cTc 2-101

1. Repeat compressor failures have plagued our industry for a, long timej This Service Training prdgram,
"Why Compressors Fail", is intended to make you
aware of thos things that may have caused the original
failure and if not eliminated will cause a repeat failure.

3.

The returns judged to be due to system or service

related problems showed evidence of electrical or
mechanical failures. These included broken valves,
scored shafts, bent rods, and overheating. Electrical
failures include single phasing, overheating, and control
problems. It was obvious in some cases that compressors
were misapplied, operated improperly, or not properly
cleaned up after a burnout.

2.

Statistics show that replacement compressors fail at

a rate

times higher than a first time installed

To try to determine the reason for this a
thorough teardown analysis was made on returned
replacement compressors. Over a third of these were
found to have failed due to system and service related
problems or were good compressors. The others failed
s_everal

compresor.

4.

So, you can see that your job is more than replacing
a compressor. It's making sure that whatever caused
the first failure s corrected.

due to electrical and mechanical defects or were so badly

damaged that the exact cause could not be identified.

2c

."

corPAisoa', oror tsur.a!I

$ tr\ rt S,1:.jr C,".,,

,, -,rtr,4

'i:

.9i.q...qg

?g,gnsin

Cantaminstior
- Usually results in bearing failure or
winding deterioration

--\

s un its

Overheating- Usually results in carbon and discolora-

tion.

Electrical

Usually results in motor winding over-

heating and failure.

j:'; -'

5. It is also clear that unless good clean-up procedure

is followed carefully and completely the replacement
compressor will have a short life.

1.

The first category to be covered is Slugging. This

can be -defined as a short term return of a mass of
liquid refrigerant, 'oil, or both to the compressor
cylindersinsteadofasuper-heatedgas.Ifsiugging

\
)

occurs'itwilloccuratstart-uporduringarapid
change in system operating conditions. It can sometimes
be detected by a periodic "knocking" noise at the com-

6, In this program we will look at the effects of

pressor. This is due to hydraulic compression, which is

when the compressor is trying to do what it wasn,t
designed to do, compress a liquid.

,.,'.

various system problems on the compressor. We,ll cover

things you should look for when replacing the compressor and make recommendations for prevention of

,::...'.: ':'

repeat failures.

,.-3
'+
,,{

:,,i
''
'

Many compressors fail because of these causes:

..:i

,3

Stugging- Usually resulting in a broken component.

-
,:,1

'-.

"{

it

Flooding
failure.

Usually resulting

in a lubricarion

:!;

.{

type

i
,e,

.t

Flooded Starts
- Could show up as a broken part or a
lubrication failure.

'

,,

:,

Loss of Lubrication
heated bearings.

Usually results in wiped or over_

.';

8.

The force that results when a compressor tries

to'l

compress a liquid refrigerant or oil is tremendous. pres_

sures of over a thousand psi can be reached in the

cylinder.

In this case the liquid slug punched a hole in the top of

the piston. In an open-type or semi-hermetic cornpressor, you would be able to see this failure once the
head was removed. This does not mean it happens in
every liquid slug failure, but it is a possibility.

': :ri.. i:,,i,t,i i ^,,j:rrr,.:.

'i1.':r iir,i_t:_:'. r. 'l

11. The compressor continued to run after the dis_

charge valve broke. Some of the fragments from the
broken valve dropped into the cylinder. Since the clearance volume was not large enough to handle this ,,extra',
material between the piston and valve plate, the piston
was severely damaged.

9. If

the piston survived the slug, the suction or dis_

rharge valve probably did

not.

_:,

Here, the slug bent the valve as it tried to push the valve

up through the port. Notice at one port, the

ii

slug

was successful.

5:S

12. A

blown cylinder head or a blown valve plate

gasket may also indicate a liquid slug. The gasket will

blow on an internal partition between the high and low
side.

If the compressor remained running, that particular

head where the failure occurred would run hot compared to the other cylinders.

10. Here's what a broken discharge valve looks like.

The slug had enough hydraulic pressure to break the
valve stop as well.

rl7
Lf

'.'":1.:1,

13. Liquid slugging can have this tragic effect on a

compressor. The connecting rods of crankshaft can
break. This type of failure would normally be from a
tremendous slug right at start-up.
.:.

