Really Odd Thing Happened to Me On This One!
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- Опубліковано 1 лют 2025
- In this video I visit a customer who’s heat pump wasn’t working. #hvacguy #hvaclife #hvactechnician #airconditioner #furnace #hvac #hvactrainingvideos #heatpump #hvacinstall #hvactroubleshooting #electrician #shocked @ruud
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There was a HVAC guy killed in our neighbor town about ten years ago because of this exact same thing. I used to think about the unit being "live" but I've gotten casual lately. This is a wake up reminder..
I do work on CATV transmission lines, one time working on underground lines we had dug a hole and kept getting shocked by the dirt itself in the hole, enough to hurt like here but not enough to harm us thankfully. Turned out to be a street lamp nearby its wiring was energizing the ground itself, never expected it or ever ran into it again so far. You do this stuff long enough you run into all kinds of oddball situations, glad you werent hurt Curtis.
Me too
Cheaper to buy a unit they spent to much money lol
@@Spec360 they may not have the money or are credit-worthy to buy a new system.- As along as Curtis is around, he'll keep unit going.- He doesn't have to give any extended warranties either!
4:18 - _There’s_ your high voltage to ground! The foil backed insulation is touching one of the heat strip overloads. Put the insulation back into place and _Viola!_ No more short. Since it was not a solid contact, the breaker doesn’t trip; nor, does the point of contact burn. EDIT: After watching the rest of your video, I see you concluded the motor was causing the short (8:36); but, notice here also the foil side of the insulation was no longer in contact with the terminal below. The motor _did_ need to be replaced because of the sloppy shaft; but, I suspect if you check the motor windings, they will ring true and will not be shorted to ground! If you still have that motor, check it. You may find that the short was cleared as soon as you moved the insulation off the heat strip terminal and not from pulling the leads from the blower motor.
This does not happen often, usually the breaker will trip when you have a bad motor, that was a good explanation of the electrical issue though in the other comment. However I just wanted to say you offer quality service and care about fixing things the right way. Nice to see, this is coming from someone in the feild for 20+ years and I work on anything from 1 ton mini split to 1500 ton centrifugal chillers. Job well done my man.
I loved how you repaired the insulation by mounting sheet metal to hold it in place.
Best way to do it.
That loose insulation looked like it was touching one of the hi limit cutouts. That was what most likely caused your shock. It would have also given you that resistance reading you got when testing the load side on the contactor. EDIT: Nevermind, commented before you found it on the dead motor.
How did he get shocked though? How did he complete the circuit so to speak.
@@jimdarhower4945 (Bear with the length of this answer, but it is a complex thing to fully explain.) The grounding of the unit might have been a bit weak, but the main reason is that electricity will take ALL available paths back to it's *source* (one path of which is through ground and/or neutral, and since Neutral is not present here, ground is the only other path.) How much of the current takes each path depends on the electrical resistance, and in this case Curtis, in contact with damp soil, made a path good enough to flow some of that current. There are videos on this topic that you can search for to get a more complete explanation.
S''j*jxv;&hhhhh*j*
@mxslick50 - that makes sense. Appreciate the reply.
@@jimdarhower4945 I also seen the pulled liner sucked into the blower and causing the unit to ice up! Mostly on convenience-store rooftop units!
That is why we touch equipment with the back of the hand,and disconects should not be behind condensers.2 cents.
Out in the country you can find all kinds of jobs.-
I recoiled instinctively when you got zapped, even though I knew it was coming! So glad you weren't hit harder!
Had a kitchen exhaust fan almost get me like that. Just got a tingle, and thought to check with my meter. Found entire fan chassis energized at 120V because a wire had chafed through. Some genius had stopped the breaker tripping by unhooking the ground wire at the panel! Bonus points for no disconnect on the roof and each leg coming from a breaker in a different panel.
had a 220 almost get me, between a roof-top, and the trans. was a good jolt.
I thought you were going to say the lady of the house 🏠 came out naked when you were working on the unit, lol...😅
Curtis, you have a gift for turning a sows ear into a silk purse, your customers must be some happy people.
