When your Carrier furnace fails to work as it should, there are several potential causes. An outdated or damaged inducer motor is among the most common culprits. An old or malfunctioning inducer motor can cause several issues in your home. With a faulty inducer motor, it won't circulate warm air throughout your home during winter.
The same is true for cooling since the blower would not start, which would cause the cool air to circulate. This can be an annoyance when it happens. The good news is that replacing a faulty inducer motor on a Carrier furnace is manageable, and you don't need any special expertise or tools.
To replace the inducer motor on a Carrier furnace, follow these steps:
- Shut off power to Carrier furnace.
- Remove covers and hood.
- Disconnect hose and other attachments from inducer motor.
- Remove inducer motor.
- Clean and inspect inducer motor.
- Install new inducer motor.
- Install covers and connect hose and other attachments.
Replacing an old or malfunctioning inducer motor on your Carrier furnace can be intimidating at first, but it is easy to do. We will guide you on how to do so and also provide helpful tips such as other things to look out for in your furnace. Keep reading to learn more about these in detail!
Replacing An Inducer Motor On Your Carrier Furnace
Carrier takes pride in being a world leader in high-technology heating, air-conditioning, and refrigeration solutions.
In homes, customers worldwide rely on Carrier for innovative solutions and services to address their most essential needs and significant challenges.
However, no matter how good the furnace initially performs, issues are bound to occur for various reasons. Some of these may require you to replace the inducer motor on your Carrier furnace.
When that time comes, it is essential to carefully follow the step-by-step instructions for replacing an inducer motor on the Carrier furnace. So, let's review all these steps and how to perform them.
1. Shut Off Power To Carrier Furnace
First, shut off the power to your Carrier furnace. You may want to do this for your safety, regardless of whether your inducer motor is broken or not.
If there is no switch to shut down your specific model, cut off the power supply at the breaker.
Turn off the gas or oil supply to the furnace before starting the repair. You can find the control for these supply lines outside the unit or the panel inside your home.
The supply valve for a gas furnace is usually found next to the furnace, on a wall or panel. On the other hand, an oil furnace is generally found on the outside of the home, inside the garage, or on the roof.
2. Remove Covers And Hood
After shutting off the power to the Carrier furnace, you need to remove the cabinet covers and hood from your Carrier furnace.
You can only access the inducer motor inside the unit by removing the covers and hood.
3. Disconnect Hose And Other Attachments From Inducer Motor
After removing the covers and hood, the next thing you will want to do is disconnect the hose from the inducer motor and let it vent safely.
A clamp usually secures the hose or pipe with screws onto the inducer motor. You can remove it by loosening the screws and pulling off the hose from the inducer motor.
Some power connector cables are attached to the motor—these connectors supply power to the inducer motor itself. Remove them by simply unplugging the connectors from the motor.
4. Remove Inducer Motor
After disconnecting the hose from the inducer motor, it is time to remove the inducer motor from its mounting. Use a screwdriver to remove the screws attached to the furnace unit.
Some models use bolts to secure the motor, using appropriate tools such as a wrench or a socket to remove them.
5. Clean And Inspect Inducer Motor
After removing the inducer motor, you must get everything ready to clean and inspect for damage. You can give your unit a good vacuum to remove all the dust and debris inside.
Any dirt accumulating there won't get inside your new inducer motor.
Use a rag to wipe down the inside of the unit after vacuuming. Make sure you wipe out any crevices and that there's nothing left behind. This will help guarantee a smooth and safe replacement.
6. Install New Inducer Motor
When you finish cleaning and inspecting the inducer motor, you need to match up the shaft on the new motor with the mounting on the Carrier furnace.
You can do this by matching up the shaft markings on the motor with the shaft markings on the furnace.
7. Install Covers And Connect Hose And Other Attachments
Lastly, after installing the new inducer motor, you need to attach the connector cables and the hose from the new inducer motor to the air conditioner or central air conditioning unit.
Install the covers back onto the unit after making sure everything is good.
By following these steps, you can also replace the compressor on a central air conditioner. And, like with the inducer motor and the furnace, you want to ensure the replacement runs safely.
You can see the complete repair in action here:
How Much Does Replacing An Inducer Motor On A Carrier Furnace Cost?
On average, replacing an inducer motor on a Carrier furnace costs between $400 and $1,100. Inducer motor assembly costs around $100-$500 for the parts alone.
Carrier parts are usually more expensive than others due to brand recognition and quality.
The labor cost to replace a furnace inducer motor ranges from $300 to $600, depending on the job's complexity, local labor rates, and service charges.
How Long Does It Take To Replace The Inducer Motor On Your Carrier Furnace?
Replacing an inducer motor on your Carrier furnace usually requires 30 minutes to an hour, depending on examination time, skills of the person who will do the job, accessibility, wiring necessities, and complexity.
What Makes An Inducer Motor On A Carrier Furnace Malfunction?
The inducer motor on a Carrier furnace fails to function correctly due to the following reasons:
- Old age
- Loose parts
- Worn or rusty internal bearing
- Overheating due to prolonged use
- Cracked fan blades
- Clogged filter or vent
- Defective pressure switch
- Unbalanced motor wheel
- Capacitor power supply failure
You should perform regular check-ups and maintenance on your Carrier furnace unit.
This is done so that you may find the cause for malfunction as early as possible and extend the service life of your furnace and its inducer motor.
How To Determine If The Inducer Motor Of Your Carrier Furnace Needs To Be Replaced
The following are indications that the inducer motor on your Carrier furnace is no longer in its standard working condition and thus, needs to be replaced:
- Furnace unable to respond and start
- Furnace starts but stops eventually
- Vibration immediately after the start of the heating cycle
- Blinking light which indicates an error code signal
- Atypical sounds or rattling noises such as screeching, hissing, and loud buzz while the furnace is on
How Long Does An Inducer Motor On A Carrier Furnace Last?
The average lifespan of an inducer motor on a Carrier furnace is about 10 to 20 years, depending on how you take care of it. Annual maintenance is the best way to prolong the working serviceability of your furnace inducer motor.
In Closing
Replacing a faulty inducer motor on a Carrier furnace is not that difficult. You can do it even though you're not an expert and no complicated tools are necessary, as long as you follow the above mentioned steps.
The sequence of steps is generally the same, with some variation depending on the model of your Carrier furnace.
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