15. As described earlier, slugging is the return of

liquid refrigerant or a slug of oil to the compressor. For
example, refrigerant can condense in any cold part of
the system during the off cycle. This could be the
evaporator coil or a water cooler. On the next start-up
this liquid could return to the compressor as a slug.

--/L:*+

''.9

14. Whenever mechanical damage is found in a semihermetic compressor, be sure to look for possible
damage to the motor. Pieces of the compressor can be
lodged in the stator or between the rotor and stator
and eventually cause a motor failure.
We didn't show you the effects on a piston wrist pin
assembly because it will come up later in the program.
But, from the damage you've seen, you know slugging
must be prevented.

To show you methods of prevention, let's start with

seeing the ways slugging may occur.

16. To minimize this condition a "single pumpout" control system can be used. In this system a
solenoid valve can be installed in the liquid line to
stop the refrigerant flow to the evaporator. The
thermostat operates the solenoid valve. The compressor
pumps down the system and a low pressure switch stops
the compressor. The compressor restarts when the

thermostat energizes the solenoid. "solenoid drop"

and "continuous pump-down" are other systems designed to decrease the possibility of slugging. Application of these methods depends on the design of the compressor and system. Check with the manufacturer for
recommendations.

17.

.An

oversized expansion valv can hunt badly,

especially under light load and cause a slug of liquid to

return to the compressor. In general, it is considered
good-practice to undersize rather than oversize an
expansion valve.

19. The design and installation of the suction line is in

many respects the most critical line in the whole system.
If a suction line is oversized, there will not be enough
velocity to return oil to the compressor. If undersize,
there will be an excessive pressure drop resulting in a

loss of capacity and an increase in superheat at the com_

pressor.

lE. Slugging is also the result of oil trapping, which

occurs when the suction gas does not have enough
velocity to return the oil t tne compressor. This can
occur in the suction riser at
on the diagram. The
oil settles in the evaporator O
oT in suction traps. This
condition is most often found on systems using com_

pressors equipped with unloaders when the compressor

runs unloaded for a long time.

20. Engineers use manufacturer's charts to design

piping. The piping thar is selected is based on the .upu.ity
of the system and on the refrigerant used. pressure
drop is based on length and size of tubing used and on
the number of- fittings. Operating conditions at full
load and partial load are taken into consideration. Note
that the chart shown is for R-12 and a specific operating
condition.

29

21. Still another cause for compressor failure is a

flooding situation. Flooding is the continoas return of
liquid refrigerant or liquid droplets in the suction vapor
to the compressor. It is normally associated with improper refrigerant flow control

23. If the flood back is severe enough, it can result

in damage to the pistons, rings, and valves because the
refrigerant wshes the oil off the bearing surfaces.
These pistons were removed from u .oirp..rror that was

monitored during a moderate flooded operation. There

is evidence of wear. Look at the discoloration of the
pistons and slight wear on the connecting rod bearing
surface.

22. The consequence of flooding is usually oil dilution. This will result in crankcase foaming and overheating ofbearing surfaces.

24. An oversized metering device or too low a superheat setting would allow more refrigerant to flow to the
low side of the system than the loading requires. The
refrigerant may flow back to the compressor in a saturated
state with entrained liquid droplets in the vapor. This
would gradually wash the oil off the lubricated surfaces.

In the case of a TXV, check to see if the sensing

bulb is in the proper location, in good contact with
the suction line, and insulated. Poor installation practice
cannot be compensated for by valve

adjustment.

;'\j:

30

l
'-:q
_t

,,}

[L-,
/ ---.+
l:

/
.J

'

,i

't
.t.
.{i

'i

:1

:r1

:\

:n .
(
---+1:
F.;;;*
;r..j
|.:",*.1'H.l

..-<.

. r'",(

coio cneruxcrse\

-i

r:-..........--.....- l

,r{

',i
. l'1

_-jL-

'1

.j
.j
j

'
urcu

:l

25.

