What causes a grounded compressor?

You may notice your air conditioner can stop working after a power surge. Power surges have the ability to damage an air conditioner compressor's internal components, rendering it ineffective. Power surges such as lightning strikes, even if not directly hitting your home, can still induce electrical surges that affect the compressor. If you notice your electricity going out, it is best to turn off your air conditioner until the storm passes.

#shorts

[josepalacios]

Lightning not really more like dirty condenser it makes to draw more amps

[Knightofnee]

It’s static electricity building up because the crankshaft pulley is wearing out. The harmonic balancer needs replaced.

[CharlesLease-eiee]

People got the thermostat cranked all the way down and the unit not cycling and cool down stage is running constant in the heat and it can’t keep up

[josephspitzley]

I got a resistant to ground reading. On all 3 terminals and the wires. Another tech came out and replaced the capacitor and it worked fine. I’m lost on why

[davidperry]

It’s time to put in a new compressor or change out the entire condensing unit.

[jimthomefan]

What would be enough resistance to say the compressor is bad. I'm getting 4 ohms on two legs of the compressor to ground and 1.2 on the other leg. Compressor doesn't run when called for cooling but had a 2 pole contactor to replace a single pole. The contactor pulls in but the capacitor buzzes., and the capacitors and contactor are all new.

[electroimpex]

It would helped if the condenser wasn't that dirty

[yearssober]

I bet the A coil is covered in a half inch of dog hair. Ive seen that burn up a compressor many times.

[bmxscape]

poor overload protection circuitry is what causes something like that.

[johnsonq]

When you condemn a bad/grounded compressor, take pictures of indoor before you put a new one in

[BrokeTheGamer]

The plug shorted from overheated condenser. I’d bet money the condenser isn’t actually shorted, either the plug or the plug port is.

Overheated condenser results from insufficient airflow through condenser coil or a low refrigerant charge in the system.

Insufficient airflow is caused by either dirty/obstructed coil OR an undersized/underpowered condenser fan.

Replacing the condenser won’t fix the problem, just a symptom of the problem.

[SusiesRepeat]

It should have resistance to ground infinite resistance.

[cataclismdeathsassassin]

At least he's going with a compressor replacement. Most businesses sell the customer a new compressing unit and then go to the shop and swap it out with a numit that has bad coil. Next job thell try and sell the one that they just got done frankensteining.