I'm pinning your comment to the top. Thank you so much for watching, commenting, the valuable feedback and the very kind words. I appreciate it greatly. All the best.👍😀
Great video. Question could a good HVAC guy troubleshoot a large tig welders electrical system? My Lincoln SW tig 355 transformer tig welder has starts up gas/display but no arc. It has three large high output capacitors in it. I figure a HVAC guy may be easier to find.
As long as the guy feels comfortable with the machine, I can't see why not. I would have a go at it myself as I'm sure it's not to complex a system. Thank you so much for watching, commenting, the question and the valuable feedback. I appreciate it greatly. All the best.👍😀
This was super helpful! Thank you. I successfully replaced my burnt-out capacitor and restored functionality to my central AC unit. I didn't hurt myself or anyone else and I saved $250. We're in the middle of a heatwave and all local contractors are booked out for weeks. I will raise an icy glass of lemonade in your name today. Thank you!
A cold Texas Iced Tea looking back at you. You are most welcome. Thank you for watching, commenting and the kind words. I appreciate it greatly. All the best.
Wow! I am 81 years old and even though I’ve had my share of mild strokes, I was able to troubleshoot my Bryston A.C. and the culprit was the door run/start capacitor. I ordered a replacement on Amazon, received it today and within one hour, the repair was successful. Thank you kindly for your excellent video.
The mark of a great teacher is someone who can take complicated or detailed subject matter and put it into terms that the layperson can understand. You fulfill the criteria of a great teacher.
I have a rental townhome and the A/C stopped working. I met the HVAC service guy at the home, $99 service fee. I then watched him spend 3 minutes figuring our my Dual Run capacitor was bad. He even showed me the bowed top. He went to his truck and said, no problem to fix, simply pay $287.21 plus the $99 service fee. I didn't really have a choice, the home was 90 degrees inside, so I paid. DAMNIT! I got home, went straight to UTUBE and discovered the part was $12 and would have taken me about 10 minutes to replace. The good news, I am buying spare capacitors for my primary home, so I don't get taken again. Great Video!
Thank you very much. You learned the lesson much the same way I did unfortunately. If they were reasonable with their rates they would get more service. My $12 capacitor cost me $55 from an A/C contractor and I had to install it myself. It was a blessing really as it is what prompted me to make this video and help people all over the world fix this problem themselves. BTW the one I installed in this video is still keeping my family cool today. All the best.
Thank you so much for your detailed explanation. I am a female and had zero experience with tools and electronics but was able to troubleshoot and replace my HVAC run start capacitor, saving $350.00 which was the repair quote given to me. Richard you are the best and I am truly grateful for you. I feel empowered.
I’m glad you were able to save a bunch of money and figure it out yourself… but please… this has nothing to do with being a female… I know plenty of men out there that can’t hang a picture…let alone do what you did with ought killing themselves or catching something on fire…keep learning and don’t be afraid to try and remember tools are for everyone
AWESOME! You're most welcome. Comments like this make my DAY! 😁️ I'm glad to know I could help you and that you got value from my work here. I made this video to help people just like you. Thank you for watching, commenting and the very kind words. I appreciate it greatly. All the best.👍😀
Thank you for making this video! My AC went out during a record setting heat wave- 115 degrees. HVAC contractor quoted $300 and a 3 day backlog. After watching your video, I was able to diagnose that it was the capacitor. All of the chain stores did not carry it. I called a few HVAC supply warehouses and they wouldn't even talk to me unless I was a contractor. Talk about a racket! Well $17 and 2-day free shipping from Amazon solved all my problems. You saved me hundreds now and hundreds more in the future. Thank you!
Great! Happy to hear it. You are welcome. Make sure you buy a spare. They don't spoil on the shelf and you wont have to wait two days next time (they are a wear item). Thanks for watching and the great story.
I've been a student in hvac in trade school for over a year and still didn't know how to troubleshoot and replace a capacitor. watched this and couldn't have found a more clear explanation. Thank you.