Where non-load reacting metering devices such

as

capillary tubes or equlvalent are used, the systems are

often charge critical. For a given load, a certain

refrigerant charge is required to maintain an established

flowrate. Since this type of metering device does nol
react to load change, an overcharge of refrigerant can
raise the head, which in turn increases the ,,flowrate"
to a point where there is more flow than available
heat transfer. The lack of load in the evaporator
prevents all the liquid frm boiling off causing liquid
floodback to the compressor.

27,

Flooded starts are a result

case absorbing refrigerant. Oil

ene

-__::-s.''"
a'-'tql'*}

ssune) :H;&
l,-

j
.\

--

of the oil in the crank,_

will absorb refrigerant

under most circumstances. The amount absorbed is a

function of the temperature of the oil and rhe pressure

in the crankcase. The lower the

temperature and the

higher the pressure, the more refrigerant absorbed. In
some cases.the refrigerant

oil mixture will stratify with

the refrigerant rich mixture at the bottom, unfortunately

near the oil pump intake. Aiso, unfortunately,

refrigerant is a poor lubricant.

v,

\. (.

l'

r,

),(.\

\'!

.}'l.t

26. Low load on the evaporator can cause a floo.ding

condition. The low load can be caused by low air
quantity. There are many reasons for low air flow such as
dirty filters, air restriction, air bypass, and dirty fan
wheels. Under these conditions the coil tends to frost
which just adds to the problems. And even a properly
sized expansion valve will tend to hunt.

28. This condition usually occurs during shutdown.

On start-up the lubrication received by the bearing will
at best be marginal but in addition to that, as the crankcase pressure drops, the refrigerant

will flash from a

Iiquid to a gas causing foaming. This can cause restriction

in the oil passages and cause pressure to build. It can
also cause enough oil and liquid mixture to enter the
cylinder causing a hydraulic slug and damage previously
described under slugging.

31

./v'
I

1.. q

..'\

{th,

-{.
':t

k/

L-

**.rr*f

,lirF

-*_
,- {j q*)
..

r-\

.--\ i
\ ;*- z:

7'"

,i

l,!

29. Damage from a flooded start may be an immediate

scramble, broken valves; or blown gaskets.
The failure may come on gradually

if

there is a partial

of lubrication for some period of time after startup or if a major portion of the oil is pumped out of the
loss

31.

Because of the hydraulic slugging effect of flooding, the compressor will either blow a gasket as shown
on the left or damage a valve as shown on the right.
Let's see what damage this can cause to other com-

ponents in the compressor.

crankcase during a flooded start.

In these

cases, the compressor failure is due

to a lack

of lubrication.

TUBRICATION
CYCLE

otL
PUMP

CRANKCASE

32. All compressors except the welded hermetic use an

oil pump to force oil to the different load bearing

surfaces. However, splash lubrication still plays an
important role in the lubricaion cycle.

30.

The usual result of inadequate lubrication as occurs

on a flooded start, is that the bearing surfaces are overheated and scored. Not all the surfaces will have uni-

form damage since the quality of the oil changes as it

flows through the oil passages. The bearings closest to
the oil supply will usually. show the severest damage,
because as the oil-refrigerant mixture passes through the

The crankcase is in a refrigerant oil-vapor atmosphere.

Since the oil is more dense than the refrigerant vapor
it collects on the different surfaces and components

within the compressor housing.

Now let's

see

how the wrist pin area gets it's lubrication.

crankshaft, the refrigerant will flash off so that near the

end

of the lubrication

cycle, the

oil will nearly be

refrigerant free.

32

:1:g
d

.r.

r:i

:J

or a reversal of forces from taking place. The result is

that the bottom of the wrist pin never gets lubricated
and the friction causes the following result:

'l

,:.]

:5

il

-:t;

"-1

4 *.-' ..

+.1;

,:

i*lii
P:1:i{

33.

This is a connecting

rod-the wrist pin

r:jfT$
;, '-q \

At the
top is an oil reservoir'with a hole that goes down to the
oil groove that centers in the wrist pin hole. Let's see
end.

how the oiling system works:

t,ts
j'{i
:*"{l}

t! \t':,3
irr'

35.

