I bet a lot of you belong to the "HVAC crapped out at the worst time" club.
- Thread starter Sybertiger
- Start date
As a public service announcement...LOL...I figured I'd post a follow-up.
The error code the AFC (air flow control board) was blinking was code for blower motor communication error. This same code appeared two years ago and under "warranty" the blower motor was replaced; and, it still cost me $500 labor for a 20 minute installed of a "free" replacement motor. After having gone through the service manual the debug process was rather simply. Check some voltages here and there then apply voltage to these pin to see if blower motor runs. If it doesn't run then replace the motor. If it does run replace the AFC board.
Turns out it was the AFC board. A replacement AFC board on Amazon is $315 but I was lucky to find a new AFC board on eBay for $150 with two days delivery instead of 5 days delivery via Amazon. Got the board, installed it in 20 minutes and AC is up and running. I'm pretty sure that the HVAC guys would have charged me $500 labor plus parts and they would have marked the AFC board up to $600 or $900 I'm positive of this. I probably saved $900+ doing it myself.
Anyhow, thanks for listening and stay cool....it's gonna be a long hot summer; today is officially the first day of summer.
The error code the AFC (air flow control board) was blinking was code for blower motor communication error. This same code appeared two years ago and under "warranty" the blower motor was replaced; and, it still cost me $500 labor for a 20 minute installed of a "free" replacement motor. After having gone through the service manual the debug process was rather simply. Check some voltages here and there then apply voltage to these pin to see if blower motor runs. If it doesn't run then replace the motor. If it does run replace the AFC board.
Turns out it was the AFC board. A replacement AFC board on Amazon is $315 but I was lucky to find a new AFC board on eBay for $150 with two days delivery instead of 5 days delivery via Amazon. Got the board, installed it in 20 minutes and AC is up and running. I'm pretty sure that the HVAC guys would have charged me $500 labor plus parts and they would have marked the AFC board up to $600 or $900 I'm positive of this. I probably saved $900+ doing it myself.
Anyhow, thanks for listening and stay cool....it's gonna be a long hot summer; today is officially the first day of summer.
I just noticed my neighbor across the street and in a cul-de-sac has an AC company with THREE vans out in front of his house. It's the same company who did the install of my system 10 years ago. No doubt he's having to replace his HVAC system today. I hate it for the guy because it probably crapped out just as we are going into summer and probably didn't have time to get competitive bids. Probably paying TOP-TOP dollar. This highlights why these companies charge top dollar for service calls. They have fancy vans and no doubt have the full gamut of a corporate structure with sales guys, secretaries and all the overhead of a large company. As mentioned above, I paid $500 labor for a 20 minute motor change out two years ago when the parts were still covered under warranty. I really wish I knew an HVAC guy with just a pickup truck who pretty much is the entire company or maybe has a part time helper.
Not every 5-10 years as everything like those appliances are crap. Barely last the warranty.
observant1
Getting comfortable
I just changed my filter after reading this thread, and it needed it bad. Just lazy stupid on my part as i purchase them in 12 pack so i can keep a fresh one installed.
Thank you for this thread!
PS - it's great to know several guys with pickup trucks that will trade quality work for work.
Thank you for this thread!
PS - it's great to know several guys with pickup trucks that will trade quality work for work.
So now your neighbor has some issues less than 2 weeks after you?
Have you read your 120/240 to see if one or both legs are not too high?
I replaced the dryer heating element in a 4 year old Maytag dryer last summer. Leading up to that it kept shutting down with a displayed error code "AF" (Air Flow). No blockages found, no lint buildup anywhere but ran a brush snake anyway all thru the 10 ft. of galvanized vent pipe, blew it out with a gas lawn blower and insured the flexible hose was not foil but metal and was clean.
After another 2 weeks of "AF" (no, not me saying "Aw, F*ck!"), my APC UPS on the TV which has the high limit for detection jacked up to 135VAC because of the 3.5kW portable generator's antics it started beeping and read 138VAC on it's LCD display. I pulled the main panel's surround and measured 140VAC each leg, 280VAC across both legs for the @#$% 240!