I'm a 62 year old grandmother in SE Texas. It's HOT! My daughter and I refused to wait until tomorrow for our Home Maintenance Service repairman. Your video saved us. It also saved us nearly $300 dollars. Thank you so much.
Your tutorial was very thorough and easy for me to understand! After watching I imediately felt well informed and confident enough to go ahead and changed our capacitor, the whole job took less than ten minutes and saved our family an incalculable amount of sweat, suffering, and waiting at the mercy of our local HVAC company! Best of all the money we saved, which I calculate to be somewhere north of $350, all thanks to you! Every dollar we can hang on to right now is a huge blessing as we've recently been dealing with my unexpected, unplanned for, forced retirement due to health issues, putting us temporarily behind the eight ball! God bless you!My family and I can't thank you enough!
Richard, I just finished replacing the capacitor on my air conditioning unit... Thanks to your video.The part in your video where you showed how your air conditioner was acting was exactly what mine was doing. That removed all doubt about what the problem was. You saved me a lot of time, frustration, and money. Thank You!!!
You're most welcome. Glad to hear about your positive results. Comments like this make my DAY! 😁️ I'm glad to know I could help you and that you got value from my work here. Thank you for watching, commenting, subscribing and the very kind words. I appreciate it greatly. All the best.👍😀
Thank you Richard! I was able to replace my capacitor in less than 15 minutes. To be safe, I shut off the main power and tested the cables with a non contact voltage tester.
You're most welcome. Comments like this make my DAY! 😁️ I'm glad to know I could help you and that you got value from my work here. Thank you for watching, commenting and the very kind words. I appreciate it greatly. All the best.👍😀
Thank you Very much for this great video. I had the same issue with mine during a 2 week heat spell. I couldn’t get anyone out to check it till two weeks out, and I wasn’t going to sit in this heat waiting. I found your video, and followed it step by step. I purchased the capacitor for $9.40, installed it and fan worked again. AC is working nicely now. Thanks again! God bless you and keep you safe sir!
Thanks Richard. Even though I did mechanical engineering many years back, your video made me learn a lot by watching this video. This learning is immensely more precious than the money I saved on replacing the capacitor myself.
After watching this video, I narrowed my problem down to a bad capacitor. Bought a new one & changed it myself. BOOM!!!!!!Now my shop A/C is cold again!!! Thank you again bro for such easy to follow instructions!
You're most welcome. I'm glad and very happy to know that I could help you. Thank you so much for watching, commenting and the very kind words. I appreciate it greatly. All the best.👍😀
Nice video, although if I may make one comment. Capacitors say "protected" across the side which means they have an internal fuse. By putting a screwdriver across the terminals you can potentially blow the fuse, thus rendering a good capacitor inoperable. Then when you check it with a meter, it now shows the capacitor is bad even if it wasn't to start with. There are proper ways to discharge a capacitor, risking shorting out the fuse with a screwdriver is not one of them. It's been a long time since I've done this for a living but If I remember correctly, using a "bleed resistor" is the proper way. They probably make a tool to perform this function nowadays.
I'm curious about this, too. The man at the electric motor shop told me to discharge mine with a screwdriver as well. Maybe he's trying to sell me a new capacitor! Lol.
That's AWESOME! You're most welcome. Probably faster than calling a tech this time of year. I suggest you order a spare capacitor too. I'm glad and very happy to know that I could help you. Thank you so much for watching, commenting and the very kind words. I appreciate it greatly. All the best.👍😀
R&R our capacitor just like shown in the video and it worked for me! Thanks so much for the video! Saved this poor family at least $100 as compared to an HVAC company service call. For us right now, 100 bucks might as well be 1000- it's just not doable. Went ahead and changed out the contactor, too.
This helped me diagnose the same problem in my A/C unit. Of course, it failed on a Friday afternoon mid-Summer, but I have the peace of mind knowing exactly what went wrong, and how to fix it. Thank you!
Excellent video! Turned what was going to be a costly fix ($190 minimum), to something that will take me 10 minutes, and the cost of the part (under $30)! Plus with watching your video on discharging the capacitor, I know I can do it safely as well. Thanks for doing this for everyone!