DOWNSTROKE UPSTROKE

The wrist pin hole in the connecting rod will wear

like this.

As mentioned before, the compressor will operate hotter

than normal. The noise level will increase and have a
rattling sound. The wear contributes to problems on
other components such as rod damage, cylinder wall'
damage, or bearing surface failure.

WRIST
PIN

CONNECTINC

34.

This is the connecting rod and wrist pin in

cross_

section with clearances exaggerated for illustration.

On the downstroke the oil splash system gets oil to the

reservoir. The connecting rod pulls on the wrist pin

which allows the oil in the oil groove to flow around
and

lubricate the lower part of the pin.

On the upstroke the forces reverse. The connecting rod

pushes on the wrist pin closing the clearance
at the

bottom of the pin and opning up a gap at rhe top.

This allows oil to drain down from the reservoir and
flow around the top of the pin. Notice at the bottom
that when the dlarance was taken up, oil is forced
laterally to lubricate the length of the wrist pin.

'"''l'':'"4

36, A flooded crankcase can be minimized by proper

refrigerant charging and having the correct amount of
oil in the crankcase. This avoids having an excessive

refrigerant

to oil ratio, Follow the manufacturer's

recommendation.

When a discharge valve has failed, the pressure on

the
top of the piston remains high and prevents this action

JJ

:"

case of a reciprocating compressor. The successf,

operation of the system requires that this oil returns
the same rate at which it leaves the compressor.

37, Cankcase heateii are often

used

temperature of the oil.

to raise the

On larger split system units ,,singie pump_out" control

may be used to keep the crankcase pressure low. Crank_
cas heaters can"also be used.

i.
1

ll

JI
lij

1.
I'l'

1,,

Earlier we said that oil absorbs refrigerant when it,s

cold and under high pressure.

None of these precauiions will keep the refrigerant out

of the oil if the devices are not working properly. Be
'ure to check out the crankcase heaters an
the operat_

39. Causes of oil leaving at an excessive rate are

those usually associated with oil foaming. These include
flooding, overcharge of oil, and use of non_approved
oil.

rng seunc when replacing the compressor.

Also be sure to energize the crankcase heaters before

starting the compressor. Most recommendations are to
have the heaters energized 24 hours before start_up.

40,

Reasons

for oil not returning at a satisfactory

rate include low refrigerant velocity, low load, short

cycling, trpps, a4d piping errors.

38.

Lack of lubrication can result, of course, from

just the absence of oil in the crankcase.

)uring normal operation some oil will leave the crank-

34

.t

-t
.U

41. The results of lack of lubricatioh are overheating

and scored baring surfaces, usually uniform throughout the compressor.

43. Here the oil passage in the crankshaft has been

plugged by solid contaminants. Although the oil screen
will filter out large

particles, fine material can pass

through and plug crankshaft oil feed holes.

*'ft-

Then, without proper lubrication, bearing surfaces will

overheat and seize to the crankshaft.

' f... "

' . '.'.1-

'"":.*?"

/a
-.J

42. Contamination is a major cause of compressor

wear and failure. It is the presence of foreign substances in the refrigeration system that may ca'use a
chemical reaction or change the chemical composition
of materials within the system.
Contaminants include moisture, air, non-condensibles
along with chips of copper, steel, or aluminum, copper
oxide, iron oxide, copper chloride, iron chloride,
welding scale, brazing or soldering flux, and many other
types of dirt that might enter a system accidentally
during installation or servicing.

44. Contaminants,

unless they are really obvious,

of failure. We always

are often overlooked as the cause

see them after the fact.

Take this situation: The motor appears to have failed

electrically, which it did. But, the real reason for the
failure was the fact that the solid contaminants, the
carbon and sludge, plugged the oil suction screen ahd
lube passages to the main bearing preventing proper
lubrication. The main bearing failed which caused the
rotor to drop onto the stator. As the machine continued
to operate, the metal filings from the rotor and stator
rubbing, were forced into the slots in the stator. The
filings penetrated the insulation, shorting the windings to

the stator, causing the motor to fail. What started

2E
!rr,

as

dirt or some other contaminant in the system ended up

in motor failure.
The Iesson to be learned here is to avoid bad habits
when servicing. For example, don,t wipe the replace_
ment parts with a work rag. probably the rag is oily,
the oil picked up dirt, and the dirt will end up in the

system.

