FIX AC WITH A STICK

Quick fix to get cool now. Watch till the end for the fix. The fan motor does not contain the capacitor as I say in the video. The capacitor needs to be changed. It is a separate part that looks like a cylinder in the side of the unit. It contains a high voltage so be careful with it. The capacitor will have power in it even with the power shut off to the AC unit. Always turn off the power before resetting the air conditioner. Air conditioner won't turn on. I pushed the reset button and spun the fan and it started. The capacitor is charged and provides the energy to spin the motor so it starts. You should turn off the power before pushing the reset button. The capacitor is cheap and not hard to replace and is easy for a do it yourself guy as you just unscrew and plug in a new one. I am not a professional. With this model the unit shuts down if the fan does not spin. This is a Lennox XC13-042-230-01 from about 2006.

Spinning the fan is a cheap and free way to see if your capacitor is broken or won't stay charged. If your unit starts when you spin it, then you will need a new capacitor. You can call a HVAC professional to change the capacitor. When calling the HVAC tell them your make and model number and that you think the capacitor is bad. Asking them to bring one with them and you will pay for it even if it is not the capacitor. The capacitor will have a part number on it. You can order a new one from amazon or your local parts dealer and have it sitting there when the service person comes or you could change it yourself.
The capacitor holds a charge when it is not turned on. Be very careful as you can get a electrical shock from the capacitor when the power is off. The way to discharge the capacitor is to turn off the power to the air conditioner and place a screwdriver across the connecting pins without touching the metal of the screwdriver.

I didn't know you had to clean your AC unit. Mine died as it wash clogged with dust and dirt in the fins and overheated. This takes minutes with a garden hose. I had to replace the whole unit and feel really stupid. - watch my video on how to clean it or yours may die too.

[soldbyjason]

I was having issues with my AC, this was the first video I watched and it worked! Thank you!

[melaniehuhn]

Thank you so much! After multiple tests we couldn't figure it out, found your video and worked immediately!

[yepper]

Note: This will work sometimes when the capacitor is bad. But you'll have to do it each time your thermostat calls for the compressor to come on. And it's not good for your fan motor to sit there humming and not turning. It can get your house cooled down so you're not so uncomfortable while the part or repairman is coming but it's not a permanent solution. Just pointing this out since some of the commenters seem to think this is a fix when it's not. It's more like a temporary solution to get by for a few hours till it can be fixed. If you are going to do this it's best to be observant so that when your a/c shuts back off (house has cooled to the thermostat setting) you can go to your thermostat and turn it to off. Then when you need the a/c to run again have someone outside ready to get the fan moving before you switch the thermostat back to cool. That way you don't ruin the fan motor (or at least shorten it's life) before the capacitor gets replaced. Hope this helps some to not ruin their fan motor. They are way more expensive to replace than the capacitor!

[savagette]

Thank you so much! I just had my unit cleaned and last night the heat was awful in the house even though I had the temp at 77. The condenser was not on. This morning I tried again and this time the condenser was humming, but no fan spin. I tried the stick and it worked!

[RJ-jlyf]

Well, it's August 2021 and your video is still helping folk. My HVAC stopped working on Thursday. Today is Saturday and my home is finally cooling! I reset my thermostat. No change. Then I turned it off, and turned off the circuit breakers for the unit. Waited. Turned every thing back on in reverse order. No change. Repeated. No change. Third time today, repeated the steps. May have put in more wait time. The only thing I added was a screw driver to push the fan clockwise. It didn't seem to be working. When I was about to call it quits, the fan started spinning! Glad I was patient. Thank you for the video.

[reedt]

Thanks for the video! This worked for me. I put a long metal rod in there, and luckily a metal screw prevented it from reaching the bottom. I then tried the plastic rod I had with me and it fit perfectly. I hit the red button and whoosh, the fan came to life. I immediatedly thought something bad was going to happen as I was pulling the rod out. Got it out pretty quickly and happy to have the AC back on. My dad is 83 and was dying from the heat, I had fans on him, but still a blessing to have the central air back on. thanks again.

[Vane]

Thank you so much!!! I was literally without ac for 2 days and I kept calling my landlord to come fix it but could t find anyone. And thanks to this video I was able to start it 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

[drcocobean]

Just tried this and it worked. I couldn't find a reset button but giving the blades a few good pushs got her running. Thanks man!

[jlorz]

This video it’s gold bro never would I have imagine a stick will get the fan going again thanks bro ✌️

[Itsallabouttheviews]

Thanks for posting this video...I came home one day to no AC working. I could hear a hum coming from the condenser. I looked up on you tube videos and several said to replace the capacitor. My hubby and I removed the old one and it had sticky stuff all over it so I assume it was leaking. I took the info from that one and ordered a new one made by the same manufacturer. We took pics before removed the old to make sure we had the connections in the right place. It did not start at first but within minutes the fan started up again and it appeared to be working great. I am not a fan of AC but our house sits in the open and has lots of big windows so it gets very hot during the day. Its great in the winter but not so in the heat of the summer. I set the thermostat at 70 because I do not like a big variation temperature from the outside. The Condensor fan was not blowing this am when we got up and the house temp was 72-73. I can hear the same hum as before. Any ideas?? Could the new capacitor have failed?

[bettyjean]

Thank grandson went out tried it...and our ac is back on....will have motor really saved us!🧘‍♀️

[rickytheil]

Dude, thank you! Had this happen last night. Tried letting everything cool to see if the fan motor just had a thermal overload, because it was really hot, but it made no difference. Compressor works fine but the fan was not moving. So after watching this I went out and spun the fan, and it started right up. Searching locally for the capacitor now. Otherwise I'll have one by Sunday via Amazon.

[galaxysquad]

Totally gold! Tired this at 9pm went it stopped working except used a Leaf Blower. Worked!! Thanks for the video man!

[nathancloete]

Thank you! I found an obstruction when I tried the stick thing and now my AC is 100%

[emailv]

Dude thank you. I did the stick start and it worked. Now to get the capacitor replaced! Thanks again!

[dweemsify]

This Saved me 200 bucks! You sir are the MAN! And my GF thought I was the most bad handy man this side of the Mississippi

[HampsonLife]

I decided to use a fiber glass rod instead... Turned my fan to on, waited for the click sound then turned the fan...it started up! Awesome video, thanks!

[ghtaboma]

This works! A/C sat for 6 months without use. Stick, got the fan going, and presto, cool air! Saved a service call.

[unseensolo]

YES! just did this reset! It worked! My family and I are in Houston, where it gets a little warm.

[jimbarnard]

I did not replace anything when I did this trick. I did not think this would actually work but I am so glad I tried. It’s over 100 degrees feels like temp here today in Florida and of course the AC stops on a weekend. All I could hear is the outside unit trying to turn on but it wouldn’t. I cleaned all the debris around it and followed the directions in the Video and when I used a wooden paint stick to turn the fan blade manually and it took off on its own. It’s already 2 degrees cooler in my house while I’m typing this message. Thanks! I’ll wait before replacing anything and since it’s humming along fine now!