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Hello all and thank you in advance for any assistance/direction...
Our ac is out due to a faulty install on a fan motor which has now sheared the blade completely off and both need to be replaced. I will post pics and minor questions with each pic then a few general questions at the bottom. I'm not sure where to start...
We have had 2 companies come out and both will not step foot on our roof due to the ladder on the side of the building being loose and no hand rail on the roof and questionable walkway on the roof. Our HOA said they are having a meeting on 10/29 and we can discuss then, but obviously that doesn't work for us to wait 2 weeks before we MIGHT be able to begin moving forward to get our ac fixed.
Is there a law or statute that requires HOA to provide reasonable access for repairs? Can someone point me in that direction so I can do research on the issue before I speak with my HOA again please?
So it would seem (according to ac guy #2 that the fan motor was installed incorrectly and wobbled/vibrated loose causing the fan blade to shear off). #2 said there could be capacitor damage, acid damage inside the lines, and damage to the entire unit. - Any of this sound reasonable??
Here are some pics of the fan motor and fan blade:
inside:
And for some reason, #2 ac company took these pics as well and gave them to us:
#2 pointed out some rust on our coils and said we need new coils then said we would be better off replacing our entire unit. Here are the coils:
\
and the second pic:
This is a Trane unit and they used a generic fan motor. Is it ok to use generic parts? Is it ok on Trane equipment? Should the bolts on the fan motor have been bent or broken off after install by the tech so the motor could not wobble/shake loose?
I could really use some guidance here. My wife and I work from home and it is miserable (FL). Gets to 90 degrees and stays there! Ugh
We need to know how to push our HOA and that is why I am asking about any FL statutes or HOA laws including their responsibilites for making the roof and air conditioning units safe and accessible (OSHA laws/requirements?).
Thank you all for your expertise and guidance!
Mike
Member
That motor has some time on it, A maintenance program is designed to look for things like wobbling fan motors, loose nuts and bolts etc. If your equipment is not being inspected biannually it is no ones fault but your own. yes you can use after market parts. No one made you move into a property with a HOA so you do get what you pay for.
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Oh and the rust is perfectly normal. Remember rust never sleeps.
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Thanks Toocoolforschool for your help.
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How old is the unit? What is the model and serial number of the outdoor unit? How long ago was the motor installed? If the roof and access are unsafe, who took the pictures?
Call a Trane dealer and have the correct factory replacement parts installed. Failures like that are sometimes caused by incorrect generic parts being installed.
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Wow! faulty? your being very generous with that response.Originally Posted by bigbrule
From the way is was bolted in, to the way they just left the cap setting in the service box, that was an accident waiting to happen. You always mount the cap. "I use plumbers strap" and the motor bolts, I cut them off and use "acorn" nuts looks nice and holds well.
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Very good points and kudos on your workmanship, it is obvious that this equipment has been neglected from the quality of workmanship, it's like putting the cart before the horse at this point in time however, it sounds like homeowner is more interested in justification for a lawsuit than in a real solution to the actual problems. I am curious though as to whom paid for this fan motor wether it was current HO our previous HO.Wow! faulty? your being very generous with that response.
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Rust is normal on coil water+steel=rust as long as its not leaking refrigerent its fine. The fan motor is a problem, by the looks of the rust on the pic of motor bolt it looks like it was never tightened all the way down. The company that installed the motor should fix it although I wouldn't want them working on my unit. Capacitor should be firmly mounted in the cabinet. Did the broken fan motor piece the outdoor coil causing a refrigerent leak? As for the acid blah blah blah and rusty evaporator, that guy is just trying to use scare tactics to sell you a new system IMO
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No lawsuits, just want our unit fixed by the company (#1) that installed on 12/10/11. We paid for it ($480). They are willing to replace the motot (under 1yr warranty), but will not go on the roof (don't blame them) due to the ladder not being properly secured on top right and also roofing contractors took down the handrail/fence yesterday and HOA said they are not putting another one up. We tried ($100) to get another company out and their guy went up took pictures and figured out the immediate problem, but will not go back up. Broken shingles, no handrail/fence, loose ladder on top right (connected to building).
Our HOA is telling us we can bring this up on the 29th, but for now we just want to get our unit fixed. Company #1's owner is coming out this afternoon to see what we can do and mentioned a cherry picker (boom lift), but I think there are power lines in the way. Just so frustrated at our HOA (worthless).
