My AC is not cooling the house properly during the heat of the day. Tank you very much...! Why does the capacitor go out? Does this capacitor help start the compressor as well as the fan? The indoor fan would run, but there would be no cooling, and it would continue to run because the thermostat would want it to, but something like that alone wouldn’t cause a problem. I just want to reduce the restarting time of my compressor to 2 or 3 minutes..thanks. Question: My AC is blowing a little cold air through the vents. It sounds like what is being explained here in the article. Causing problems. Answer: Window units aren’t typically worth repairing. Worked fantastic last year.. Could this be just my capacitor ? However, the house wasn't cooling. Mary Lou - You would need to know they put in the right capacitor and installed it properly. Now that your old capacitor has been discharged, and you've re-confirmed that no electrical current is in the area where you'll be working with your circuit alert device (above), you can remove it. If you suspect fuses are the problem, it can be an even easier fix. If the capacitance is low it is just a matter of time. Your air conditioners fuses are located in the A/C disconnect that should be mounted to the house within a few feet of the condensing unit outside. A motor/compressor don't necessarily need to be locked up, but perhaps it is just slow to start due to bad bearings/pistons that are "grinding" just enough to drive up amperage. I'm thinking something else is causing damage to the capacitor. You may need to call a technician. Do not proceed if you do not know how to do this. my ac outside unit cuts off but i can turn off the a/c for 15 minutes and turn it back on and it works fine, what could that be. Do you know what's wrong? Question: I had to turn off all the power to our house. What could be the problem? John B - It could be but that doesn't mean it is. Leyotuar - There would be a lot of possibilities. Answer: There are a lot of possibilities that would require you running some electrical tests. Answer: Not necessarily. The problem I see now is that the fan does not seem to be running at full speed. We thought we were good. The leads for the compressor move my multimeter set to 2k ohms and alternating lead contacts. I don’t know what they do when they come out. That’s what I’d be looking at. That would also mean there is a leak so I'd be sure the leak is repaired prior to spending a bunch of money on adding refrigerant...especially if it's R22. Keep in mind the skinny line shouldn't be cool at all. HVACPartsUSA – 80/7.5 Dual Run Capacitor – Oval. Fans are working fine. Most people just buy new ones since the costs are so close most of the time. Any help would greatly be appreciated. One of the essential components in the air conditioner capacitor, which gives your air conditioner the energy to start running—a vital part of the air conditioning process. Shut it off at the breaker or pull the disconnect outside. We replaced one Saturday, two days ago, and it worked like a champ for 3 days. Can It be still a bad capacitor. Older capacitors won’t be as capable, and higher than average AC use will shorten its lifespan quicker, as can having a capacitor with faulty parts. Would replacing a 40+5 capacitor with a 50+10 cause the condenser fan motor to shut off every 25 minutes while the compressor is still running. Question: I was just charged $208.00 to have my capacitor replaced. The next morning, the inside temp was below 60 and we were back to the humming and no fan. The motor likely has a way to reverse it back and is probably labeled on the motor itself. A fan cools the compressor for a/c. Thanks for reading. It should be warm. ... Another common problem is that DIYers tend to install the wrong replacement capacitor … No ice anywhere. Know the micro-farads (μF) and the voltage rating, or the make and model of A/C. Is that your issue? Answer: I don’t think that’s possible. After a time (less than a minute) the outdoor unit fan stops. There is no reason to open the refrigerant lines at all. It may be taking longer to do so due to high heat in the unit or perhaps the fan isn’t running as strong, or maybe airflow isn’t as good as it once was due to dirty coils. Still nothing. Christa, It sounds like the motor is going/gone bad but that would be hard to say for sure without being there to run electrical tests. Perhaps unplug the unit for about 30 seconds and then plug it back in and see if that might help. That way, when it’s time for that big burst of energy your air conditioner needs, the capacitor can supply it and keep things running smoothly. My outside unit works fine. Well, before you call the local HVAC technician to come fix the unit and re-allocate the money you were going to spend on burgers, take a quick look. It does that a few times. The motor may have it's capacitance marked on the rating plate but I'm not sure your compressor will. Also, he said not to adjust the temp, to leave it at 72*. Now all you need to do is obtain the right replacement part and re-install it just as you removed this one. Any suggestion? Thoughts? Why is this? or freon or compressor? An issue like this will likely need someone onsite to diagnose. 2 hours later all the power to my house went out and I thought it was due to the storm. ... when an air conditioner capacitor keeps failing, it prevents the compressor motor in your system from starting up. Does that indicate fuse blown? Check the Stat and for a Short in the low voltage. Prices are for normal residential installations and are to help you understand our upfront pricing. McClain - Your motor might be bad? Answer: If the blower in the air handler doesn't work then the coil will likely freeze if the outdoor unit does run so though the motor won't directly stop the outside, I highly recommend you don't try and run anything. Today did not notice it hot in house, but warm, came back home and felt it was warmer, checked AC, temp setting was on 68 and room temp showed 78. If the fan was working why did you replace the capacitor? Question: My outside fan, won't start on its own. Leave it sit for a few minutes then turn the breaker back on and then the stat and see if that might reset the switch. This is very common but again, you are not alone if you're having the kind of summer I am. Robin - Make sure you try to spin the fan both ways with the stick to ensure you're going in the right direction or it won't spin. First of all make sure you know how to turn off power to your air conditioner.