When the temperature starts to rise, nothing makes a home or business more comfortable than air conditioning. However, during a long, hot summer, the extended operation of an AC unit can cause a lot of wear and tear, especially to the air conditioner fan blade. Luckily, this is usually a rather easy repair, and Repair Clinic can help.
How does an air conditioner work?
Included among the components that make up a central air system is a condensing unit which is located outside the home. The condensing unit contains the air conditioner condenser coils, the compressor, and the condenser fan motor. The evaporator coils, or “cooling coils”, are located inside the home and are mounted on the top of a furnace or air handler. The compressor acts as a pump, compressing refrigerant in gas form into the condenser coils where the gas is condensed into a hot liquid. The condenser coils dissipate the heat as the liquid travels through them and the fan blade is used to assist the coils in this process. Once the refrigerant has passed through the condenser coils, it travels to the evaporator coils located on the furnace or air handler. As the refrigerant liquid enters the coils, it expands into a gas which makes the coils cold. The gas flows through the coils to a suction line attached to the compressor. The coolant is pumped through the compressor, and the cooling process continues.
It’s important to keep the condenser clean. If leaves or other debris clog the coils, the heat will not be dissipated properly and the system will not function efficiently. You can use a garden hose to clean the coils by spraying from the inside of the unit out, and there are several commercial condenser coil cleaners for a deeper clean.
Replacing the fan blade
If the air conditioner or condensing unit is noisy, or if the fan blade is damaged, then you will need to replace the blade. Make sure that the power is disconnected from the unit, either at the circuit breaker or disconnect box. Remove all the screws securing the grille at the top of the unit and flip the grill to expose the motor and fan blade. You may also need to remove a panel and clips to have enough slack in the motor wires. Use an adjustable wrench to loosen the set screw on the fan blade and pull the blade off of the motor shaft.
When you’re ready to install the new blade, make sure the set screw is loose enough to slide the blade onto the shaft. Align the set screw with the flat section of the motor shaft and tighten the screw. Realign the grille, motor, and blade, and secure it with the screws. Make sure you secure the motor wires and reinstall any panels as necessary.
Find the air conditioner condensing unit parts you need at Repair Clinic
Since air conditioners are more exposed to the elements than other products, they experience a lot of wear and tear over the years. Luckily, Repair Clinic has all the parts and products you need to keep your air conditioner running great. If you need a fan blade, or any other part, simply visit the Repair Clinic website and enter your product’s model number into our search engine. You can also visit our repair help section to find additional articles and repair help videos to help you with the job.