46. Different contaminants can cause differnt types

of failures. Air or other non-condensibles displace the
refrigerant in the condensers resulting in higher than
normal head pressures and temperatures. A typical
result of high temperatures and contaminants is the

45. On the left is a clean

head. On the right is a

\ead that has a sludge buildup because:contaminants
.ere left in:a system from a previous motor burnout.
The buildup was.causd simply because of inadequate
cleanup after burnot. Motor burnouts are a direct
result of excess heat and in every case will form
acids and carbonized sludge. The amount will be pro_
portional to the severity of the burn.
The point to learn here is always make sure you do

good job of cleanup after burnout.

carbonization of oil on the discharge valves, guides, and

cylinder heads. The hottest parts in the compressor
are the valves and guides. The greater the buildup, the
more likely compressor failure. The iron in the valves,
acting as a catalyst, promotes a chemical reaction
between the refrigerant and oil soluble compounds.
This results in a buildup of film on the valves,hd
guides. In time, the film will build up to a point where
valve leakage will occur. The temperature at the valves
and guides may be anywhere from iS to 50 degrees hotter
than the discharge line temperature.

47. Moisture in the system caused this electrical failure.

If moisture is the contaminant in a system, it has two

primary detrimental effects. First, it will react with the

refrigerant to form qcid and second, it could freeze at

the expansion device-a factor to be

especially

considered

with heat pumps which operate at lower

,-

JO

temperatures than straight cooling systems. Low tempera-

ture refrigeration applications are also affected in the

same manner. The application of the compressor may
b3 different, but the problems with acid are the same.
The acid may be a long-range problem affecting different components of the system. An acid cused
problem may not show up right away. Here, the acids
gradually ate the terminal wires until the compressor
failed, electrically. Keep in mind, the cause of this
electrical failure was due to moisture.

49. A refrigerant system is intended to contain only

refrigerant and oil. Anything else comes under the
heading of a contaminant.
Contaminants must be eliminated at the time of lnstallation or at the time of service. Here's how to do
this:

Air

evacuate

Moisture
- dehydrate
Chips and dirt
work carefuly and use strainers and
- filters
Acid
replace oil andlor the filter drier

48.

This was a sight glass. The acid (hydroflouric)

was strong enough to etch the glass. If the acid is
powerful enough to do this to glass, imagine what it
would do to skin.

If

you have to go into a system where failure occurred,

wear safety goggles and acid-resistant gloves.

50.

Compressors generate heat. Heat

of compression,

thermal losses from motor windings, the heat gained

from friction at load bearing surfaces are the normal
sources for heat, and all compressors are designed to
tolerate these normal thermal gains.

37

51, 275F is the highbst temperarure that you

should
.
read at the discharge line for most applications. your
reading of 275F means that the temperature
at the
discharge vlve may be 300 to 325F. At these
higher
temperatures refrigerant and oil start to break
down and
a failure is not far off.

53.. Let's sroup the reasons for overheating into two

basic categories: refrigeration and electrical. On
the
refrigeration side, one of the most common causes
of

overheating is the improper setting of controls.

These controls could be a TXV, automatic expansion

valve, evaporator pressure regulator, hot gas by_pass,
unloaders, pressure control switches, or thJuse of non_
essential devices in refrigerant piping which could
con_
tribute to high return gas superheat.

High return gas superheat is not only caused by im_

proper control settings. you might have a piping problem
or lack proper insulation on the suction tine tuUing.

+'t8

+36 .

+54

+72

52, Now, what happens when the compressor is subjected to conditions other than
what it was designed
for?

Laboratory tests show that with each lgoF rise

in

dis_

charge temperature above normal, the

chemicar reaction

between refrigerant and moisture, acid

and oxides, acid
and oil, and refrigerant and oil within a system
doubles.

