# Carrier air handler blower part



## pwrengineer (Sep 20, 2007)

I have a carrier FK4C NF003 000 air handler with an ICM2 blower motor problem. On startup, it rocks back and forth for three minutes, then shuts down. If I spin it by hand it starts and runs up fine, no excess vibration and it slows down nicely on shut down. I ran the control board tests and checked voltages at the 12 pin plug, all look OK. 

When I went to a carrier dealer for a new ICM motor, he will not sell me one but they will replace it for $1,800 if it is ONLY the motor. New control board and troubleshooting are extra. Ouch.

I went to the web and found carrier parts are hard to find! I found that the motor is a GE ECM motor with a customized progam. I pulled the motor (HD44AE132) and checked the windings. All pairs are 12 ohms, high impedance to ground so it is probably just the module. I see there is a replacement module RMOD44AE132 for this motor.

I found AMERICANHVACPARTS.COM has the part, but I am not sure if they are a relaible source. The part is so expensive and I cannot return an electrical part, so I am hesitant to order.

Has anyone used this source? Does anyone know where I can find a place to buy this module? Am I foolish to save $400 by just replacing the module instead of the whole motor @$600.

Thank you in advance. This site is great!


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## abhac (Sep 29, 2007)

i am a licensed contractor in florida and in my area i can only buy the motor and module together from carrier. you are correct that it is most likely just the module though.


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## dakurk (May 24, 2010)

*carrier air handler blower part*

I am a hvac contractor. i just had the exact same problem. ended up being the motor. need at least 100 ohms equal across motor. even though everything checked out OK on the motor, i installed a new module which did not solve the problem. will be calling carrier techs this morning. has to be the motor. all the signals from the board were right on. very mad. i get parts wholesale and they are still outrageous. an entire new motor with module use to be 350 dollars. no more.


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## PSDENGINEER (Apr 15, 2011)

*Carrier-Bryant FK4CNF003 HD44AE132 ICM2 blower motor shorted coil fix*

I also had a similar problem with a Carrier-Bryant HD44AE132 ICM2 blower motor rocking, but wouldn't start, even when I tried to spin it. The voltage checks were good, so I pulled the motor and checked the coil resistance measurements. Instead of 12, 12, 12, I got 4, 8, 9. I assumed one of the 18 coils was shorted, but none of them were burned or discolored. So I removed the coil assembly and inspected it more carefully. I found a half-inch long burnt spot on two of the lacquer-covered copper wires that ran between two of the 18 coils. The wires had been touching each other, similar to many others, but for some reason the lacquer insulating coating had failed on these two. Fortunately, the wires had not welded themselves to each other. I was able to separate them by carefully poking a very fine screwdriver tip between them. After I had them separated, I inserted a strip of plastic between them that I had cut from a microwave frozen dinner tray. Then I re-checked the coil resistances, and got 11, 11, 11. This appeared close enough, so I reassembled and reinstalled the blower motor, and hooked it up. It started up and ran great, and has been working fine for more than a week now. The shorted coils did not cause any damage to the electronic module, as it is the same one it had on it. This motor was only about 2.5 years old, and was a warrantee replacement for one that was 8.5 years old. I live in the lightning capital, so I think this might have been due to a voltage surge. I am now looking into getting a surge protector installed on my electric meter. When I looked for prices for a new motor, they ranged from about $650 up to around $1000 or so. So this simple fix saved me from having to buy a new motor. Hopefully, someone else will read this and save themselves a bundle of money too! :icon_cheesygrin:


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## yuri (Nov 29, 2008)

I especially like the frozen dinner tray insulator. MacGyver would be proud:thumbup::thumbup:


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## PSDENGINEER (Apr 15, 2011)

Thanks! I had first tried electrical tape, but there wasn't enough room between the wires to get it in there. The strip of plastic was stiff enough that I could push it into the small space between the wires...


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## yuri (Nov 29, 2008)

I prefer the Plumbers 'secret weapon"


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## PSDENGINEER (Apr 15, 2011)

I thought of that, but wanted something that was "instant" and that I could visually see that the fine wires were definitely not touching. after I finished. If i covered them up with caulk, i wouldn't know how much space was between them. They were still very close together even after I had spread them apart (they were very tight and didn't want to risk breaking them). The plastic shim forced them apart, which the caulk wouldn't have done...


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## yuri (Nov 29, 2008)

I was making fun of plumbers and yes I did plumbing in a hospital and an old folks home and used lots of silicone and red rubber gasket material for "special projects". There is spray types of varnish, not sure if it is good for high temps though. Sounds like your system works well though.:thumbsup:


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