Nice to see people good at their job caught on film
There is a break in the grounding somewhere in the unit, house, pole. The owner should call an electrician and have it checked out because if it the ground then other appliances could be energized too.
Nice job Curtis, I was in HVAC for 36 years and still baffled by the lack of use of anti seize compound on motor shafts. Just makes it easier next time 👍
Well Curtis the frame and cabinet is not a ground in and of itself. It has to be grounded by way of the AC supply. There must be a ground bond at the Main circuit breaker panel only. For you to get shocked there has to be two faults, one looks like it is the insulation blanket falling onto an exposed heater connection making the cabinet hot. The second fault is in the ground system where the ground conductor is open between the Air Conditioner and the Main Circuit panel in the house. That too must connect to earth ground on the utility pole which may be faulty creating a shock hazard for the entire house. You should report that to the utility to have them check that out ASAP.
Not the utility pole. The ground connection is normally done where the service enters the house, either with a grounding rod or a Ufer ground (rebar in concrete). Either this connection has failed (very dangerous but unlikely), or, more likely, the unit itself was never connected to safety ground by the installer.
There is most definitely an open somewhere in the grounding circuit of that system. What you experienced could have been a lot worse if your body would have been grounded more than it was. You might consider checking that out further or recommend an electrician get involved if you would rather not mess with it. PHEW!!
I would think the outdoor enclosure should be bonded to earth ground.
My bet. The insulation foil was resting on the motor breath/vent plate and caused your windings to thin the insulation. Very important for motors to breath and I’m surprised it lasted that long
I think it was the foil back insulation touching the heat kit. It 9nly did it in Heating correct?
I'm glad you survived, that was nasty. Try to stay safe.
I have experienced this a few times as well, its one thing i always check for now with the NCV function before i get to testing, usually poor grounding, or backfed circuits. Glad you are ok, that could have been the last thing you ever did. Be safe out there brother.
From what I seen it looked like the aluminum outer coating of the cabinet insulation when blower was running got pulled down to the strip heat terminals causing the unpainted portion of the unit become energized
Ya i had a hot unit once. Finally found a lighting circuit was rubbed through on the metal ductwork. No idea why it didn't trip but it was about 90 volts as well.
Too high of resistance through that duct path for enough current to flow, which means the breaker didn't see it as a fault, but as a small portion of the load. Same principles applied here with this AC unit.
Curtis, that should not have happened if the chassis bonding to the supply ground was intact but I guess over the years the metals got corroded and lost a good bonding ?
Thank goodness you weren't standing on wet grass, or in a small puddle, or this video could have had a completely different ending!
I was once working in another capacity for the newspaper I work for now, and I was out filling the metal newspaper vendor boxes in one section of a city. Every time it rained or it was foggy and I touched this one particular box, I'd get a definite tingle! The box was secured to a metal lamp post by a metal chain, so... Yeah. Fun times.
Nice work Curtis.
Glad you enjoyed it
Well done Curtis, another A/C up and running, you may score a new install down the track soon 👍 Au
With that chassis being hot like that, I would be concerned about a high resistant connection on the bonding.
Thank you for talking about your thought process as you troubleshoot. Thanks also for discussing why you take certain steps.
Glad it was helpful!
I thought maybe an unclothed woman with coffee and donuts greeted Curtis; well, you said it was something that shouldn't happen, didn't you? Just a little levity for the end of the week.😎
I thought the same thing at first. At least another underwear shot, lol.
He was definitely shocked when she showed up.
That was a shocking experience 😅
That motor must have had a winding grounding out on the frame. Probably an open or high resistance ground on the frame of that unit as well Glad it didn’t zap you too hard! Have a good Super Bowl weekend. None of mine made it so I doubt I’ll even try to search out a feed for the game
I like to use the OEM just makes it easier and no risk of overdraw amps in my opinion 😊
I had a similar problem a few years ago. I lost power to my garage and I was using a "Tic Tac Tracer" lookin' for power. Nothing. I stepped outside the garage and lit up a smoke and the Tracker touched the bush and I got power ! After digging, I found the roots ate the underground wiring and the bush was "HOT" ! The bush died after a year w/o power !
