help needed by ignoramus

[sportsflorida]

Disclaimer: I know nothing about air conditioners. I will be getting a service person to come fix mine. However, I want to know for my own education what is going on with it, and will try to be clear though I do not know the technical titles of parts, etc.

My air conditioner does not blow out cold air. The fan (as identified on the thermostat) works and air blows out of the vents. However, when I turn the AC on at the thermostat and go outside, the fan underneath the grill at the top is not moving. If I stand there for a few minutes, there is a type of buzzing sound, like something is trying to turn on. At first it last for maybe 15 seconds at a time, then stops. After a while it just stays on - even though the outside fan under the grill is not moving.

The REAL kicker here though is, if I get a screwdriver and start the fan moving, it will kick on. No matter what, though, no cold air comes out of the vents.

To summarize: No cold air, though air comes out of the vents inside. Get a buzzing sound when I turn the actual AC on, which buzzes for 15-30 seconds but changes nothing. Can push the outside unit fan to start it, only when the buzzing sound is being made.

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

[karsthuntr]

Sounds like you might have a bad capacitor. But a call to a service co. will tell you for sure,

[jacob perkins]

Originally posted by karsthuntr
Sounds like you might have a bad capacitor. But a call to a service co. will tell you for sure,

Darnit,I wanted to be the ignoramus.I gonna have to get a faster computer.Oh yea,I read on here that if I put the box shaped part in the freezer,it will improve my speed...
watch out karst!

[Irascible]

As stated, it could be a bad capacitor which is relatively cheap. It could be the fan motor itself. And in either event your compressor is not running either. If it was you'd hear it. There are many possible reasons for that. The most likely is that it tried to run for a while without the fan working and shut itself off when it overheated.

In any event be prepared for something as small as a capacitor or as big as a whole new AC (though not likely on the new AC).