The unit is a Trane - installed about 2005 (townhomes were built 2004/2005). Next person I can get to go on the roof, I will ask them to write down the outdoor unit serial number.
Both companies are Trane dealers.
I truly do thank everyone for their insight and advice. I am researching stautes and regulations and came across OSHA 1926.501 which talks about employers resposibility for safety rails/fence and fall prevention. Applies to this situation but not directly to the HOA. It is bad of me, but I am wishing someone else would have issues right now with their unit (townhouses) so we could have someone else complaining they can't get their ac fixed. Just stuck between a rock and a hard place right now and don't know what to do.
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We try to use generics for homeowners as they save a bundle. But if it doesn't fit right we won't. Sometimes the generic motors are longer than the originals moving the fan blade too low for proper airflow. That's what we sometimes find.
How are they saying this caused acid in the system or other damage?
Member
In this case it is just really bad workmanship without the Ho actually inspecting work upon completion, which is understandable with unit on roof. This day and age pictures are easily taken though. I would not use that company again- Period.
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and HOA said they are not putting another one up.
This may be what they are telling you but it may not be what is required of them to meet code. Depending on the height and pitch of the roof with equipment mounted on it.
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as for the repair if they install a original equipment motor the worn out holes wont be reused so ask them to order a oe motor ,fan blade and have them replace the dual run cap . as for the roof mabey a 40 ft ladder is needed .then have them take pics of the repair as everybody has a phone with a camera these days
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I am at my wits end and ready to do whatever it takes. The company is supposed to be coming back out today with a ladder able to reach the roof (they think). The fan motor is under warranty so I really want that company to fix it. I'm willing to pay the difference between the aftermarket motor and the Trane one, but we also need a fan blade. I have seen them online for less than half the price of what I was quoted by company #2, but am unsure if their quote included labor. Either way, not a real big deal. It's 4am, finally fell asleep sometime after 12:30, so this is night 3 of very little sleep. I am definitely going to have them take pics.
Catmanacman, you think I definitely have them replace the dual run cap? Is that the part that is sitting in the corner in the pic that others have said should be properly secured? I will ask for pics of before and after to be sure it is done correctly.
Now, I have been working on my cars my entire life, so am fairly handy. That being said, if they are not going to be able to fix this today, where can I go to get the parts I need? Fan motor last time was "1/3 thru 1/6 825rpm" and I definitely need a fan blade. I'm assuming (I know, I know) there was no other damage done by the blade otherwise I assume (I know, I know) any damage would be quite obvious. If I can get the parts, I'm fairly certain I can at least get this thing running.
On a side note, I am going to be contacting the news today to see if they can help in any way (they do this regularly) and also I have a best friend that is a real estate attorney. No real desire to litigate against my HOA, but they just are not acting and certainly not fast enough. Need to put a fire under their butts.
Any advice on where to purchase parts locally would be greatly appreciated (I know I can't purchase Trane parts since I'm not a HVAC guy/gal).
Thanks again to everyone for their insight and guidance.
Burning up
Professional Member*
due to the difficulty of the repair because the location i would puton a new oe motor ,fan blade and run cap ,ask them to put on the run cap either a amrad brand or a mars if they install a supco run cap it might last a year .also i do not think you are in a position to bicker on price
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Professional Member*
the bit of rust on indoor coil is normal. Did the fan blade damage the outdoor coil (loose refrigerant)? I cant see any damage from pic but its a miracle if it didnt do anymore damage.
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Your barking up the wrong tree. The real issue here is that the company that manages the condos needs to get the roof access fixed. The fan motor was installed incorrectly, the blade is broken, the capacitor is unsafe, but all in all the main issue is that accessing the roof is unsafe. If you want to complain about anything, complain to your HOA. The contractor messed up and they appear to be attempting to fix it. If this is an incorrect assumption, then get a new contractor, but calling the news or a lawyer is not the way to fix this.
If you think you can just go buy a motor and slap it in you will end up with a finished product worse than what you have now. And yes the part costs more than what you found online because it is a Trane authorized, and properly sized. Every contractor that comes to your house has to make money. They have to pay the bills to keep their business open. That means the insurance, the tools, the gas, the people and the time. The price that gave you is fair. And to be honest, you cant get the proper part. That motor is a universal motor, they work in a pinch but they aren't the correct solution. You need to motor that was designed for that unit and without extensive knowledge and/or connections to Trane, you aren't going to get it.
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