Most people never think about the condenser fan motor on their air conditioner until it stops doing its job. On this visit in Palo Alto we replaced the condenser fan motor on a Payne outdoor unit with an OEM part, swapped out the dual capacitor, and cleaned the condenser coil while the unit was open. The whole job took about two hours on site.
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What we did on this visit
The outdoor unit sits along the side of the house, right next to a second condenser. The fan motor hangs from the top grille and pulls air up through the coil, so the first step was lifting the top off to get at it. With the top removed you can see straight down to the compressor, along with the dirt and debris that had collected on the base pan over the years.
Here is the work, in plain terms:
- Removed the old condenser fan motor and installed a new OEM motor in the top grille
- Replaced the dual capacitor in the control compartment
- Cleaned the condenser coil
A dual capacitor is the small cylinder that helps both the compressor and the outdoor fan motor start and keep running. Because it serves both, it made sense to put a fresh one in alongside the new motor rather than pair a new motor with an older part.
Once the motor and capacitor were wired in, we closed everything back up and checked that the unit ran the way it should.
Why the coil cleaning matters
The coil is the wrap of thin metal fins around the sides of the condenser. Its job is to get rid of the heat pulled out of your house. When it is caked with dust, leaves and grime, air can’t move through it freely, and the whole system has to work harder to do the same job. Since the top was already off and the unit was open, cleaning the coil was the sensible thing to do on the same visit.
A second visit this month
This was our second time at this home in January. We were out on the 19th for a service call, and we came back on the 28th for this repair. We always appreciate it when a homeowner calls us back, and this one was a straightforward, tidy fix.
If your outdoor unit is humming but the fan on top isn’t spinning, or the system just doesn’t seem to be keeping up, it is worth having someone take a look before a small part turns into a bigger problem. You can read more about our air conditioner repair work across San Mateo and Santa Clara County.
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Reviews
Trusted by your neighbors
“Honest and meticulous. They quoted me a competitive price for work that they expected to complete within a few days. The time to finish the job increased, but the price did not. It's clear that they are *very* careful and detail-oriented during installation. Fedor and the rest of the team also make everything before the work very easy; figuring out what you want, advising what to do, and communicating about scheduling/logistics. Very happy overall, would recommend them without hesitation. My wife and I have already used them twice: adding a central heat pump and later augmenting it, in select rooms, with mini splits.”
“This is the 2nd project I've done with NUR, and similar to the first time, I am a happy customer. From start to finish, NUR (in particular technician, Adlan) is completely professional. They are diligent and timely with their responses and scheduling. Adlan came out and diagnosed our 20 year old A/C system and was able to revive it, but prepared us with options for the future should the system go out again. He was extremely thorough in explaining these in layman terms. HVAC systems will always need maintenance and repairs, that's a given. However, I know that I have an honest, value-added, and well-run company to work with in NUR. Highly recommended!”
“Nur installed and serviced our heat pump since the beginning of 2025. Quality of work, including the air handling, heat pump, ductwork, piping and electrical work was excellent. There were communication issues with the field crew but were ultimately resolved. Only with the recent warmer weather I used the cooling stage (instead of the heating) and came across a problem where it wasn't cooling fast enough. Artur A. came back, checked all the vents and adjusted the air handling speed so it cools down much faster. Nur was responsive and fairly quick to correct our concerns. They were also quick to return and service our cooling issue. Thank you David and Artur A.”
Google Reviews
What our customers say on Google
“This is my second experience with these awesome people. Nur HVAC installed a heat pump a year ago and I remembered how professional they were. So when my water heater broke few weeks ago I called them again. Fedor called me and came over the same day to personally inspect my setup. He gave me three options for my water heating needs and coached me through the selection process based on my current and future needs. This was Monday and by Wednesday I had everything fixed! As always, professional and courteous service. While Fedor was here I got to talk to him about options for more even heating and cooling distribution in my house. Even though it was not related to problem at hand, he patiently explained to me what my options were and then turned me onto a new solution using smart vents. This ended up being 10x cheaper than dual zoning and works a 100 times better. This guy is so smart, he must have a Ph.D. in HVAC!!! Thank you Fedor and I can’t recommend this team highly enough!!!”
“Our old A/C unit went out (dramatically spewing coolant everywhere) in the middle of summer. We contacted Nur HVAC and got them to come take a look at the situation. They recommended replacing our old furnace with a new heat pump along with the new A/C unit. It took a few weeks for a permit, but then they scheduled the job promptly. It was very labor intensive...removing the old equipment, building a new platform with plywood, installing everything. It took 3 full days, but they did an excellent job and cleaned everything up completely when they were finished. The system looks and works so much better now. Workers were polite and respectful. Would definitely recommend.”
“I am extremely pleased with my new Mitsubishi heat pump installed by Nur HVAC. Everyone in California should use a heat pump due to the high cost of electricity, and Nur HVAC should be your installer. My installation was performed in two parts: the upstairs in Mar 2025, then downstairs in May 2026. I commend Nur HVAC for their patience during this protracted and difficult installation. After an initial assessment to determine my needs, the team arrived to plan the installation of the upstairs hardware. They asked many questions to figure it out. It only took 5 days for my on-site representatives Konstantin and Maxim to finish the work, which I felt was clean and neat; the electrical, refrigerant, and condensate lines blended into the existing arrangement seamlessly. By the end of day 5, I had hot and cold air at the touch of a button. About a year later, my remodeling had progressed enough for the installation of the downstairs units. Sadly, other contractors inadvertently cut the 220V supply line to the 2nd floor units. And while they meant well, these other contractors totally messed up the 220V supply line for the 1st floor units, running it to the 2nd floor breaker box instead! Maxim and Konstantin went above and beyond the call of duty, doing jobs that weren't theirs. They re-routed the 1st floor electrical line to the 1st floor breaker box, and got everything working. They were quick to suggest best placement of the indoor units. Additionally, they figured out a far better arrangement of the outdoor unit and refrigerant lines. The installation was more concealed and neat afterwards.”
