Your air conditioner might start to show signs of a faulty fan motor, so you might be wondering, “how to oil window air conditioner fan motor?” To oil window air conditioners, it would be baest to refer to your unit’s manual because this process is different for specific AC models.
Air conditioner units come in different types like central air conditioners, portable air conditioners, split system air conditioners, in-the-wall air conditioners, and window air conditioners. These are some of the types of air conditioning units. Click here to learn more.
Regardless, no matter what type of AC system you have at home before you start cleaning your unit, make sure to cut it off from any electrical power source to prevent accidents. Nevertheless, let’s head on and learn how to oil window AC fan motor.
What Are Fan Motors?
Before discussing how to oil fan motors, you want to familiarize yourself with fan motors. When we feel hot, the first thing we plug in an electric fan to cool us down. That is the same thing for fan motors in an air conditioning unit.
The fan motor is a crucial part of an AC unit because it keeps the compressor inside from overheating. The fan motor does this by cooling the refrigerant that is important because it is the one that makes the air cold by passing through the condenser coils.
So, without fan motors, your air conditioner will overheat, which will damage the unit and keep it from functioning. It will cost you a lot to repair one. That’s why you want to clean and fix your fan motors if it encounters problems.
How To Know If My Window AC Fan Motor Is Faulty?
Window air conditioning units are the most common AC type for homes because it is space-saving and energy-efficient. A cool and relaxing environment makes everything comfortable, which helps us to make our tasks easier and sleep better.
That’s why you want to take care of your AC unit better, or you will end up sleeping in a humid and uncomfortable room. Now, you want to take note of this list of signs to know if your AC fan motors are in bad shape:
- If the cooling fans are not turning on
- When you turn on your unit, and it starts to smell as if something is burning
- Even though the AC is functioning, the fan blades seem to slow down in spinning
- The AC unit starts to produce rattling sounds when it is turned on
Steps To Oil Window Air Conditioner Fan Motor
When choosing a lubricant for your fan motors, keep in mind what we mentioned earlier that window AC units vary depending on the model and manufacturer, so do expect that the fan motors might differ as well. But to make it simple for you, here are the features you want to keep in mind when shopping for a fan motor lubricant:
- It comes with a foaming control agent
- Is rust and corrosion resistant
- It is highly stable when exposed to oxidation
- Water-resistant
- Prevents acidity, deposits, and sludge to form
- No additive exhaustion
- Easy filterability
And that’s it, but before we proceed, take note that the lubricant you will be using SHOULD NOT contain detergent as it might damage the fan motor’s bearing, so stay out with motor oils! Now, here’s how you lubricate your window air conditioner’s fan motor:
Step #1. Disconnect the unit from the power source
This one is crucial, especially when you are handling electronic appliances. Always make sure to switch off your AC unit, disconnect its plug from the power source or its breaker from the breaker box before you open up your AC unit.
Step #2. Locate the fan motors
Now, to take a good look at the fan motor, take out your compressor or condenser unit’s top cover and locate the fan motor. It is usually mounted on the underside part of the unit’s lid screwed with 8 to 10 screws.
At this point, get your screwdriver and take out the screws. Don’t be surprised if your fan motor has a fan cage, as some units include those. If you have no screwdriver available, a nut driver will do.
Step #3. Exposing the motor
If your fan motor has a fan cage, rotate it upside down to expose the motor’s oil ports, you can see them somewhere on the top or bottom of the motor. After finding the parts, take out the plugs using your bare hands or a small screwdriver and cover the oil ports.
Step #4. Lubricating the fan motor
This step is when you take out your lubricant of choice, put a small nozzle on it and spray a small amount in the ports and keep on doing so until the oil starts to spill out the port.
Wipe out the excess oil with a used cloth and put back the plugs in the ports, after which, gently spin the fan so the oil spreads evenly in the motor. And now that you are done with lubricating the motor put the cover back on the unit screw it tightly to secure. Now you can enjoy your AC again.
To End
Well, that’s all you need to know on how to oil window air conditioner fan motor. We hope that you find this guide helpful! For more interesting topics related to air conditioning, click here.