Did your AC stop blowing cold air? Are you dreading to call the AC guy? Did they charge you both arms and legs last time? Fear not! I will show you how to replace a capacitor on your home AC system, and help you save yourself $100-$300 by following these simple instructions. Capacitors are one of the most common things that could go wrong with an AC.
You will need to have the required tools that I mentioned in my other post.
ALWAYS DISCONNECT THE ELECTRICAL POWER BEFORE OPENING THE UNIT!!!
Please always be cautious of the fan blade, and try not getting shocked from the electricity.
Capacitors will hold a charge after the unit is turned off. So avoid touching both the terminals together at the same time. Until you can safely discharge the capacitor by putting the metal part of a screwdriver across the terminals after the unit is turned off.
First sign that a capacitor will need to be replaced is usually the outdoor fan or compressor will not be kicking on. If your outdoor fan motor blade is stuck still when unit should be energized. Then that is a sign that the outdoor fan motor will need to be replaced. Whenever a motor is replaced. I recommend replacing the capacitor along with it. Most residential units will have single phase voltage. That means that both the outdoor fan motor and compressor will have a capacitor for them. Most residential units will use Dual Run Capacitors which is both capacitors built into one. Three phase motors don’t use capacitors.
If you don’t have a microfarad tester built into your multimeter. Then I recommend getting a separate tester for capacitors. It would be a cool tool to lend to your friend if his capacitor went bad on his unit. You can test a capacitor by taking the wires off the terminals. Then put the tester on the terminals. Your tester should read what the capacitor is rated for. So if your capacitor was a 40 microfarads, and the capacitor was reading 36.4. Then your capacitor is bad and needs to be replaced. The capacitors microfarad readings will need to be whatever the motor calls for plus or minus 6%.
Motor Run Capacitor Round 30 uf MFD 370 Volt VAC 12717PACKARD TRCD455 Titan Pro 45+5 MFD 370V Round Run Capacitor Replaces PRCD455
GE Genteq Replacement for Capacitor 30/5 uf 370 volt 97F9833, 370V, 30/5 MFD, Dual Run, Round Capacitor
TradePro 40+5 uf MFD 370 or 440 Volt Dual Run Round Capacitor Bundle TP-CAP-40/5/440R Condenser Straight Cool/Heat Pump Air Conditioner and Zip Tie
40/5 MFD Multi-Purpose 440 or 370 Volt Round Run Capacitor Replacement TradePro 40+5
PACKARD TRCD455 Titan Pro 45+5 MFD 370V Round Run Capacitor Replaces PRCD455
PACKARD TRCD455 Titan Pro 45+5 MFD 370V Round Run Capacitor Replaces PRCD455
MARS – Motors & Armatures 12286 40 + 5 uF MFD x 440 VAC Genteq Replacement Dual Capacitor
10 MFD 440 or 370 Volt Oval Run Capacitor Replacement TradePro 10 microfarads
Five Two One Inc CSR-U1 Compressor Saver Hard Start Capacitor
Supco SPP6 Hard Start Kit
RECTORSEAL 96506 Ks1 Kickstart Hard Start Kit
Pocket Hose Ultra Expandable, 3X Stronger, 75 Feet
LawnPRO 50’ Expanding Garden Hose. Kink-Free. 5,000 Denier Woven Casing. Copper Fittings. Steel Assembly Clamps. 12 Month Manufacturers Warranty. + Free Storage Bag
HOAEY 100ft Expanding Hose, Flexible Garden Expandable Water Hose with Pipe Brass Fittings for Car Garden ( 100 Feet )
I know you probably have questions still. So please leave a comment, and I’ll update the article to address them.
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