“I had a great experience all around with Nur HVAC. Scheduling with Regina was a breeze, and Adlan, our technician, was fantastic. Adlan quickly diagnosed and fixed an issue with our 20 year old AC unit on the spot without trying to upsell anything. Beyond the quick repair, he took the time to walk me through his process for diagnosing/assessing our AC system as well as the steps for a routine furnace maintenance - I learned a lot along the way. Highly recommend Nur HVAC, and especially Adlan!”
“I highly recommend Islam from Nur HVAC to anyone needing reliable AC work. My AC went out and I had three different HVAC companies come by to look at it. None of them could fix the problem, and one company tried to tell me I needed a whole new zone board and two new dampers for several thousand dollars. Islam came out, listened carefully to everything I told him about what the previous technicans had said, and then did his own thorough troubleshooting. It was over 90 degrees out, and he spent time up in my hot, tight attic crawl space inspecting the indoor zone system and checking the outdoor condenser. He kept me updated the entire time on what he was testing and finding. Through his diagnosis, he proved that my dampers were actually working fine and that only the zone board needed to be replaced. Before doing any work, he gave me a clear quote upfront that came out to hundreds of dollars--saving me thousands compared to the other company. He installed the new board, double-checked that all the zones, thermostats, and dampers were working properly, and didn't leave until the system was running cold. Islam was punctual, polite, honest, and extremely hardworking. If you want AC work done right with technical competence and transparent communication, ask for Islam at Nur HVAC. I'll definitely be hiring him again.”
“I was impressed from the beginning with getting a quote from Fedor, he went thru in detail what's needed, what he would recommend, going over pros and cons. We have decided to go with central Mitsubishi heat pump. Work was done by Volodymyr/Ryan. Two worked efficiently and quickly. Work was completed in 3.5 days. What I liked was, they meticulously cleaned up each and every day before they left. Truly amazing. I would 100% recommend Nur HVAC.”
“We replaced our 25-year old single phase gas furnace with a Mitsubishi HVAC heat pump this summer. Now that we’ve used it for both cooling and heating, I’d like to give the team at Nur a five-star rating for their clean, smooth installation. Communication was great and they were thoughtful about system design so that we don’t have exterior conduits. We are so happy with the operation of the system for heating: it is quiet and so much more effective than our old furnace. We can highly recommend Nur.”
“We used Nur HVAC to replace gas furnace with a heat pump inverter, replace the aging duct work and gas water heater with a heat pump water heater, all in the same contract. Our project manager, Arthur was on-time for the scoping appointment. He took time to understand our needs, investigated the attic, ducts and all the existing equipment, before making any recommendations. He designed the optimal system for our house to be cost effective, provide highest comfort and be energy efficient. He was not pushy and was upfront about the ballpark estimates and timeline. He also walked us thru the various rebates that are available for the replacements from local utilities. Arthur’s quote was very competitive, in fact better than those quoted to us by Costco referred contractors. Nur’s installation crew - Eldar, Bhakridin, were very professional and thorough. They didn’t rush the job and left the job site clean and clutter free each day. They accommodated our requests for placing the electrical wires and conduits so they are not in the way. All the equipment both indoor and outdoor were cleanly laid out, secured and wiped down before hand off. Always smiling and respectful, one of the best installation crew we have had. As a white glove contractor they took care of all the permitting, inspection paperwork w/ the city, all the paper work for us to receive the rebates. They even completed the warranty registration with the manufacturers for all the equipment! We would highly recommend Arthur and Nur HVAC to anyone in the Bay Area needing heating and cooling solutions. We would definitely be going back to them ourselves when the need arises.”
“Nur HVAC recently installed a mini-split system in our SF condo; one in the living room, and one each in the two bedrooms. They installed the heat pump outside on the balcony. I was impressed with their work ethic and the way they kept our space clean during the installation. They cleaned up at the end of each work day and were very respectful and thoughtful of our home, our dog, and us. They communicate clearly and quickly; I would highly recommend them to install an AC system.”
“Last month, we contracted NUR HVAC to install three units of Mitsubishi ductless AC units to our house. The sales contact Artur was very professional, always addressed our questions very quickly and clearly. Their office support Regina was proactive and timely communicated important information for our awareness ahead of time. Their two technicians Maxim and Alksei have done done an excellent job to install the units and relevant pipes. We are very satisfied with the quality of Nur HAVC's work, their competitive price and excellent customer services, and definitely recommend this company for others who are seeking professionals to do the similar service. George and Amy from Redwood Shores, CA”
“We selected Nur HVAC after researching reviews of various companies and were pleased with their performance. Alexey was very professional with our yearly furnace maintenance check and offered some honest assessments of what may be required of it in the future. At no time did he give the impression that these were things that needed to be done immediately but just issues that we should be aware of. We will use Nur HVAC next year for our maintence check and in the future when we decide to act on his suggestions for better heating efficiency.”
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