From Problem to Solution: HVAC Contactor Troubleshooting and Replacement

In this video I explain step by step how to troubleshoot and replace your HVAC contactor. It's a very easy job to figure out if that's your problem or not and it's just as easy to replace it. I also give some tips as to what else could be wrong when you have a unit that won't come on.

[Yak-life]

Thank you sir. It has been tight with money since the wife stopped working do to illnesses. This was a huge savings.

[bhen]

You my friend just saved me 100s of dollars. Although it took me several hours of troubleshooting, once I found you video I knew it was a high probability that this was my problem and I was right. Thanks for saving homeowners from having to call a technician for potentially small and easy fixes.

[themeat]

Thanks, Rudy. You're making this easy for us.

[genekerr]

Most helpful! Thank you. My capacitors were over heating.

[alwaysrockn]

Good video. It was helpful explaining the single vs dial pole. I’ll be replacing mine along with a new Capacitor in a few days.

[davidcolwell]

Very good video! Well explained and clear. Thank you.

[danielshepherd]

Great video, you got me cool again. You the man! Thanks for posting.

[nhattuygiaithiensaunguyen]

Thank you so much your video, help me learned new things

[sijahwmvaj]

This is super helpful just the thing i needed

[HD-bhyr]

Nice video. I am not a prof in this area. But I just installed a new contactor, the old was rusted and broken, but the plunger did not pull in when I turned on the thermostat. I am sure I installed correctly because quite simple, took pictures, and when manually pushed in the fan/compressor run. It seems I can only see the reading of 26v on my volt meter of the control wires from the inside transformer only when the plunger get sucked in otherwise 0. My question is how do you test if the control wires actually get 24v without connect to a contactor? Thanks

[georgeterbush]

Can you explain what the symptoms were before replacing the contactor? Was the outside unit completely dead or could you hear the compressor running but no fan spinning? Thanks.

[nitadavenport]

What contractor did you replace that with I've been looking all over for a contractor I can't find one with the exact numbers and mine is just like the one you replaced

[rickscrofani]

Hi- I am having trouble with condenser turning on and off within multiple times after start up.
>I replaced contactor- didnt work- got 24v at contactor then 11.4v then volts moves all over.
>I replaced transformer- same thing.
I just watched your video- i wonder if timer relay could be the issue? Not sure if power comes from or to relay? I have timer relay + 1 other one. I appreciate any is rheem/2003

[jimm]

I have ca Gooodman rooftop AC unit. The unit was working fine until yesterday. One of the motor bearings froze and the motor wouldn't turn. I repaired the motor, and now the contactor won't engage. If I manually push the contactor everything turns on and the unit works fine. Any ideas??

[matthewjones]

Hi, I have an old A/C unit and the wire from the capacitor to the contactor keeps burning up. I’m gonna replace both the capacitor and contactor but i’m having trouble matching the RES with any newer model contactors. The one on mine says 30 RES but newer ones say 35 RES that match all the other specs on contactor. I did read something that said RES doesn’t matter on a A/C contactor but wanted to get a second opinion?

[mandm]

Where did you buy the contactor? Our local HVAC wholesale does not sell to the public.

[dontworrybehappy]

Just to be clear you were referencing the 240v at the contractor but you said to shut off all the power in the beginning. ???

[molifehacks]

Could a bad contactor keep blowing a fuse at the disconnect?

[jhguygih]

Where is the 27v transformer? I get that issue. 240 on connector, no 27v. If i push manually everything works. Nest inside house says system is running happy. Where do i find the transformer plus a fix?

[confucius]

My daughters LG air conditioner, after being cleaned by a technician recently, started to work differently after he left, e.g. when I turned on the inside unit, the fan blows at full capacity and then the inside unit shuts down. The outside motor (compressor) doesn't kick in at all when this is happening, and then the inside unit that is blowing the fan at full speed shuts off within a minute. I rang the technician and he said that he was willing to come back to have a look at it and of course take my left arm for the problem he caused in my opinion, because it was working fine before he pulled it apart to clean it, so I told him to FO in the nicest possible way. I am not in anyway a technical kind of guy, but I think I can change the capacitor by myself, if that is what it is. I would appreciate any assistance that anyone reading this can provide me with, e.g. do you think it is anything else apart from the capacitor. The outside motor (compressor) kicks in after about half a dozen attempts at turning it on and off, when the inside unit was blowing air at full speed, so it sounds to me like it is the capacitor, as that is what gives the compressor that extra kick from videos that I have seen. Appreciate all assistance in advance.