The condenser fan motor spins the fan on top of your outdoor unit. Its job is to pull outside air across the hot condenser coil so the heat your AC pulled from inside the house can be released. Without that airflow, the refrigerant cannot shed its heat, pressure and temperature climb fast, and the compressor overheats and trips off on a safety switch, often leaving you with a unit that hums but blows no cold air. Fan motors fail from worn bearings (you will hear grinding or squealing), age, or a bad capacitor that no longer gives the motor its starting push. A quick test: if the outdoor unit is running but the top fan is not turning, shut the system off and call for service, running the compressor without the fan can destroy it. There is also a separate indoor blower motor that moves cooled air through your ducts. Call LA Heating & Air at (818) 660-1062.
