#1
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Rotor locked window AC
My makerspace a few years ago carved up a Wal-Mart special window AC unit to act as a water chiller for our laser cutter until we could afford a proper chiller system. I ended up getting it once they were done with it and before I dragged it home I verified the fan and compressor still ran and then parked it in the backyard for three years.
Fast forward to today and I wanted to test it so I could see if I could convert it into a kind of really small mini split system and the compressor is rotor locked. Start capacitor tests fine (and I tried another known good cap just in case), run load is 22A and start current is 1.7A (which is a clean sign of rotor lock). I can boost the start current to 3.7A by putting a second 47uf cap in parallel (basically a relay-less HardStart kit). Still locked up. I don't get it. The unit was abused but still relatively new and "ran when parked". I've never heard of a scroll compressor locking up due to lack of use and google's pretty worthless beyond "yep, you got rotor lock". The compressor is sealed so there is no way to unlock it by hand. Before I recover the R22 and toss it are there any ideas what else I could try? |
#2
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Try tapping or banging on it with a rubber mallet. Might un-lock it.
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#3
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It did not.
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#4
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Ditto
When I did some RAC work we would try a hard start kit first. If no joy hook up & wait for the comp to kick in. You can hear it or monitor the current with an Amp Clamp. When it tries beat the living piss out of it with a mallet. I assume this is a rotary. Either they are CRAP or always under rated to give proper ops. IMHO they are all crap and barely work as used. Find an old piston job for your project. Millions out there for free. |
#5
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Alright well I guess that's that. Took the R22 out and it's off to the trash.
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Audiokarma |
#6
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Too late, but you coulda tried starting it on 240v, with a giant capacitor.
Probably either some moisture in the system since birth, or maybe it was overworked, and possibly not sitting level and the compressor was oil starved. Dunno. |
#7
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Someone else suggested I try kicking it with 240v and no besides a peak draw of 40A it still didn't free up.
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