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AC Repair That Might Be Needed If Your Air Conditioner Is Malfunctioning Due To A Bad Capacitor

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A common problem with air conditioners is a bad capacitor. Fortunately, replacing a capacitor is a fairly easy AC repair. Your air conditioner has a capacitor in the condenser and one in the air handler. The purpose of the parts is to get motors started. Below is a closer look at how capacitors are supposed to work, what causes them to go bad, signs of a bad capacitor, and how a capacitor is replaced.

How A Capacitor Is Supposed To Work

If you were to open your air conditioner, you'd see a silver cylinder connected to the wiring. This cylinder is a capacitor, and wires run from it to a motor in your air conditioner. In the air handler, a capacitor powers the blower motor. In the condenser, the capacitor powers the fan motor and compressor.

A capacitor stores power. This is important to know because a capacitor can shock you even when the power is off to your AC. The power from a capacitor is needed to give a motor a boost that helps it start from a dead position. When motors start up, they draw more power than they use when they run. This is similar to a microwave that might pull a lot of power when it starts and cause your lights to dim.

Why Capacitors Go Bad And Signs You May Notice 

Capacitors don't always last as long as other parts in your AC, so it's not uncommon for them to give out due to old age. Plus, since the capacitor is in line with the flow of power in your AC, anything that affects the power, such as a surge, could harm the capacitor. A capacitor can also overheat due to poor air circulation around your equipment, and when it overheats, the part can burn out and fail.

When the capacitor goes bad, you might hear humming coming from the condenser as a motor struggles to turn on. Your AC may not start, or it might start and then shut off. A bad capacitor could keep the blower from turning on, and that means no air would come out of your ducts. A bad capacitor in the condenser could keep the fan from turning on and blowing heat out of the condenser. This could cause parts to overheat and lead to your AC not being able to cool your home.

How A Capacitor Is Replaced

The capacitors in your air handler and condenser are usually easy to see and reach without having to move other parts around. The first thing the AC repair technician has to do is discharge the bad capacitor so it doesn't give them a shock if it's still holding power.

Next, the AC repair technician disconnects the wires and then unscrews the bracket that holds the capacitor in place. Then the capacitor can be removed so a new one can be put in. An important step in replacing an AC capacitor is to select an exact match. The capacitor has ratings on the label that should match the new capacitor exactly.

Read more about AC repair for more information.


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