When you checked the fuse box in the unit after getting shocked, you said that it was grounded. Is the other end of the ground wire connected? You're right, you should not have gotten shocked by the case.
High resistance equipment ground? Not bonded in the load center? That draw bar barking up your shins? Reversing leads baking in the sun. 👍👍
Yikes. Thanks. Nice job.
Good work Curtis
Much appreciated
The ground wire may have been hooked up, but it either wasn't in the disconnect or no ground was available from the panel. The motor you replaced was probably shorted and it made the metal hot.
Could that insulation that fell over inside have caused a problem? Couldn’t tell if those were just limit switches or something higher voltage in there after the blower.
Oh, that’s high voltage! Could cause it to throw sparks.
it's only happened to me once, also on a package unit for a trailer, blower motor was the culprit
Didn’t know how you were going to get that insulation back securely,excellent macgyvering . And I told you before don’t ever touch anything with the front of your HAND, always use the back thank you😮
you're a nice, "chill" guy ! 🤣
Voltage to ground, I always worry about that on older homes. I have seen many times where the ground wires for a light fixture or whatever will be hooked to the common. I have even seen it on 220 appliances. So we have a 20 year old unit with all new parts. I guess if you think about it, the rest is just sheet metal. The furnaces worry me though, like the last one being so rusty. Anyhow, nice work. Also, I don't think .3 amps on a motor like that would make any difference, especially being lower.
I used to work for a satellite company and was sent to Lowe's to diagnose hum bars in the monitors. I disconnected the coax going outside to the satellite dish and it knocked me off a ladder. Long story short, the building was energized. I think it was something like 70 volts. Their maintenance didn't believe me so I ended up calling the light and power inspector. They found a main ground connector had high resistance somewhere. However the building was being energized by some bad lighting ballasts.
I think that foil insulation lying on the terminals was just enough to tickle you.
That's one way of waking up in the morning.
Heat strips almost killed me once. Was checking for cold air across the evaporator by feeling it through a small access hole. My knees were in the condenate water. Brushed the back of my hand across the heat strips accidentally and got knocked back about 5 feet. Scary lesson learned!
Yeah, home warranty companies will band aid things perpetually if possible. The last HVAC company I worked for did repairs for one of those places. Everyone thought they were going to get a new system for free. I think we might have replaced one furnace.
I had my kitchen sink countertop get me like that, just to make it short, the 1950s remodel buried 12 electrical boxes in plaster. They were all live, no covers. Just filled with plaster.
if you have proper ground wire shouldnt happen
You are right, but I have seen some crazy wiring.
Do you mean an equipment grounding conductor? I think current could be running on the EGC and the breaker would not trip. Seen that happen before.
Exactly@@Bob.W.
Good job.
Thanks!
Lately been testing any metal box with electrical equipment in it. Been shocked several times for weird stuff like this. Even like to check before I leave a site
Did you feel a tingle when touched the outside of the unit? Glad you are OK!!
No. I didn’t feel anything until it bit me
It seems the unit isn’t properly bonded/ground. Next time you’re there, with the disconnect off, measure voltage from L1 at the disconnect to the chassis of the unit, you should read full L1 voltage if the unit is properly grounded back to panel/ ground. If you dont read full voltage you may have a grounding problem.
Could it have been the foil on the insulation?
You added some real nice cut your arm open insulation repair screws!!!
Likely the replacement motor was more efficient, so therefore less amp draw.
Foil backed insulation near open terminals. Duct tape
I guess I don’t understand. How can something energize ground without tripping the breaker?
Not supposed to happen
Just as a question, why wouldn’t the breaker powering the unit trip if the shell had become live with 94 volts? I don’t understand why it wouldn’t travel back on the ground wire and trip it.
If you got shocked on the shell of that unit, the ground path has been lost somewhere between the unit and the electrical panel. Perhaps the electrical panel itself is no longer grounded.
WHAT??? A home warranty company that actually pays to repaire home HVAC units? "Ain't No Way!"
You need to promote this company or at least give them a shout out!