Richard - Thank You for taking the "TIME" to explain the troubleshooting process for the DIY homeowner as well as the correct purchase & install procedure. You saved ALL of us who watched your video a lot of money and the Knowledge to make this repair on our OWN !!! Denny
AWESOME! You're most welcome. Comments like this make my DAY! 😁️ I'm glad to know I could help you and that you got value from my work here. I made this video to help people just like you. Thank you for watching, commenting and the very kind words. I appreciate it greatly. All the best.👍😀
Hi Richard. Love your being so complete. Especially appreciate how you explain the inner workings/fail safe of the capacitor. Makes a difference in knowing what it does when it fails vs simply replacing without that knowledge. Great job. You saved me a service call and the capacitor's mark-up...plus a couple of days without AC. Thank you!
You're most welcome. Comments like this make my DAY! 😁️ I'm glad to know I could help you and that you got value from my work here. Thank you for watching, commenting and the very kind words. I appreciate it greatly. All the best.👍😀
I use the chopstick method to get the fan running and everything seemed to click on so I'm going to keep it running until I can buy the capacitor tomorrow. Excellent video thank you for the help!
Thank you, my air conditioning wasn't working and now with your video and a $22 part it is working great. you saved me thousands of dollars and a hot house. No amount of thank you can repay my gratitude
Thank you Richard! The repair technician I called replace it with a cheap/used capacitor (I heard it's a common practice here) that last only 6 months. I followed your very useful & informative video to buy & replace it with a brand new one. Been working for over a year.
You are most welcome. Very good to hear. I am glad I was able to help you. The one I replaced in the video is still working. I recently moved and so I had a look at my (new to me) AC unit and I found that the fan motor has been already replaced (but I can't read the deteriorated label to get the specs). The dual run capacitor is not to spec to the manufacturer on the compressor or fan side. I ordered an new one that is to specification. I will probably buy a spare too. It's a dual run capacitor and who ever serviced it managed to get BOTH values wrong. So they bypassed the fan capacitor and just used a 5 MFD single capacitor for the fan. On top of all that they left the 5 MFD capacitor for the fan in it's original box and just stuffed it in to the electrical compartment! So shoddy work seems to be common. To be fair this house was a rental home prior to me buying it and it was badly beat up (I renovated it completely). Looks like the AC unit was beat up too. But I have no idea who did the service, it may have been a back yarder. My AC unit needs a make over needs a make over. LOL. I may do a video on that too. Thank you for watching and commenting. I appreciate it greatly. All the best.👍😀
Thanks dude, I kinda absorbed that lol. Our ac died like 2 weeks ago & we're in wv, everyone is poor as hell lol so the unit is a 91 with Rheem. Lenox & ..whatever the ac 90 is. Anyway the cap didn't have anything written or stamped in it. I have a bit of knowledge from guitar wiring but yeah. So I have a bucket here literally a 5gallon bucket of donor caps. I got shocked alot from pulling them out but turns out I had 1 in my shop. A old Sprague paper covered 1, it's a 45uh 5uh. You saved me a good amount of time. It's like danm, almost 6am here, I'm jumping in the shower & trying to get to sleep before my wife wakes up lol, thanks dude you rock
You're most welcome. Get yourself a SPARE. That paper one sounds like it's been around since Tesla was playing with them. I'm glad and happy to know I could help you. Thank you for watching, commenting and the very kind words. I appreciate it greatly. All the best.👍😀
@@richardlloydusa lol they're definitely old, I'll have to make a quick video to show you some of them. I have a Ge new in the box from 71lol. It's a Sprague I think so from just guitar knowledge they're now kinda vissue (sorry can't spell, my wife's on 1 arm sleeping & I am missing a bit of my other thumb lol) But from my understanding you can always have higher mf but not lower well the 1 is 438!! Lol they did boiler work too. I didn't know it was common for houses to have 360v and 440v! Lol I got a lot of old transformers and inverters aswell
Thank you very much! Great video and tips! After watching your video instruction, I just replaced my capacitor and saved $250 from calling an A/C company! Also, great video on how to safely discharge the capacitor!