Doubling the chemical reaction very quickly

begins to
subject the compressor to destruction. The harmful
effects of the acids, however, don't just limit
themselves
to the compressor, but can cause harm to the whole

system.

*ixn;";i;,;;;;

1. Hermetic compressors are cooled by suction gas.

The ability of the suction gas to cool the windings
is a function of the gas flow and the temperature of

the gas enfering the compressor.

At air conditioning levels the maxintum return

temperature at the compressor

65F. For R-502 this is 7SF.

for

gas

R_12 and R_500 is

The suction gas superheal at the compressor in an R-22

system should not exceed l5F for a hermetic or 25F for
an open compressor. In any case, do not exceed published ratings.
These rules do not necessarily apply to heat pumps and
packaged units. Follow the instructions that apply to the

unit.

for an 06LA2l4 compressor t +Of, sucrion and l30F

condenser using R-22, the maximum compression ratio
is 4 to l. This same compressor using R-502 on
refrigeration duty (-30F suction, l20F condenser)
of 12.4 to l.

is

rated at a maximum compression ratio

The point of this is that the maximum compression ratio

is a function of the application of the compressor. Here
the compression ratio went from 4 to I to 12,4 to I by a

change in refrigerant and operating conditions. Both

compression ratios are acceptable in their particular
application.

55. Bear in mind thar heat is added to rhe sucrion gas

as it flows from the evaporator to the cbmp..rro.. Th.
amount of heat can be excessive if the suction line is
long, uninsulated, or runs through a hot space such as
an equipment room.

56. High compression ratios are also cause for over_

heating. Compression ratio is the ratio of the psia dis_
charge to psia suction.
..:3 The maximum

'

acceptable compression is set by the

manufacturer's rating for that compressor. For example,

57, High compression ratio is due to low suction pressure, high head pressure, or a combination of both.

58. Low suction is caused by low load, evaporator

problems, or operating the compressor below design
conditions.

High head is the more likely cause of high compression

ratios. Look for things such as dirty condensers, high

JY

remperature ambient air, condenser

fan problems, and
-rn-condensibles. On water cooled equipmeht also look
for scaled condensers, high inlet *ut.i t.*p.rature, and
low water quantity.

' i::_ :,.'

[l['ik,
60.

The high discharge temperatures can also

worn or seized pistons or scored cylinder walls.

59.

One component which suffers accelerated wear

from the effects of high discharge

pressures and
temperatures is the suction valve. On the left you can see

the outline of the suction pbrt which has worn into

the valve. This wear has a tendency to weaken the valve,

'' rs causing a failure.

On the right we show what forces actually do

damage.

re
iG

\.e re

the

During the high head operation, extra pressure forces

the suction valve to flex more than it's designed to. This
extra flex combined with higher than normal tempera_
tures will exaggerate the wear pattern on the valve.
Since this flexing is happening many times per minute,
it is amazing the valve can take the abuse as long as
it does.

t^*

(}ff

61,. Some contaminants are formed within the system

of excessive heat. This causes a reaction between
the oil, and the refrigerant. In some cases heat will
break down system ingredients, primarily oil, somewhere around 300F to form a sludge and coat internal
surfaces with carbon. We see it here on the left valve_
plate. The valveplate on the right is how one should
because

look on a normal operating system.

:40

62. Finally, since the high temperatures cause the oil

to break down to form sludge, carbon, and other
deposits, proper lubrication would be nearly impossible.

On the right is an oil pump suction screen that is clogged.

The screen on the left is from a compressor that is
operating normally.

64. In a three-phase compressor, motor failure can

of voltage and current unbalance.

happen because

There are two types of problems which cause an increase

in temperature that may go unnoticed for a long perio'

of time.
The maximum allowable voltage unbalance fo, *i.raing
to winding is 2Vo. What this means is that if the voltage
unbalance were more thanZVo, the temperature rise, in.
percnt, generated at the windings would be equal to
double the square of the voltage unbalance.

'::

a'

r .

,i.

"i:r:

VOLTACE
UNBALANCE

'l''

63.

Copper plating is a phenomenon that is not clearly

'understood.

It is a result of a combination of con_

taminants, the type of oil used, ana frigir'temperature.

