Basement A/C Removal & Outdoor Blower Replacement Procedure

[Duner]

Well, I have successfully replaced the blower motor, squirrel cage, and brass bearings on my noisy basement a/c unit. Below is a link to pictures and step-by-step instructions. This is not a very difficult job. And when you get done, chances are unit will work just like new because you'll have it very clean inside & out and your cold air duct work will probably have a tighter seal.

If you just want to pull out unit to clean and lube the brass bearings, it would take about 2 hours. You will need a helper for about 30 minutes. If you replace the blower squirrel cage and/or motor, it will take about 1-2 more hours.

The first symptoms I had were a rattling sound, followed a couple hours later by a much louder squealing/screeching. The a/c was cooling just fine. After posting the problem, IRV2 members convinced me the problem was the outdoor blower bearings and not the compressors. Here& here are the two related topic posted earlier.

I bought the brass bearings from Grainers for $10.42 each, and the blower motor and new squirrel cage from RV Products for $242 shipping included. Details & part numbers are in procedure.
This is mostly a one person job, except a helper is needed to lift in/out and getting the blower assy out without damaging the aluminum coil fins.

Here is the link to my photo album with directions in the captions.
-----------------------------
On Edit Sept 2:

I've uploaded this procedure in PDF format to "Google "Site" so you can download and save a copy to your computer or print a hardcopy.

Here's the linkto the pdf.

It's now been a couple of months since I repaired my unit and it's working real well. That new plastic blower is much quieter that the original metal blower. Standing in front of my rig, you can hardly tell the A/C is running.


Good luck,

[Petro]

Bill;

Thanks for the pictures and all the info. IT sure will be helpful for anyone wanting to remove their unit.

Well done;
Don

[SargeW]

Wow Bill, awesome post! I wish we could bookmark posts for later use here on the site. Your info is invaluable.

Great job

Sarge

[John_Canfield]

Wow Bill - great job! Thanks for taking the time to document your maintenance procedure

Of course, what else would we expect from a retired engineer See you and Marie in a couple of weeks!

[fun time]

Fantastic post Bill, I am so glad I live near you in Buckeye state. Now I know where to go when I need this job done on mine. Just kidding. Thanks so much for one of the best posts I've read. Good luck.

[Billy S]

I just pulled my AC and replaced the bushing on the outdoor blower, it goes just like he said. I went with a sealed bearing. Duner did you replace the seal for the return air and on the ductwork? If so what did you use? I am going to clean my coils before I completely install the unit.

[C Zimm]

Holy cow Duner: All I can say is "WOW", that's fantastic!

[Izzyblueye]

DUNER:Man what a great illustration and write up, (your the man). You should teach tech writing to some of the manufacturers.

[Chief]

Duner, fantastic post. I'm sure that it will become the "bible" for basement AC repair. Really, really nice work, Thanks.

[Mike in Florida]

Bill, FANTASTIC job illustrating the issues as well as the solutions. You've raised the bar for the rest of us DIY'ers.

[Duner]

Quote:

Originally posted by Billy S: I just pulled my AC and replaced the bushing on the outdoor blower, it goes just like he said. I went with a sealed bearing. Duner did you replace the seal for the return air and on the ductwork? If so what did you use? I am going to clean my coils before I completely install the unit.

BillyS,
No, I didn't replace the foam seal on the return duct. On mine it looked real good.
For sure clean up the intake coil cause it's real easy when the unit is out.

The cold air out foam was pulled apart and tattered a bit. But it gets squeezed down so tight it doesn't really matter. I felt around there feeling for cold air leaks and couldn't find any. It could be changed out later without pulling the whole unit.

Thanks for all the complements folks! I'm going to see how the pic's and words would fit in a PowerPoint or Word file and see how many Mbytes that file would be. If I can get the file size down to a manageable size, then maybe we can have it hosted somewhere for downloading.

[Gary CA]

Bill~ I echo what others have said, GREAT JOB.

[JWatkins]

Duner, I have a question as I view the process. How do you reach the point where you re-taped the duct?

Thanks, Joe

[Duner]

Quote:

Originally posted by JWatkins: Duner, I have a question as I view the process. How do you reach the point where you re-taped the duct? Thanks, Joe

Just sitting on the ground and reaching up. It's only an arms length up. But you do have to have your head up there in some close quarters. Wear a cap so you won't feel all those sharp corners.

First you have to get up there with soap & water and clean the surfaces real good. Then I used alcohol to remove any residue left behind. You want this stuff to stick permanently 'cause you don't want to do this again for along time!

I had to peel off 6-8 pieces of tape about 6" long and have them temporarily stuck along a convenient place so I could just grab one and continue to build a new joint all the way around. On my coach there wasn't enough clearance for the roll of tape to just wrap the whole thing with longer runs of tape. Of course if you have a helper, you jut say, OK give me 8 inches, etc.