You are most welcome. I am glad to know I could help you. Thank you for watching, commenting and the kind words. I appreciate it greatly. All the best.👍😀
Thank you so much!!! today in Los Angeles area is 110 and above! found out my situation is same as yours shown on video. google and went to shore to buy the capacitor. fixed it in less than 15 minutes! you save a lot of people by posting this video! supper great job! supper helpful! GOD blessed.
opened the AC unit, assessed the capacitor, ordered the new one on amazon, installed it the day after!! saved me a ton and was easier than i thought. THANK YOU THANK YOU
Richard, just wanted to thank you for this video. I can't wait to get home to check and replace my Dual Run A/C Capacitor accordingly. Your articulate video gives me hope that I won't have to call in the A/C team for something that I may be able to fix myself. Good Job!
Thanks a lot Richard! Your video covers all the bases on this easy repair, it was 25 well spent minutes. This happened to us late on Friday during this SoCal heat wave. The hardest part was tracking down a place that would sell me the capacitor. Most HVAC supply stores in San Diego only sell them to licensed contractors so your advice to order an extra is right on. After finally tracking one down, I was able to swap it in and we were back up and running. $30 part plus DIY saved us a couple hundred I'm sure. Thanks again!
You're most welcome. Comments like this make my DAY! 😁️ I'm glad to know I could help you and that you got value from my work here. Thank you for watching, commenting and the very kind words. I appreciate it greatly. All the best.👍😀
My ac did the exact same thing. The humming and fan not turning and if i put a stick in and turn it turned but it was blowing cold air from it outside and not hot lol. I have no hvac experience but i followed your instructions step by step and it worked. I was so happy i did it myself and save $320 that i was quoted. I got mine from grainger didn't want to wait next day for Amazon. Thanks again brother
You're most welcome. Comments like this make my DAY! 😁️ I'm glad to know I could help you and that you got value from my work here. I made this video to help people just like you. Thank you for watching, commenting and the very kind words. I appreciate it greatly. All the best.👍😀
Thank you Richard. Your video saved me at the very least a service call and parts.Or much more. My unit is at least 25 years old and never had anything replaced just cleaning the coil every spring. They probably would have tried to sell me a new unit. One $8 capacitor later and im cooling again in 95 degree weather! Thanks again.
Thanks heaps Richard, I not only understand the capacitor function I also learned it's best to disconnect both the main circuit breaker in my basement but also the one outside which is easy to unplug. As a retired guy on a budget I try to do some basic home repairs and was able to do that thanks to your video. Cheers!
I had my cap replaced in my AC a week ago here in East Texas and it cost me $250. Grrrrr I am handy enough and safety minded enough to do this thanks so much!!
You're most welcome. Wow, that's painful. Make sure to get a spare for the next time it fails (you know it will and usually at the hotest part of the year as that is when it's most used and stressed) such is the nature of the beast. You will feel great after you replace it in fifteen minutes and your family is cool again for usually under $20. Always keep a spare and you may even consider a spare for the inside blower as well just in case. Thank you so much for commenting, watching and the very kind words. I appreciate it greatly. All the best.👍😀
@@richardlloydusa I did this myself yesterday, saved me at least 500 dollars. The AC repair man comes and makes some noise for about half an hour and all he does is replace this item is crazy
Wish all the folks making/posting videos followed your style...excellent,clear presentation and no excess babbling. This video saved me serious money so thank you very much.
Great video on how to replace AC run capacitor. Ordered one for my outside unit on Amazon for just over $14 dollars. Five years ago I had this same repair done (for my second unit) and was charged $240 dollars. Thank you!