The gradual buildup of copper plating on bearing
sur_
faces reduces the clearances and results in increased

friction. This in turn causes higher temperatures and

decreases the

life of the compressor.

:,-ll

.
"'
,. .i

,1

-l

-,J

65. Therefore, a voltage unbalance of 2go would cause

an 890 increase in winding temperature; 3Vo an lg7o
increase; and at only 5go voltage unbalance, the winding
temperature has soared to 50go over normal.

41

66. To check voltage unbalance take the voltage read_

ings between phases at the disconnect or the compressor
contactor-while the compressor is opening.
For example, if:

'

=
=
:

=
=
=

2l5y

'on
would cause a higher resisiance on ihut teg
than
L2
and L3. Look at the lower chart. As w-e

221Y
224Y

know, the

current will follow the path of the least resistance.

This
causes the current to increase in tfre
otfrer 1egs.

Highe.

iivided by 3 or 220y

current causes more heat to be generated

in the windings.
Percent of current unbalance is calculated
like voltage.

ih phase by getting the

Single.phasing, a condition where one leg

of a three_ ',*
phase system is lost, will react
much the-same as the
conditions just described, but the end results
of motor
failure may be more rapid.

220
221
224

of carbon or dirt on one set

as our problem l;cj iil;

of contacrs. (Ler's use LI

iding and rhe average:

L3 to L1

unbalance necessarily exists. Take a three_phase

situation
where there is a loose terminal connectio;
on one Ieg or

where there is a buildup

L1toL2
L2toL3
L3toL1

L1toL2
L2toL3

67. Voltage unbalance will cause a current unbalance

but a current unbalance does not
-.u, ,hu, a voltage

215
220

220

=5V

,lv

=4V

Five volts is the maximum unbalance. Use

formula: 9o Unbalance is the maximum

it in the
unbalance

goUnbalance=

5 xl00=

220

2.27v0

This voltage unbalance s greater than 2Vo

and, there_
fore, is not acceptable. The customemf,oul
be advised.

68.

When a three-phase motor single phases, one

phase is unaffeCted but the other two generally
show
signs of overheating.

4?

The pattern of failure shows up in this slide. One phase

is bright and shiny and clearly unaffected. This was the
open phase. The other two phases-are burned.
What happens in single phasing is that if the compressor
is operating and one phase of a three-phase motor opens,
the motor may continue to run. However, the other two
phases will attempt to pick up the load that the lost
phase was carrying. The current draw of the remaining
two phases will increase to about 1 % times its normal
running current. If the compressor is loaded, it will push

the current draw of the motor beyond the ,,must, trip

current of the overload prorection. Under light loa
conditions, the current may not reach the trip current
of the overload and remain running, only the windings
will run hot.

70. In a single-phase

motor, another cause for over_

faulty or improper startgear. It could be the
start or run capacitors oi uny -of the contactorrelay devices used in conjunction with the startgear.
Without the proper voltage and micro_fared rating,
the compressor would not operate within the design
tolerance or possibly it would fail to srart. If
it fails
to start, it could cause a locked_rotor situation which
brings on overheating of the start windings and
rapid
heating is

Once the motor stops, generally it can't restart, tripping

on the overload protectors again and again. This normally
leads to motor failure.

failure.

69. Another cause of overheating is from too high or

too low an incoming voltage condition. This is where

the voltage is outside of the maximum_minimum

limits
set by the manufacturer of the equipment. For
a com_
pressor with a single rating of Z3O volts,

Iimits are within

the operating

t}a/o

of

230 volts (207 to 253V).

On a dual-rated voltage unit, such as

ZOg/230
volt system, the operating parameters are within
l0go
below the 208 and l0go above the 230
nameplate
voltage (187 to 2S3V).

71, Finally, one of the causes of over-heating, often

overlooked as a cause of compressor failure, is rapid_

cycling. The start-stop cycling on controls and salety

devices can result in shorted motor windings. Here

how

it happens:

Each time the motor starts, the current draws locked

rotor amps. It takes a few minutes of running to get rid
of the heat caused by locked rotor current. Frequent
cycling causes a buildup of heat because the hear from
the previous start has not been removed.

