[HiHoSteveO]

Has any of the suggestions worked so far?

Please check back in to potentially help others in the future.

[MrLonzo]

Originally Posted by HiHoSteveO

Has any of the suggestions worked so far?

Please check back in to potentially help others in the future.

I've tried most of the suggestions but so far nothing has worked. I scheduled a service appointment for this week. Will update...

[mtdjed]

Just a caution on fans running continuously. This applies to the hot humid summer air conditioner. Fan needs to stop when AC stops. If not fan air could pickup moisture from condensor and pump it back into house and raise humidity.

[Theradiokid]

Originally Posted by MrLonzo

I've tried most of the suggestions but so far nothing has worked. I scheduled a service appointment for this week. Will update...

If your fan does not stop after popping the thermostat off, then the problem will be the fan in your furnace enclosure ("Air Handler" or "A/H"). There is an electronic control module (ECM) on the end of the fan that manages on/off and speed which has been known to fail. I replaced mine by myself a couple of years ago for about $250. Furnace models are fairly common here, so your tech may have a compatible module. If not, they may recommend replacing the entire motor. With labor, you should expect to pay quite a bit more for this. I hope your problem is simpler than this... good luck.

[photo1902]

Originally Posted by mtdjed

Just a caution on fans running continuously. This applies to the hot humid summer air conditioner. Fan needs to stop when AC stops. If not fan air could pickup moisture from condensor and pump it back into house and raise humidity.

100% correct

[Altavia]

Originally Posted by Theradiokid

If your fan does not stop after popping the thermostat off, then the problem will be the fan in your furnace enclosure ("Air Handler" or "A/H"). There is an electronic control module (ECM) on the end of the fan that manages on/off and speed which has been known to fail. I replaced mine by myself a couple of years ago for about $250. Furnace models are fairly common here, so your tech may have a compatible module. If not, they may recommend replacing the entire motor. With labor, you should expect to pay quite a bit more for this. I hope your problem is simpler than this... good luck.

Do you still have the info/mfg/part number for the replacement controller?

[Theradiokid]

Originally Posted by Altavia

Do you still have the info/mfg/part number for the replacement controller?

Part number 6205ECTL worked for my fan motor. Easy to google.

[Altavia]

Originally Posted by Theradiokid

Part number 6205ECTL worked for my fan motor. Easy to google.

Thanks!

[MrLonzo]

Originally Posted by Theradiokid

If your fan does not stop after popping the thermostat off, then the problem will be the fan in your furnace enclosure ("Air Handler" or "A/H"). There is an electronic control module (ECM) on the end of the fan that manages on/off and speed which has been known to fail. I replaced mine by myself a couple of years ago for about $250. Furnace models are fairly common here, so your tech may have a compatible module. If not, they may recommend replacing the entire motor. With labor, you should expect to pay quite a bit more for this. I hope your problem is simpler than this... good luck.

Thank you. This is what it turned out to be, a bad ECM. I had a service call with SunKool who replaced the part, thankfully still under warranty. He said normally it's an $800 job, and another $800 if the motor is bad. It took him about 15 minutes, so it looks easy enough to do if you know what you're doing.

He also told me this is a very common problem in the Villages due to voltage spikes in the electrical line which reaks havoc on the low voltage motor module, and that my whole house SECO surge Mitigator will not protect it. SunKool does offer an HVAC surge protector (<$200 P&L) which should protect against such voltage spikes. I'm thinking it might be a good investment once my unit goes off warranty.

[villagetinker]

Thank you for the update I am always glad to hear the solution for these types of problems.

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by MrLonzo

Thank you. This is what it turned out to be, a bad ECM. I had a service call with SunKool who replaced the part, thankfully still under warranty. He said normally it's an $800 job, and another $800 if the motor is bad. It took him about 15 minutes, so it looks easy enough to do if you know what you're doing.

