Just fixed my A/C!

My last one failed in such a way I could no longer read the values on the dual capacitor. After an extensive internet search I could only come up with a best guess. Kicked myself for not buying a spare when I replaced it previously.
thats why it is a good idea to write it down now before that happens..
 
If your local Ace stocks them, then why would you need to hold the inventory?

Because they might not be open at 9 pm on a Saturday night?


We keep about 5 cases/slips of toilet paper and paper towels, a year's supply of laundry detergent, dishwasher pacs, soap, toothpaste, toothbrush heads, etc. Why?

Well because we don't want to "run to the store" to get a 4-pack of toilet paper on Sunday at 7 pm. Guess who wasn't worried about a toilet paper shortage in the summer of 2020? We laughed at those folks.
 
Because they might not be open at 9 pm on a Saturday night?


We keep about 5 cases/slips of toilet paper and paper towels, a year's supply of laundry detergent, dishwasher pacs, soap, toothpaste, toothbrush heads, etc. Why?

Well because we don't want to "run to the store" to get a 4-pack of toilet paper on Sunday at 7 pm. Guess who wasn't worried about a toilet paper shortage in the summer of 2020? We laughed at those folks.
Smart....:) I do the same...
 
Excellent to hear. I’ll jump in with my repair coincidentally done yesterday. The capacitor overheated and melted the red wire terminal for some reason while the heat pump was in the AC mode all summer. It was a replacement I put in earlier this year when the 11 year old original one failed and puffed up the top. I noticed the replacement capacitor was quite a bit smaller in diameter than the original one, but had the same specs.

My 2nd replacement is much closer to the original’s diameter but slightly smaller, requiring wrapping the top circumference with some electrical tape. Here are shots of the burned capacitor and the new replacement.

View attachment 177289View attachment 177290
I've never seen a cap flashover like that . Not a typical failure .
 
Pretty disappointing that a US made cap only lasted 4 years. Most of the units I have installed this year have had chinese caps in them. If they make it two years before going bad I will be amazed.
Chinese caps last a very long time from what I have seen. But it all depends on how cheaply it was made - they build the full quality spectrum. I just hope the American importers order quality rather than low cost. :(
 
Had the capacitor on our pool pump go bad, changed it, back in business :)

A few yrs ago our ac tripped the breaker, reset it and everything was good, and 30 mins later it tripped again. Talked to my hvac friends, they thought it was the breaker. Replaced it and all has been good since.

I keep spare capacitors on hand for all the various electric motors we have.
 
I have to gloat and you're the only crowd that will understand. I was sitting here about an hour and a half ago and noticed it getting warm in the house. Went to check on the vents and they were blowing warm! Go outside and the outdoor unit isn't running. :cautious: Did some quick checks with my multimeter to make sure it was getting juice, felt the condenser fan and it was very hot. The fan spun freely when I tried spinning it with a paint stick, but since it was getting late I did a quick search for a capacitor and fan, no fan available tonight but the local Ace had the cap! Decided to throw a cap at it and $30 later we have cold air! Old cap wasn't even that old...now just need to button this bad boy up once it cools down a bit inside.

I can't tell you the feeling when I plugged the disconnect in and it fired right to life!

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Isnt that an awesome feeling!?!?
I have replaced the CAPS in my two outdoor units, by the time I did the second one I also learned from someone to replace the "contactor" not that it matters but it's another part that wears.

Tell me if I am right, that looks like a Heil unit which were the units we had in the house I am talking about, lived their for 16 years with those units and trouble free except for those parts. We just moved this year and this is why I like quality basic units. Easy fix, little guess work and easy to get parts.
I am sure its Heil but if I am wrong then is has to be a sister company with the same unit because it looks exactly like ours did.

BTW- one or possibly two companies tired to POSSIBLY scam my now wife about 20 years ago, it was a bad CAP and they tried telling her it was the compressor. Third guy was honest. It was the CAP. Im almost sure they tried to scam because the CAP should be the first thing they check, even to a novice technician,
 
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Isnt that an awesome feeling!?!?
I have replaced the CAPS in my two outdoor units, by the time I did the second one I also learned from someone to replace the "contactor" not that it matters but it's another part that wears.
Tell me if I am right, that look like a Heil unit which were the units we had in the house I am talking about, lived their for 16 years with those units and trouble free except for those parts. We just moved this year and this is why I like quality basic units. Easy fix, little guess work and easy to get parts.
Good idea. Is it the contactor that’s making the large “clunk” when the unit stops?
 
Good idea. Is it the contactor that’s making the large “clunk” when the unit stops?
Im no expert but I am sure that isnt the clunk, I THINK its just the pressure on the compressor that makes that noise once it shuts down and or a combination of the fan turning off. But I really dont know. I suspect this would be a "click" sound.
The contactor itself is really just like the days you had a rotor and "points" in an automobile. The contactor is pretty much the same thing as points and they can and do wear (in some cases) they also can pit/burn over time (one of my did pretty badly) I had two Heil units, one was also a heat pump and that was the one with the burned contactor, granted it took 15 years for it to start failing and got stuck, I banged on it to unstick it until I replaced it a year later.
Pulled this off the internet, not saying it was the exact one but what they look like to those who dont know, and they are cheap like a CAP. Simple to replace, just get the right part and swap wire for wire. For those who do not know dont to anything unless you are sure how to make sure the CAP is DE-energized.
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That cap should have lasted longer, but heat is a big killer of starting caps. Being in Phoenix didn't help it any.
Chinese Century electric motors are a good example (Dayton). Installed a 1.25 hp motor on my pool pump. 2 years later it was having trouble starting then died completely. Turns out the motor had "F" type insulation and would run at VERY high temps. Maybe OK in some parts of the US, but here in FL, it's a bad idea.
While researching for a replacement, I found a story where the early versions of this motor ran so hot that they actually MELTED the internal cooling fan fins!
Yes, I should have caught it when it was having starting issues, but nobody my age wants to do that kind of work when it's 90 degrees out.
Anyway, Amazon to the rescue, two days and $235.00 later a new 1.5 motor is in running "B" class temps.
 
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