working due to a bad capacitor. Powered by Discourse, best viewed with JavaScript enabled. Consider upgrading to a newer ceiling fan. At the compressor/condenser unit, air should enter the cooling fins and drive out through the fan. If your ceilings are somewhat low, you may be able to use a flush mount ceiling fan. Therefore, shutting the fan off when the room is empty ensures no electricity is wasted. Its not just the R410 that gives better temp diff’s but the overall design of those units, they are awesome compared to the old 10 seer units. All it takes is a change in ceiling fan direction, reversing the air flow to suit your needs according to the season. By simply adjusting your ceiling fan direction, you can warm your home in those frigid winter months. No special tools, no removing blades, no drilling, no weights and it achieves an excellent balance. If the fan is moving counterclockwise and you feel a rush of air, it's in the correct setting for summer. It moves the warmer air trapped at the very top of the room down. step : … Turn off the fan and wait for it to completely stop, then switch the fan rotation by flipping the direction switch. The compressor stopped working today and a HVAC man installed a new capacitor. Here’s an easy way to test if the fan’s capacitor is bad. Therefore the coil feels pretty hot. A fan blade is designed to run in one direction, otherwise it only moves about half of the air it should be. If I put my hand directly in front of the fan I will feel the air blowing towards me and out the back of the fridge. This guide will teach you how to select the correct ceiling fan direction in winter and summer alike. Cooling comfort is just a small benefit of using a ceiling fan in the summer. To maximize the effect, the fan should be turned on to its highest speed. Which it looks like it has the right fan blade. . Ceiling fans should hang between seven and nine feet from the floor. It ran backwards until I swapped a few wires around. A tech just replaced the condenser fan motor and I asked about the direction of the air flow through the fan. Dining rooms: To keep the fan from cooling your food too quickly, set it to turn clockwise at a medium or low speed. Without the fan, the conditioned air doesn’t get moved throughout your home the way it should in order to keep the temperature and humidity under control. The condenser fan is supposed to spin when vehicle moves. Ceiling fan direction in the winter should be clockwise, and the fan should run at the lowest speed. 18 is generally were I expect to see it - especially with newer systems. Air flow is the critical factor in HVAC. There will still be air circulation to cool you, but it won’t be as intense. If you have vaulted ceilings, hang the vaulted ceiling fan from a downrod to get the appropriate positioning. It sucks air from the top and blows down. It was trying to spin, but would only rotate a tiny bit. ... You have to get it to a certain speed then the motor has enough oommph to take it the rest of the way. Ya, we don’t get in the high 90’s very often. If the outside AC fan won’t spin, the entire unit is functioning inefficiently or not at all. If I am standing behind the fridge and facing the fan it will be spinning in a counter clockwise direction. Condenser fan sucks air from the center top and blows out air through the top side? This makes the room feel warmer, allowing you to lower the thermostat. If you’re unsure as to what your air conditioner’s contactor switch is, it’s a switch located on the inside of your unit that ensures that there is enough voltage being provided to control the compressor as well as the condenser fan motor. My AC condenser fan is not spinning. You should feel air movement while standing under the fan. Sometimes, the problem lies in the condenser unit itself. However, even in winter, ceiling fans can be used to help manage the interior climate. A clockwise ceiling fan direction for high ceilings is especially important in winter. I don’t consider 14 to be a defect, just less than I would expect. When I looked at the back of the refrigerator, I could so that the condenser fan was no longer spinning. To start with, discon n ect the power, turn the unit off at the control panel and remove the condenser fan from the sub-zero. A condensing fan motor should never be too hot to touch and be overheating on any unit whether it be a heat pump, air conditioner, or split system. I started investigating a bit, and while the fan motor is turning, the upward airflow out of the unit is almost non-existent. Homeowners never think of the HVAC until it stops working but it is the most abused / neglected piece of equipment in the home…and the most expensive. I know it’s wrong, but what are the ramifications when the condenser fan turning/rotating the wrong direction? The “efficiency” issue was pretty obvious in my mind, but I also assumed there must have been a wiring “error.”. There are a few exceptions and modifications to the ceiling fan summer and winter rules that you can use to control the airflow in your home. I’ve only come across this one other time in all my years. If you use the old fan blade, it must turn in a direction to cup the air and blow it out with "normal" velocity. This is the best ceiling fan direction for air conditioning since it makes the air feel cooler than it is. ", Step 4: Need Help? When used in conjunction with air conditioning in summer, you can raise the thermostat 4 degrees with no loss of comfort and recoup up to 30 percent on your energy bills; in winter, you can expect to cut costs by up to 15 percent. The clearance between the ceiling fan blades and the ceiling should be a minimum of 10 inches. Local store prices may vary from those displayed. © 2000-2020 Home Depot Product Authority, LLC. Lately, we’ve been getting so much damn rain, it’s been pissing me off. I looked at neighbor's condenser fan and they all spin freely with very slight force. Ceiling fans help circulate cool air and cut energy costs during the summer, but they are also helpful during winter months. Please call us at: 1-800-HOME-DEPOT (1-800-466-3337), Please enter in your email address in the following format: you@domain.com. This seems to be contrary to the way the air moves through the front grill. It’s not a heat-pump, but a relatively new unit manufactured in 2000 (house built in 2001) and wasn’t cooling as well as I expected it should, with only about a 14 degree temp difference. AC Condenser fan 1/6 hp 208v The motor would not run. You can also use it on summer evenings to help with insect control. Check your fan's instruction manual to confirm. If you are unsure if your fan is turning the correct direction, stand directly under the fan and look up. You start screwing with air flow, watch all the efficiency fall away. Those were around in 2000 but were an upgrade. 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And heating costs the ramifications when the high 90 ’ s capacitor is bad, fan! Select the correct direction, reversing the air inside the house as it be.