Condenser fan running backwards on heat pump

check the heating element

Phillip: According to FamilyHandyman.com: "free up the condenser fan. Coils on the back of a fridge create their own airflow as they heat up. Models with coils underneath have a fan to push air through them. Dust buildup can slow the fan; wads of paper or other trash can stop it altogether."

Hello,

when the car overheats, is there still water in the radiator?

If there is water in the radiator and the car overheats, then it means there might be some dirt or blockage in the radiator or condenser.

When the car is on the motion, air passes through the front and assists the fan to cool the engine. There are situation whereby air doesn't have free flow because of blockage in the radiator and condenser. Dust and debris can cause blockage. If this be the case, have your radiator washed thoroughly and cleaned.

If there is no water in the radiator when the car overheats, then there is a probably a leakage from the water pump. Or maybe your fan isn't blowing properly. The fan might be blowing weak air.

The above are what could cause your engine to over heat.

So start the check from the radiator. Poor water into the radiator, wait for some minutes, look under the car and observe if water is going to leak. If there is a leak, it might be from the water pump or a leaking hose.

If water from radiator has no leak, have your radiator washed and clean the condenser has they might block air that is suppose to cool the engine.

Also, make sure your fan is blowing properly or well enough to cool the engine.

Make sure you have the above checked thoroughly as they are the major causes of problems like this.

This overheating problem could lead to a burnt gasket and this can dry the engine oil which will eventually knock the engine. So have this problem fixed to prevent further damage that will cost you more money.

Lastly, remove the hose that connects the radiator to the engine, water from the engine will come out. Pour water into the radiator, the water will flow through the hose down to the ground. Do this severally. Now connect the hose back to the engine, pour water into the radiator. Start the engine, the water in the radiator will reduce, add more water till radiator is full.

In summary, the major cause of over heating problem is from the radiator, fan, water pump, blockage in the hose, and dirt in in/on the condenser. These are area you need to concentrate on.

I forgot to mention that the acceleration meter or engine meter on the dash board shouldn't be more the 5. It should be below 5. If it is above 5, it can cause overheating. I hope you understand what I mean.....

Regards.

Hello, the technician is incorrect. The air should be blowing out the top of the unit and pulling in the air through the sides in order to reject the heat properly. It looks like the fan is wired incorrectly and thus running in tne wrong direction. I would call a differant company and have them fix the problem.

Due to the many different questions I see about Air Conditioning, I am including this overview to help us better understand each other for trouble shooting. A basic air conditioning system has a Thermostat, Air Handler or Furnace Fan and a Condensing unit. In a split system, the condensing unit (Condenser) is separate from the furnace and usually in the back yard. When working properly, it blows hot air. It connects to the cooling part of the system by 2 copper lines. One large line and 1 small line. The part that cools the house is the "Evaporator" and is usually on top of the furnace inside the square metal box (Plenum). When the Air Conditioner is running, the large copper line should be cold and the smaller line should be warm. Common signs of low refrigerant are that both lines are the same temperature and/or frost or ice has built up on the large line at the condenser. The thermostat will normally display room temperature on till it is touched to change the setting. It could have a "Span" setting as well as times and temperatures. The operating "span" of MOST residential thermostats is 40 to 90 degrees. That means you can set it as low as 40 degrees and no higher than 90 degrees. It probably has a fan switch also. When in the "ON" position, the fan will run constantly, 24 / 7, but the condenser will still cycle on and off as needed to keep the house at set point. If you have a suggestion to include in this paragraph, please let me know.

Take a look at everything above. Let me know what type of help you need. Roger

You air handler and condensor run off of two seperate circuit breakers. They share the same control voltage source. With the air handler responding to the thermostat setting, we know you have control voltage. You either have a problem with the line voltage at your condensor or something is happening in the control. Check your circuit breakers and/or fuses to your outdoor unit. Also, look for a red button near the area where the refrigeration pipes enter your condensing unit. Push the red button. If it starts to run, your unit went out on High Head Pressure. A dirty air filter this time of year can cause head pressure problems in the heat cycle (assuming this is a heat pump). Also check for cleanliness of the condensor coil and ensure proper operation of the outdoor fan motor.
There are a couple of components inside the condensor that could prevent it from running. One is the contactor. If the contacts are pitted or if a bug crawled in between them, it will prevent the unit from running. Another component is the Dual Run Capacitor. If this fails, it could prevent operation of your outdoor fan and compressor. Don't forget to check all your wires and connections. Always shut off all power prior to reaching into the electrical compartment.
I hope you find this to be very helpful moving forward. :-)
Testing Run Capacitors

Failed Compressor Contactor

It is unlikely that the water pump is causing the trouble you describe. The large hex behind the fan is what you would turn to remove the fan clutch from the water pump shaft. This fan clutch is supposed to detect heated air coming through the AC condenser and radiator and engage the fan more positively with the water pump shaft when more air needs to me moved to cool the radiator and AC condenser. The fan clutch could be bad or the AC system may not be properly charged--either of these conditions could cause the problem you describe.

Have you changed your air filter lately?

The condenser fan motor is most likely blown. A replacement fan motor and a run capacitor are most likely needed to get it back in working order.

Your outdoor condenser is in heat mode. Check the wires on the thermostat. Sounds like a small wiring problem and nothing else. Good luck. Please keep me posted as to you progress.