External Air Conditioner Compressor

[hockd]

I am not sure if this is the correct place to post but here goes. One of the fellows I work with lost his central air to an earwig that got caught in the contactor on the external compressor unit. It got fried and apparently insulated the contacts so the compressor would not start. After removing it and light ly cleaning the contacts all is fine.

He is inquiring if there is anything that we could suggest to put on or around the contactor. I have suggested that he contact the manufacturer to see what they might propose but thought as this is somewhat electrical related someone else may have a better idea.

Thank you in advance,

Dennis Hock
DTE Energy
Detroit

 

[Dennis Alwon]

The chances of that happening are very small. I would not try to modify any part of the unit as it will probably never happen again.

I did have a problem with a time clock and ants. Same situation--every week the ants would take over the enclosure- I finally had to move the timer indoors.

 

[masterinbama]

They make sealed contactors but I don't think they are worth the cost.

 

[Mgraw]

As Dennis Alwon said it is rare. In 35+ years I have only seen it happen more than one time to the same unit once. That location had a severe ant problem. Once the ants were taken care of I never had a problem with that unit again.

 

[Jraef]

I think I heard Werner von Siemens once say
"Bugs been berry berry goot to me!"*

Not much can be done about bugs getting into outdoor equipment. There is no cost effective way to seal it up tight enough and poisons just make them die quicker, but Murphy's Law says they will still die in the worst possible spot. That said, most HVAC contactors are the cheapest Definite Purpose open design contactors out there. If you replaced it with a properly sized IEC contactor, the moving parts are a lot less accessible. Not impossible, but less likely that they will make it a home.

*Obscure reference to an old Saturday Night Live recurring sketch by Garrett Morris where he is a retired Cuban baseball player who can hardly speak English but is a sports commentator anyway and ends his segments saying "Beisbol been berry berry goot to me."