Bad Cap on my air conditioner

Wife called me and said the house temp was 81* and the thermostat was set to 78*. I poked around and happened to be outside near the compressor/condenser unit when the compressor started. I noted the fan on top did NOT start, (lucky to be in the right place at the right time) I grabbed a stick and gave it a push, it slowly picked up speed and all worked normal. First I checked that it spun freely and it did, I lubed it anyway. While reviewing the schematic I noted that a start capacitor is used on the fan. It is a 5uf, I happen to have a squirrel cage fan, with a

5uf start capacitor!! I subbed it in and it all is working. The cap is a dual value 45uf/5uf 370Vac, I ordered one from Amazon. 2 Hrs later my HVAC tech brother in law stopped by and I told him about it, he said I have the cap in my van. He grabbed one and we installed it. He said the cap is only $10 and I paid him. I paid $17 at Amazon for the cap, I requested they cancel my order.

A little disappointing, the unit is 6 years old and have had to replace the fan motor inside (under warranty) and now the capacitor for the fan motor outside.

Mikek

Reply to
amdx
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Understand that. We bought our house in 2012 (built in 2007) and immediately had to replace the A-coil in the 5T unit. The service guy said that isn't unusual and that I'd probably have to replace the entire thing soon. He mentioned it again when he serviced it again this year but it's still working.

Remember, capacitors die from heat. Since you're in Florida, it's not all that surprising that they don't last.

Reply to
krw

That size of a cap indicates a RUN cap, not a start. Start caps are large in value and disconnect via a centrafugel switch or an inline current load detector, like found in Water pumps.

Caps are crap these days.. you can get better ones but those made for that kind of market are junk...

Jamie.

Reply to
M Philbrook

correction. Centrifugal/

Reply to
M Philbrook

Florida is corrosive >:-} ...Jim Thompson

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| James E.Thompson                                 |    mens     | 
| Analog Innovations                               |     et      | 
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Reply to
Jim Thompson

Yep, it full of old people. :-)

Mikek

Reply to
amdx

From New York >:-} ...Jim Thompson

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| James E.Thompson                                 |    mens     | 
| Analog Innovations                               |     et      | 
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Reply to
Jim Thompson

Correction: potential relay

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Reply to
bloggs.fredbloggs.fred

I'm in the Redneck Riviera,

In the summer, we have tourists, and winter we get snowbirds. Not many New Yorker's in our area, but people from all over the midwest and South East, and lots of Canadians, although this was a bad year for Canadians because of the exchange rate. The beach area has boomed, I've been here 22 years, when I arrived there were only a couple of tall buildings on the beach, now we have had a condo boom and there many dozens of 20+? story condos. When I first arrived there was a McDonald's on the beach, it closed in the winter because there was not enough traffic to support it! Not like that anymore. I don't live on the Beach side, I'm on the other side of the bridge,

5 or 8 mile ride to the beach. I don't have the traffic headache. Mikek
Reply to
amdx

After further review! I think it would be called a start/run capacitor. The diagram is here, the switch is in the L1 leg.

Mikek

Reply to
amdx

Some have no switch whatsoever. That is when they want to run a three phase motor on single phase. The cap is in circuit all the time. Just had to rep lace one a couple years go. They wear out faster than start caps.

Only certain motors can run this way but that design is chosen for that rea son. It is cheaper, they do NOT want brushes in there and putting the motor and compressor into a sealed system causes other engineering difficulties. Such as dealing with getting even more wires in and out. Plus it is anothe r mechanical part.

The capacitor is easily replaced, get it out, go to localest WW Grainger an d get the closest thing they have and if it is not identical physically the y will sell you a new clamp for $1.21. Then you hook up the three wires whi ch you of course marked well. One is common, the one to the bigger cap goes to the compressor and the smaller cap goes to the blower. Done deal.

Reply to
jurb6006

Yep-

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Reply to
bloggs.fredbloggs.fred

No, It's the Northern tourists who are corrosive to everything in Florida. :)

Reply to
Michael A. Terrell

You missed my "... from New York" post ?>:-} ...Jim Thompson

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| James E.Thompson                                 |    mens     | 
| Analog Innovations                               |     et      | 
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Reply to
Jim Thompson

There are Yankees and there are Damn Yankees. Yankees come down, spend their money and go home, Damn Yankees don't go home.

Mikek A Damn Yankee

Reply to
amdx

Aren't there more retired New Yorker's in Florida than natural-born Floridians?

Florida weather... AWFUL >:-}

My parents used to vacation in Florida (in the summer)... I always opted to stay behind and run the TV shop in WV ;-) ...Jim Thompson

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| James E.Thompson                                 |    mens     | 
| Analog Innovations                               |     et      | 
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Reply to
Jim Thompson

Worse are the NYers who move down the East coast. Tourists go home, eventually.

Reply to
krw

It's 88F and 60% RH here, at 9:00PM. It's actually not too bad.

We go to the redneck Riviera in October. It's cheaper than the summer (amazingly), the weather is great and the water is warm.

Reply to
krw

I was just clarifying the issue. Anyway, your post showed up later. :)

Reply to
Michael A. Terrell

Some move down here, then they brag about how crooked they were, when they owned a construction business in New York.

Reply to
Michael A. Terrell

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