Thank you Richard for doing this I woke up yesterday morning and my air conditioner or heater I should say was not cycling on the fan starts up and runs fine but you can hear like I think it’s the compressor trying to kick on but it long so I’m thinking after watching this video that I don’t have a problem with the starter capacitor although I’m going to go check out first and I’m hoping you have another video talking about repairing the compressor this video was super easy to watch and I really appreciate you doing things like this I’m a single mom and I don’t have the type of money they’re asking to even come out and look at it. God bless you for doing this
You are most welcome. I am glad to know I could help. Thank you for watching, commenting and the kind words. I appreciate it greatly. God bless you and your family as well. All the best.👍😀
Wow! Thank you very much. I truly appreciate your kind words and knowing that my videos are helping to educate future AC professionals is flattering to say the least. I will keep them coming. All the best to you and your future endeavors.
You are most welcome. I am glad to know I could help you. Thank you for watching, commenting and the kind words. I appreciate it greatly. All the best.👍😀
Thanks for the great video. Was able to buy the part for 25 bucks at a local shop and get my AC repaired in about 45 minutes. Saved me several hundred dollars and I learned a new skill!
You're most welcome. Comments like this make my DAY! 😁️ I'm glad to know I could help you and that you got value from my work here. I made this video to help people just like you. Thank you for watching, commenting and the very kind words. I appreciate it greatly. Subscribe, Click The Bell and stay tuned! All the best.👍😀
Thanks for detailed explanation, it did go out last night and this morning I took out and had to drive 27 miles each to get it since neither Homedepot or Lowe’s stock it and on a day that was 104 degree did not want to wait to next day delivery. Luckily Ace hardware carries and got it and replaced it, all and all with your explanation was easy and saved me lots of headache. Thanks again
The start capacitor just died on my A/ C unit this past weekend at 104° in Perris Ca and I had to call an HVAC contractor to get it replace for $170.00. I'll definitely but couple of these at Amazon so I'm prepare next time.
Thank you so much for the detail in the video and I live in Texas and I can tell you I am going to get a backup capacitor just to keep handy on my 13 year old unit
I actually have TWO spares LOL. Overkill I know but they are very cheap better safe than sorry. Actually during the lock down getting a spare (or a service call) was near impossible here. I am glad to know I could help. Thank you for watching, commenting and the very kind words. I appreciate it greatly. All the best.👍😀
You're most welcome. Thank you for watching, commenting and the very kind words. I appreciate it greatly. I will probably do a spare parts video for HVAC system as many are fairly cheap and when you need them you need them FAST. All the best.👍😀
That was as comprehensive as you'd like a repair video to be. The last time I had my HVAC company do a maintenance on my Heat Pump he wanted to replace the capacitor for $280 + tax. I looked up my capacitor and it was $38 a far cry from $280. I refused and it's almost been a year since so the next time he comes back and wants to replace my capacitor I'll just hand him one. Thanks for putting this up.
Thank you very much for your video. My 16-years old Trane unit XB 1000 fan does not run. I called and left message for service, but there was no call back . I watched your video and opened my unit and found my XB 1000 capacitor model GE 97FE9839. I found the exact model on Amazon for $20.11 and placed the order. It arrived in 4 days, and I follow your instruction: pull the safety switch, discharge the capacitor with a screw drive, and the whole process last 10 minutes. I turned the safety switch and my breaking circuit back on and voila, my central air unit fan ran and house is cool again. Thank you!
Only $100? I just got an estimate of over $250 to replace my capacitor... and that didn't even include the cost of the capacitor itself. I was looking at it as he inspected it and was thinking... "That looks like it would be rather easy to replace myself." Seriously, you don't even have to do any soldering or anything. I'm definitely going to do this myself. It's like a 5 minute fix.