43

In addition, wires and end turn coils in the motor can

also rub together due to induced wire vibration that
occurs during rapid current and temperature changes.
This happens every time the motor starts. In the case of

many starts, wire rubbing eventually results in the erosion

of the insulation causing a short.

Carrier's time guard circuit is designed to prevent/this

from happening.

-2. A

substantial number of returned compressors

diagnosed in the field as having failed, are actualiy good

comBressors,

permit the internal overload to close.

2)

Not having

3)

Using the wrong meter scale.

4)

Not interpreting meter readings correctly.

5)

Not checking fuses, overloads, and controls.

74.

good VOM to check motor windings.

6) Not checking contactors, wires, and terminals,

"

How does this happen? We,re not sure, but we suspect

that the mechanic may have jumpted to a conclusion
without a thorough investigation or lacked the proper
tools or instruments to make the correct decision.
Here
are some of the things we suspect:

7)

Not checking voltage at startup.

8)

Pressures

e)

Not checking start capacitors and relays.

not equalized.

c0'r1 i1t6a 'rrol uii\rj{ri

,.rr6r,n !fn,tc!,.,n Lh to. r.,

. l) Not

allowing the compressor to cool down to

75. OK, Iet's say your diagnosis is correct. The compressor has failed and must be replaced.
44

L,

Follow good cleanup and replacement

procedures

completely. Taking short cuts may allow you to get the

system running but increases the chance of a repeat
failure.
Replacing a compressor is a costly operation to all conif not done properly can lead to a repeat

cerned and
failure.

f-i

This concludes our program: ,,Why Compressors

Fail". It was written ana proOuce V the Carrier
Service Training Department at Syracuse, New york.

78.

For additional information on compressors we suggest

you read our manuals: GTA-7 ,,Be Compressor Wise"

and the l6 chapters of the GTR series.

76. Before leaving the job, take time to check for

;.auses of the compressor failure. Eliminate problems if
possible or bring them to the attention

of your

service

manager or the customer' and recommend corrective

action because:

,
Wet-bulb

(F)

.0

.2

.4

.6

40

15.23

41

15.70

42
43
44

15.32
15.80
16.27
16.76
17.25

15.42
15.89

troo

16.17
16.66
17.15

45
46
47
48

17.65
18.1 6

50

20.30
20.86
21 .44
22.02
22.62

il

55

56
57
58

59
60
61

will fail.

19.21
19 _75

51

a compressor fails and the cause has not been

determined and eliminated, the replacment compressor

18.68

.49
52
53

17. If

Btu per pound

AIR ENTHALPY AT SATURATION of div air

23.22
23.84
24.44
25.12
25.78

29.31

65
btt
67
68
69

30.06
30.83
31.62
32.42
33.25

16.3 7

6.46

1 5.61
16.08
16.56

16.85

6.95

17.05

17.35

7.45

17.55

17.75

17.85

18.26
18.79
19.32
19.85

18.37
18.89
19.43

17.96
18.47
19.00
19.53

18.06
18.58
19.1 0
19.64

19.9*

20.08

20.19

20.41

20.53

20.64

20.98
21.55
22.14
22.74

21 .O9

21.21

21.67
22.26
22.46

21.78

20.75
21.32
21.90
22.50
23.10

23.34

23.47
24.10
24.74

27 _85

28.57

22.38

22.9a

25.25
25.92

25.38
26.05.

23.59
24.22
24.86
25.52
26.19

26.60
27.29
27.99
28.72
29.46

26.74
27.43
28.14

26.47
27.57
28.28

28.A7
29.61

29.O1

29.76

28.43
29.1 6
29.91

30.21

30.37

30.52

30.68

30.99
31.78
32.59
33.42

3't .1 5
31 .94

31 .30

31 .46

32.10
32.92
33.75

33.08
33.92

23.97.
24.61

26.46
27.15

62
63
64

5.51

.8

32.75
33.59

23.72
24.35
24.99
25.65

26.32
27.O1

27.70

32.26

l.{

3 rl Sti,
?:

l:llj'!'13

e 3 i),,,,r.

(,.