He also told me this is a very common problem in the Villages due to voltage spikes in the electrical line which reaks havoc on the low voltage motor module, and that my whole house SECO surge Mitigator will not protect it. SunKool does offer an HVAC surge protector (<$200 P&L) which should protect against such voltage spikes. I'm thinking it might be a good investment once my unit goes off warranty.

Thanks for the update.

But, I disagree about an HVAC surge protector being a good investment. I wouldn't invest in an HVAC surge protector without a better explanation than that. It sounds like gobbledygook to me. Why didn't the SECO device prevent the damage? Also, I would cancel any monthly payments you may be making to SECO for the whole house surge protector. In my opinion, these surge protectors are a ripoff.

[Altavia]

Originally Posted by MrLonzo

Thank you. This is what it turned out to be, a bad ECM. I had a service call with SunKool who replaced the part, thankfully still under warranty. He said normally it's an $800 job, and another $800 if the motor is bad. It took him about 15 minutes, so it looks easy enough to do if you know what you're doing.

He also told me this is a very common problem in the Villages due to voltage spikes in the electrical line which reaks havoc on the low voltage motor module, and that my whole house SECO surge Mitigator will not protect it. SunKool does offer an HVAC surge protector (<$200 P&L) which should protect against such voltage spikes. I'm thinking it might be a good investment once my unit goes off warranty.

Apreciate the update, good news it was covered under warranty.

As far as I know, the HVAC surge protector is installed at the disconnect box at the compressor. While a good risk reduction for the outside unit, it would not provide as much protection for the blower motor control as a whole house protector.

Those failures are more likely due to infant mortality or a component of a design flaw.

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by Altavia

Apreciate the update, good news it was covered under warranty.

As far as I know, the HVAC surge protector is installed at the disconnect box at the compressor. While a good risk reduction for the outside unit, it would not provide as much protection for the blower motor control as a whole house protector.

Those failures are more likely due to infant mortality or a component of a design flaw.

Isn't the SECO surge protector supposed to protect both the inside and outside components of the HVAC system? A surge protector installed on the outside disconnect box is downstream of the house electrical panel which is located upstream of the disconnect box. So, what can the HVAC surge protector do that the SECO surge protector cannot do before the current reaches the disconnect box? In other words, why do you need two surge protectors? And, if the HVAC surge protector is better than the SECO surge protector, why not just replace the SECO surge protector with the HVAC surge protector at the house meter?

[villagetinker]

Originally Posted by retiredguy123

Isn't the SECO surge protector supposed to protect both the inside and outside components of the HVAC system? A surge protector installed on the outside disconnect box is downstream of the house electrical panel which is located upstream of the disconnect box. So, what can the HVAC surge protector do that the SECO surge protector cannot do before the current reaches the disconnect box? In other words, why do you need two surge protectors? And, if the HVAC surge protector is better than the SECO surge protector, why not just replace the SECO surge protector with the HVAC surge protector at the house meter?

I am GUESSING the proposed HVAC surge protector would be installed at the disconnect for the HVAC unit. Actually, I have the SECO surge protector and with it there were several individual surge protectors. I believe the SECO unit does a reasonable job, as there was a close in lightning strike at the rear of my neighbors house. They had around $7000 in damages, we had none. I believe this was a combination of the main SECO surge protector, and all of the individual units.

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by villagetinker

I am GUESSING the proposed HVAC surge protector would be installed at the disconnect for the HVAC unit. Actually, I have the SECO surge protector and with it there were several individual surge protectors. I believe the SECO unit does a reasonable job, as there was a close in lightning strike at the rear of my neighbors house. They had around $7000 in damages, we had none. I believe this was a combination of the main SECO surge protector, and all of the individual units.

I think you are correct that the HVAC surge protector would be installed at the outside unit disconnect. But, the Sunkool guy told the OP that the $200 HVAC surge protector would protect against "low voltage" surges, which the SECO surge protector would not. This sounds like hogwash to me because the outside disconnect is a high voltage switch for safety purposes. The surge protector would do nothing to protect a low voltage motor module, which apparently is located inside the house.