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How An Air Conditioning Repair Technician Can Replace A Damaged Condenser Fan Grille

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If a heavy object fell on top of your air conditioner during a storm, part of the grille may be bent downward. This could cause the fan to catch on it as the blades spin. You might be able to bend the grille back so the fan doesn't scrape it, but a more permanent repair is to have an air conditioning repair service replace the grille. Here's a look at how it's done. 

Find An Exact Replacement Part

Air conditioner brands differ, so your AC technician has to find an exact match for the old fan grille so the new grille fits into place. Once that's done, the repairs start by removing the old grille.

Take Off The Damaged Grille

While replacing a damaged condenser fan grille isn't too difficult, it involves a lot of steps since there are several screws and wires that have to be removed first. The technician starts by removing the side panel on the AC that reveals the capacitor, contactor, and wiring.

The technician discharges the capacitor so they can work safely. Also, the power to the AC has to be shut off. Then the technician removes the wires that go to the fan motor from the capacitor and contactor. They may also need to cut the zip ties that hold the wiring in place.

After that, the technician can take out all the screws that hold the grille to the top of the condenser. Depending on the brand and model of your AC, this could be a number of screws since the top of the condenser may need to be unscrewed first.

Once the grille is freed, it can be turned over to unscrew the fan blades and then the motor. When those are off, the grille is free to be thrown away and the new grille can be put on.

Put On The New Grille

This air conditioning repair is tedious but fairly simple to do. Putting on the new grille is done by following the instructions above in reverse. The grille is attached to the fan motor and blade and then screwed back on top of the condenser. The wiring is connected to the capacitor and contactor, and then the side cover is put back on. The final step is to restore power and make sure the fan blade can spin without touching the new grille.

This air conditioning repair may not seem like it's all that important, but a bent grille may not protect your condenser very well. Plus, there's always the risk of the fan scraping the dented area. If you don't replace the grille and your AC is damaged further, your warranty or insurance may not cover the damage if it happened due to neglect by not putting on a new grille.

Reach out to a local HVAC contractor to learn more about air conditioning repairs.


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