The Importance of an Efficient Fan Motor

With hot temperatures bearing down on Phoenix, the last thing you want to do is get caught without a properly working central air conditioner. Keeping up with regular maintenance is key to ensuring it works when you need it to. And with highs climbing into the 90s most days, you will certainly need it working at full tilt! Your AC’s fan motor is a critical component of the unit, and its efficiency is of top priority.

Just to give you an overview, your central air conditioner has two fans: one inside that blows cool air for your home and one outside that blows over condenser coils to release built-up heat from your home. If there are problems with either one of these fans, your home will not be able to cool down properly. What likely will happen is you’ll be using more power for your AC, which has to work even harder to cool down the space. The result: an inefficient unit that will show up in increased cooling bills this summer. Today’s central AC models use between 30 and 50 percent less energy than older air conditioners made in decades past, says Energy.gov.

Fan motors go through a lot of wear and tear, and they can burn out when they undergo too much stress. This is especially true for air conditioners that are not properly maintained. A bad fan motor is a more serious issue and will either require professional repairs or a system replacement, depending on the age and condition of your system. Fan motors can also have electrical problems, leading to overheat and burnout. The fan won’t turn without the motor, so it becomes necessary to repair fan motors quickly.

Sometimes fan motors will “tell” you something is wrong through sounds you may not have heard before. If you hear a humming sound coming from the A/C unit while it’s running, this may be a sign that the fan motor is on its last legs. Please call Morehart Air and Heating to have us take a look at 602-640-0444.