No wonder the dryer heater element burned up and was running hot...it's meant for 240, not 280!
I called the local co-op utility, guy came out, looked at me when I told him and he's thinking "yeah, this old fart's crazy...probably has a bird nest in the dryer vent and measured the voltage with a $8 Harbor Freight meter". He went up in the bucket and came down 15 minutes later, wouldn't make eye contact and said a sheepish "Yeah, lightning must have got it, the primary voltage is correct, no one else nearby has a problem, you're the only one on this transformer and your 240 DOES read 280 so I'll change out your transformer."
He did and there's been no more problems with "AF" since summer of 2024. If you haven't done so, I'd check it.....got nothing to lose!
It makes sense to me that the AFC board went out in the inside unit. I had noticed on several occasions over the last 6 months the blower motor running at a low state even though the HVAC was idle. Even when I manually turned the thermostat off the blower kept running. I had to set the fan to run then set it to off to make the blower stop blowing. In the end I believe the one or both of the mechanical relays on the board were worn out. Contacts were burned and/or sticking. It's all hindsight now but it does make sense that after 10 years the contact would be burned. It turns out over the winter the control board for the heater had to be replaced. On it one or more of the relays were worn out.So now your neighbor has some issues less than 2 weeks after you?
Have you read your 120/240 to see if one or both legs are not too high?
I replaced the dryer heating element in a 4 year old Maytag dryer last summer. Leading up to that it kept shutting down with a displayed error code "AF" (Air Flow). No blockages found, no lint buildup anywhere but ran a brush snake anyway all thru the 10 ft. of galvanized vent pipe, blew it out with a gas lawn blower and insured the flexible hose was not foil but metal and was clean.
After another 2 weeks of "AF" (no, not me saying "Aw, F*ck!"), my APC UPS on the TV which has the high limit for detection jacked up to 135VAC because of the 3.5kW portable generator's antics it started beeping and read 138VAC on it's LCD display. I pulled the main panel's surround and measured 140VAC each leg, 280VAC across both legs for the @#$% 240!
No wonder the dryer heater element burned up and was running hot...it's meant for 240, not 280!
I called the local co-op utility, guy came out, looked at me when I told him and he's thinking "yeah, this old fart's crazy...probably has a bird nest in the dryer vent and measured the voltage with a $8 Harbor Freight meter". He went up in the bucket and came down 15 minutes later, wouldn't make eye contact and said a sheepish "Yeah, lightning must have got it, the primary voltage is correct, no one else nearby has a problem, you're the only one on this transformer and your 240 DOES read 280 so I'll change out your transformer."
He did and there's been no more problems with "AF" since summer of 2024. If you haven't done so, I'd check it.....got nothing to lose!
The voltage I measured was 124/240 or thereabouts as I recall. And I think the neighbor's HVAC crapped out. It was probably 10 years or older. My point in bringing it up was that he had 3 vans out front (high overhead) and was probably going to be paying top dollar for the new system given the time of year we are in.
Hate to say it, but my experience has been that HVAC and water heater companies are generally pretty dishonest. $450 to replace a $15 cap, $2500 to replace a water heater. I know everyone has to make a living, but damn...
bigredfish
Known around here
We're lucky to have found a good honest plumbing company and AC company.
They both cater to large retired communities, and while it would be easy to screw some of the old people, they know word would get out and they'd lose a lot of $$$ as people quit using them.
Plus we're in Florida which helps.
They both cater to large retired communities, and while it would be easy to screw some of the old people, they know word would get out and they'd lose a lot of $$$ as people quit using them.
Plus we're in Florida which helps.
As cheap as they are.. yes.
A spare start capacitor is also a good idea. Usually it is the start capacitor that kills the motor windings.
Just remember to cut power to the system before intruding.
Each year I flush from the inside, the condenser coils and if the motor has a lube port.. give it a few drops of oil.
I then wrap a single clean layer of window screen around the condenser to prevent cottonwood fuzz and other junk from clogging the coils.