My AC unit is from 1998 and the capacitor inside is dated from 1997, so it's 25 years old now! Not even bulged and tested to spec too.. i just ordered another one just in case, as well as another contactor relay, since i had one of these go out about 10 years ago. Better tohave the spare parts cause you never know ☺️
Good idea! I have an extra contactor relay as well, also have a sequencer for the inside unit, a spare capacitor for the outside AC unit and inside Unit fan capacitor as well. Spare parts total about $70 and can be changed in minutes. Considering the amount of mayhem on the planet at the moment, don't expect these parts to be readily available when you need them. Here in Texas waiting a week for part this time of the year would be hardship to say the least. I'm even thinking about getting spare fan motors for both units as well. All these parts are wear items they WILL fail eventually and with the exception of the capacitors (which you can test and see that they are degrading) you have no way of knowing when these other parts are near end of life, though sometimes they will give you a little warning by becoming intermittent in operation. Thanks for your comment. I may do a video on spare parts, Oh I just thought of another reason, they will probably double in price in the near future!
Here's a link to what my sequencer looks like on Amazon(paid): amzn.to/3zRGfTT Yours may differ. it's a component that delays the start time of the internal fan unit for a bit of time till after the outside unit gets up to speed to limit startup amperage spikes which could result in breakers tripping and also allowing the cooling radiator (evaporator) on the inside unit to get cold prior to the fan turning on. Also it continues to keep the fan going after the outside unit (compressor) turns off to extract the remaining cold temp in the inside unit which increases efficiency. Bottom line it's a type relay timer circuit but like every electro-mechanical device with electrical contacts eventually it wears out and stops functioning. The symptom will be the fan not turning on but the capacitor is fine but there's no power to the fan but the outside unit works just fine. Mine froze the evaporator solid all the way to the outside unit because the outside unit kept running and trying to cool without any airflow over the evaporator. Which would have continued happen except that I was home and noticed the house getting hotter and that the outside unit was working but the inside unit was not. I'm planning on doing a video on wear parts on the inside and outside AC unit but we're in a heat wave here so I can only take the unit offline for filming for short periods of time. The sequencer another cheap wear item that I will now always keep on hand. Stay tuned! Thank you so much for watching and commenting. I appreciate it greatly. All the best.👍😀
Mine was from 1996 and was still working when the fan bearing went bad last year. Had the fan and cap replaced and the compressor finally stopped this year.
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. Your video SAFELY SAVED me hundreds of dollars (paid $32 for a new Dayton capacitor) and days of sweltering heat by explaining how to diagnosed and replace my heat-pump capacitor. Bless you, mjp
You are most welcome. It makes my day to know I could help. Thank you for watching, commenting and the kind words. I appreciate it greatly. All the best.
Out standing Mr.Lloyd My college training on this stuff wasn't as good as yours training. Too much theory. Thank you for making life so simple in understanding this stuff.
Most AC problems can be traced to a faulty capacitor.If you learn this basic fact and learn the skill of replacing it yourself,you can save yourself hundreds of dollars.You will not believe how many people have been ripped off hundreds or possibly thousands of dollars due to their lack of knowledge.Thx for this video.
I told myself if I change the capacitor and it doesn't work , I'm calling someone! Ofcourse it didn't work so I called someone. It turn out it was in issue with my my quick release fuses. My quick release fuse box has two fuses, one was bad and causing my fan motor not to turn on! Great video! The a.c. repairman was impressed that I was able to replace it and said that the capacitor is the most common issue for most a.c. fans not turning on.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. Bubbled up capacitor, fan spun if pushed with a chopstick, all that stuff you showed is valid. Got a $13 replacement from a local HVAC parts store. My HVAC repair place that replaced my furnace a year ago (but not AC) still has not called me back to repair this. I was dreading dealing with them because they really pushed a new unit a year ago without even looking at it.. this repair was easy and saved me a ton.
Regarding the 370 versus 440 volts options - as long as the new capacitor voltage is higher than the old capacitor voltage, you're fine. For example, if you have a 370V that fails, you can and likely should replace it with the 440V model. The 440V will be more resilient to voltage spikes associated with lightning strikes and such.
