Loud, two or three second moan from a compressor?

[georgelass]

I'm a newbie and was with the boss today. We stopped at a customer's house that had a split system installed a year or so ago. She claimed that the condenser unit periodically made a loud noise when it starts. She had left
the system off all day for us, so I am guessing she must have felt that would
increase the chances of it moaning. So while we were standing at the unit,
she turned it on. Unfortunately, we did not have the gauges or amp meter on it. It seemed to start and run for maybe 45 seconds and then it gave out this loud moan for about three seconds. We had both thought the compressor had already started before it moaned, but neither of us is positive. We could not get the moan to happen again. We shut the unit down, installed gauges, and attached the amp meter. Fired it up. All seemed normal. About 11.X amps for a 14 amp RLA and pressures were normal for the ambient temp. Measured the capacitance on the two caps and they were normal. My boss was scratching his head and plans to return again but have the gauges and meter on before we start it. Has anybody seen/heard this kind of thing before?

Thanks.

[jpsmith1cm]

Intermittent valve problem?

[Bubbleheadski]

if a heat pump.... sticking reversing valve?

[gary_g]

The compressor was having an orgasm.

[timebuilder]

The compressor was having an orgasm.

I think you are correct.

That compressor wants you to come back!!!

When it moans, does it say copelaaaaaaaaaaand?