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Air conditioning wiring problem - help!?

Help me, please! I have an old air conditioning system...made in 1985, and the condenser fan went out. Long story short, I bought a new fan and I don't know how to hook it up. The old fan had 4 wires coming out of it: purple, black, green, and brown. The green is the ground and the brown and the purple went to the capacitor, black to power. Then there were two smaller black wires attached to the capacitor and they lead out to other components. My new fan has a green wire, a white wire, a black wire, a brown wire and a brown and white striped wire. My problem is this: I don't know where to attach the white wire or what to do with the two smaller black wires that were attached to the old capacitor. I was told by the gentleman who sold me the fan that I splice the white wire to purple wire - then do I hook that to the capacitor? What do I do with the two smaller black wires that lead out to other components??? (Cap them off???) I am confused and need some advice!

4 Answers

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  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    did you get a new capaitor to go with the new motor if yes both black wires that were on the old capacitor go on the same set of terminals the purple wire goes on the new capacitor.. the purple wire on the old motor is the same as the white wire on the new motor...plus the brown wire with the white stripe is same wire as white wire...splice the white wire and the brown and white stripped wire to the purple wire.......the brown wire is the same as the orignal brown wire from the old motor and goes in same spot on the capacitor the other brown wire went from the old motor, should be on the other set of terminals on capacitor.....the black wire is the same as the other black wire from old motor and goes in its original place...the green is just a ground and needs to be put where the other green wire was...

    Source(s): 40 years master hvac tech
  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    You need to check the wiring diagram that came with the motor. It will show you what wires to hook where. The capacitor is supposed to be hooked into the starting windings of the fan to "kick start" it initally, then it drops out of the circuit, and the run windings take over. They probably cross-matched a motor, so the same hookups aren't an option, so you will have to go back to the place, take a drawing of what the wires coming out to the old motor are, and what the new wires to your motor are, and have them "connect the dots" so to speak to give you a new wiring diagram.

    Source(s): electric motor shop worker once upon a time....
  • 1 decade ago

    I suggest having a tech. wire it in for you, but your new motor should be wired this way, the black and white are your hot and common, so 208v unit, hook black wire to L1, white wire to L2, green is a ground, ground it to cabinet somewhere, brown goes to one side of run cap, brown/white goes to other side of run cap.

    if you are unsure about how to swap it out then seek someone with some electrical background or an hvac tech., dont hurt yourself or your equipment by doing it improperly, good luck with it!

    Source(s): Building Operations, LADWP
  • 1 decade ago

    You should send it to a qualified service agent. Air conditioners use the coolant as a lubricant for moving parts. Replacing a fan may look easy buy I believe there is a degree of calibration to consider. Especially with an AC unit from 1985.

    Source(s): Common sense
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