Thanks so much, my ac stopped working in the middle of the night, bummer. The next day i went out and the fan was not moving and there was a loud humming noise. gave the fan a spin and it started to go but no cool air. watched you video and looked at the capacitor and it was like a round dome at the top. Replaced it and all is good now, wife is happy, $30.00 . Thank you
Understood. The price is what the market will bear but worse than that will be the time it takes for them to get to your AC unit after you call! Some people have to wait a WEEK! Both reasons are why I always have a spare or two. The recent events stacked on top of it all would have made it very hard to get replacement quickly anywhere too. I'm glad and very happy to know that I could help you. Thank you so much for watching, commenting and the very kind words. I appreciate it greatly. All the best.👍😀
Larkin Crutcher I retired in 2005 and did this work 5 to 6 days a week FOR 25 YEARS. I never found capacitors, either START or RUN Capacitors to be the number 1 cause of service calls. Most times it was a dirty clogged indoor air filter or a dirty condenser coil. If you are going through MORE THAN 1 or 2 capacitors over a short period of time, you might want have someone check your line voltage. Checked mine last week, read 127 VAC a little high but within tolerance.
The AC connection at min 7:14 is a disconnect switch not to be confused with an AC circuit breaker. Which is normally found in the home main power panel.
I just had mine replaced at a cost of 250.00 bucks. Had I known about this video, I could have fixed it myself. Now, I think I'll get a spare just in case. Thanks for the video
You're most welcome. I'm glad and very happy to know that I could help you. Thank you so much for watching, commenting and the very kind words. I appreciate it greatly. All the best.👍😀
My A/C went out right as we were sitting down to eat dinner in mid July last year in Houston. Several hours later as service tech was leaving and I was $200 poorer, I was glad to have AC back. Now I am protected with a spare cap. Advise adding a separate surge protector and ground to the condenser unit as well. These units with electronics are very sensitive to voltage surges that occur especially when thunder and lightning storms pass through the area. Many thanks for such a helpful video.
thank you so much, every question I had was answered and I'm confident I'm buying the right product now! you actually saved me from buying the wrong one!!
Capacitors keep exploding because they can't use PCBs. Here's a simple article that makes a mockery of the ban on PCBs AND that stupid Montreal Protocol: Natural Chlorine? You Bet! (American Chemistry Counsel) "Many of these chemicals are identical to highly publicized manmade organochlorines: chlorophenols, chlorinated hydrocarbons, PCBs, CFCs and dioxins." chlorine.americanchemistry.com/Background-Natural-chlorine-You-bet-/
My Window Panasonic Window Airconditioner stopped sending cold air. I could not figure it out at first. It's a really hot summer & family could not sleep well. I called a repair man whom I understood, to be honest. It turned out that only by replacing Capacitor 35UF which cost less than USD10 he charged me USD150 for half an hour job. Changing Capacitors should not be so costly. Please check the Capacitor first.
I 100% agree but most people have no idea what is going inside that unit. My advice is check it once a year at least and if it is not within specified values replace it. Even if you find it is OK buy a spare and keep it handy for when the capacitor eventually fails and it will fail as it is a wear item and has a limited lifetime. Thank you so much for commenting, watching and the very kind words. I appreciate it greatly. All the best.👍😀
Thank you for this video which saved me a lot of money. My Carrier HVAC wasn't blowing cold air yesterday all of a sudden and I found your video, removed the capacitor in ten minutes, purchased a new one at local supply store and now it's running.
You owe me a BEER! I am glad to know I could help in more ways than one. LOL Thank you for watching, commenting and the very kind words. I appreciate it greatly. All the best.👍😀
Thanks so much, My capacitor was changed 4 years ago,it just went again is that common in 4 years.A contractor changed it 400.00. I am going to get a spare and change it my self next time. Thank You I got ripped off
Sorry that happened to you but happy to hear it will not happen to you again. Yes it is a common wear item and how long it lasts depends on how many duty cycles it has been put through and what the operating temperature was during it's lifetime. I will always have a spare for my unit from now on. They are very cheap and they don't go bad sitting on a shelf. Thanks for watching and commenting.
John Ricci I had one that wore out in 2 years! I paid $200 or maybe $230 and it burnt out again in about 2 years that's when I looked up what the part actually costs!