An experienced serviceman explained this little secret to me. (and begged me to never tell anyone else)
Indoors, I REMOVE the air filter and run without. This is because my house gets less fresh air (dust and other pollutants) in summer than winter and the HVAC fan runs far longer during each cycle. This cools the fan motor better and prolongs its life because the extra moving air IS the cooling for that motor.
I don't like being without indoor AC or heat and my better half will expend any amount to stay comfy thus, I also stock a spare blower motor and condenser motor.
A few years ago the blower motor pooped out just before Christmas and the local service charged us $850 for just the motor and emergency fee. Installation labor was another $250. It was a 20 minute swap!
So now I stockpile a new spare motor for <$200 and it is an easy swap. [Rheem]
lesson learned.
k
A spare start capacitor is also a good idea. Usually it is the start capacitor that kills the motor windings.
Just remember to cut power to the system before intruding.
Each year I flush from the inside, the condenser coils and if the motor has a lube port.. give it a few drops of oil.
I then wrap a single clean layer of window screen around the condenser to prevent cottonwood fuzz and other junk from clogging the coils.
An experienced serviceman explained this little secret to me. (and begged me to never tell anyone else)
Indoors, I REMOVE the air filter and run without. This is because my house gets less fresh air (dust and other pollutants) in summer than winter and the HVAC fan runs far longer during each cycle. This cools the fan motor better and prolongs its life because the extra moving air IS the cooling for that motor.
I don't like being without indoor AC or heat and my better half will expend any amount to stay comfy thus, I also stock a spare blower motor and condenser motor.
A few years ago the blower motor pooped out just before Christmas and the local service charged us $850 for just the motor and emergency fee. Installation labor was another $250. It was a 20 minute swap!
So now I stockpile a new spare motor for <$200 and it is an easy swap. [Rheem]
lesson learned.
k
Sheesh, always somebody there to spoil the fun.
'Rheem" (brand) as opposed to "ream" (verb) as when overcharged by the HVAC tech?
Got a call from my lady friend last night. She got home from work and her house was 81 degrees. Luckily it was just the capacitor and I was able to get one on short notice.
I went ahead and ordered one to keep on the shelf for my house, because that's how the timing on these things work.
I went ahead and ordered one to keep on the shelf for my house, because that's how the timing on these things work.
Ri22o, good catch!
TonyR, Reamed! heh heh i get it..
In the early 70's I was sharing an apartment with 3 other guys -we were all tech school (*MIT) geeks.
The atmosphere was something like the movie Real Genius. Wall to wall brainiacs!
Anyway, the A/C quit one day and of course it was in the midst of a heat wave and our apartment was on the top floor. The landlord dragged their feet in getting anything done. After three days of sweltering, I went up on the roof and tore into the condenser unit and spotted the start capacitor had burst. Since the school was cozy with the local electronics supply house, I chatted with them about this cap and got a new one for wholesale -I seem to recall it was something like five bucks. Popped it in and the A/C worked! I scored an unintended reputation.
*MIT -Missouri Institute of Technology [now defunct]
k
TonyR, Reamed! heh heh i get it..
In the early 70's I was sharing an apartment with 3 other guys -we were all tech school (*MIT) geeks.
The atmosphere was something like the movie Real Genius. Wall to wall brainiacs!
Anyway, the A/C quit one day and of course it was in the midst of a heat wave and our apartment was on the top floor. The landlord dragged their feet in getting anything done. After three days of sweltering, I went up on the roof and tore into the condenser unit and spotted the start capacitor had burst. Since the school was cozy with the local electronics supply house, I chatted with them about this cap and got a new one for wholesale -I seem to recall it was something like five bucks. Popped it in and the A/C worked! I scored an unintended reputation.
*MIT -Missouri Institute of Technology [now defunct]
k
Any affiliation with the South Harmon Institute of Technology?
I don't know. If it was a Bell and Howell school, maybe. Probably. Yes!! oh yeah
Oh.. you guys!!
Doh!
Oh.. you guys!!
Doh!