Wouldn't leave those condenser fan motor wires,they're hot even in the off cycle with a shunt pole contactor.
Nice watch
You know as well as I do, a lotta times them self tappers will only drill one new hole
Why isn’t the outdoor unit enclosure bonded to earth ground?
I can’t stand when homeowners awkwardly stand right behind me and ask a million questions
If it was properly grounded it *_COULDN'T_* shock anybody 🤔
Yes...and no. As I explained in another comment, since electricity will take all paths, it will divide amongst them, and Curtis just happened to be a part of it. But in this case the unit (or the house in general) most likely has grounding issues. A proper low resistance grounding path would make that current that Curtis experienced so small that it would not have been felt. (Or in the ideal world, totally eliminate it.)
Hi bro from west Alabama
Evening
@@HVACGUY what up
It appears that the unit was not properly grounded.
To people in the comments saying that there must be a bad connection or open in the ground wire, that is not necessarily required for a situation like this to occur.
It is not terribly uncommon for a motor or heating element failure to result in a high resistance short to ground that will cause current flow through the cabinet of the unit.
It won't always result in getting shocked when touching the unit, but if you make yourself a good path to ground, like sweating and kneeling on damp ground...⚡.
That would definitely charge you up in the morning 🔋 😮 for a day's work dude 😂
You got that right!
What would you guess the service life of an air conditioner in Tampa Florida to be? I bought a used house 20 years ago and I have never had any any problems with the air conditioning in hot Florida. Does anyone know the average service life of an air conditioner in Tampa Florida? Blue Sky's.
No question that unit is not grounded correctly or at all. I would not have just swapped a motor and ran. If they have a home warranty, let them get the electrician out to comb the rest of the circuit.
May I ask "Which Home Warranty Co" doesn't pay their bills?
I stay away from those home warranty companies.
That Darn inso is conductive
Looks to me as though it should be on the scap heap !
The problem was the insulation
It was the insulation 4:20
I never touch a unit until I wand it. The beep will warn you every time.
thats scary!!!!!!
RHEEM and RUUD are the two (2) “R’s” that Pay HVAC Tech Mortgages. 😬👍
More problems out of rheem than any other brand seems like Curtis is all he works on in videos crazy
Old Republic?
Yes
Nice lake?
After 20 years doing hvac ive decided theres no point. Its an abusive way to make money, nearly everyone i know in the business is poor, its just a no win job. The customers are terrible, everyone assumes your ripping them off. Your supposed to do everything free and if you work for someone else its feast and famine. The pissing macth between guys never ends. Arms folded home owners lurching over your shoulder all day. The job sucks so badly.
the new anti-theft device!
Pretty sure that case is not grounded or it should have tripped the breaker
Suprised you didnt get shocked when you first touched it
I didn't know Evaporator coils are now made from coal.
Helicopter 😮
Tech gets shocked and then goes home when finished for the day. Eats dinner, watches TV and what not. Goes to bed for the night and never wakes up again. Dead. What happened? Electrical shock disrupted the heart''s natural rythym and causes cardiac arrest in the middle of the night. This is why when you get shocked, you should goto the hospital to check your rythym via an EKG. Especially if it happens on work hours.
Obviously the ground was not connected or you would not have got shocked
The insulation was touching the limits of the heat pack. That probably how you were shocked.
Never trust anything electrically, always test,test, test and wear your gloves!
the entire unit is NOT poperly grounded!
👍👍😊😊🔊🔊
put that drill on max chooch!!!! you spin her slow.
Cheap costumer... I hate them... I would change the complete unit this is disaster
Hi sir I am AC technician I need job you are have ac technician job now i am Saudi Arabia I have experience 15 years
Unit is junk!!!!!!!!!
I like your videos, but you lack some etiquette, the way you handle ev 18:36 erything, I mean everything, theres just a lack of something, if you were my helper, you would make me very angry with your lack of professionalism. Its almost as if your lazy, but you gotta work to keep the bills paid. But the way you handle all the components, its rudeness, contempt, not enough gentleness , trust me, I have trained hundreds of helpers in 48 years, your lacking.