If the contractor had one that was not available for you for a few days and save you and your family's comfort it may be worth 400, it's not just about how much things cost it's about convenience and timeliness also. Most things in appliances aren't that complicated if you know it, in fact if you know a thing it's simple. :)
@@richardlloydusa , I saw in your video has three wire connected in to the capacitor which is fan,herm and c, but mine has 4 wires in to the capacitor 2 wires is connected to c, I need your help bro! why has 4 wires ? My condenser breaker in the mane breaker keeps tripping please help thanks.
I have paid just for the same think 700 dollars service fan motor and capacitator.and man ho was servicing the unit stepped on the fan blade purposely 6 months after I have to do it all over again and this time I have done it all by my self . Thanks
Good video filled with useful information. One note: A breaker is a mechanical OCPD(over current protection device). It will be located in your electrical panel. What you keep refering to as a breaker is actually a disconnect. Wires come from the load side of your 2pole breaker in the panel to the disconnect. That plug is just disrupting the electrical connection to your AC unit. Better practice would be to open the breaker in the panel AND pull the disconnect.
Capacitors don't just wear out b.s. there is always a reason they fail usually because they took in too much voltage or amperage or the system is low on charge or compressor short cycled I am a tech 35 years never had one wear out other wise his info is correct
According to General Electric they do wear out and have Operating life of 60,000 hours with a 94% survival. You can read this here on the specification sheet for their capacitors: www.alliedelec.com/m/d/0e6caf07b16fd270ab32109f984fd76a.pdf So with all due respect it's NOT "B.S.". 60,000 hours would be 6.8 years of 24/7 continuous operation so 11 years of operation in my case would make sense before it's operating life was used up (wore out). Thank you.
This is true. Thank you for watching, commenting, the valuable feedback and the kind words. I appreciate it greatly. I am happy to know I could help. All the best.👍😀
Xlnt Video. if people only knew that most AC problems are resolved by this simple fix. I was on a business trip many years ago when my wife almost got suckered into a "new $6k" AC system by a shady AC company. Thank God she held out. Our Ac system is 16 years old and its always been the capacitor that fails here in hot Arizona. Saved THOUSANDS with this EZ fix !!!
OUCH! But hey, never again! I'm glad and very happy to know that I could help you. Thank you so much for watching, commenting and the very kind words. I appreciate it greatly. All the best.👍😀
Yes, it can be. My technician said that they have dual function. It was happening with my Rheem, the fan was running, but not cooling. The compressor made a short humming noise with a click (every 10 seconds, maybe) and would not start. The technician attached a booster to the capacitor... the compressor is working and cooling. I will get "2 new capacitors" as advised...
You rock buddy, we have not had AC for 2 days now and no one couldn't come fix it until next week. I followed your youtube video and now I have AC. Thank You for taking the time to do this video! Cost savings from service call. Thanks
So that's my problem. We moved in a mobile home for 2 years now and so if I will start investigating my unit I have to figure out what they possibly took out. So far I learned plenty much so thank you so MUCH!
Not sure if you're checking these comments anymore, but I have a question. A friend suggested this video when my AC stopped blowing cold air last night. On closer inspection, my ac unit (outside,) doesn't buzz when I turn it on, and it also doesn't start spinning when I manually encourage it. The fan never spins. The whole unit is silent and still when the AC is running in the house. Is this likely to be a capacitor issue, or something else? Thanks!
I would check the capacitor, first physically for damage (bulging, leaking etc.) replace it if you see any and if not check it with a meter to verify that it is within spec. It can look perfectly fine and be defective too. This will at least tell you whether the capacitor is the problem or rule it out so you can check other parts of the system. Thanks.
I had the same problem this week, and it ended up being my float switch because my drain line was clogged. Ran some bleach threw it and then attached a wet vac to the end of the drain line. Problem solved
Go from a known to an unknown. Check voltage after your disconnect breaker to outside AC unit. Check voltage at the line side going to your contactor. Check coil voltage at sides of your contactor. Check microfarad rating of capacitor. If the thermostat is calling for it, you should get low voltage to contactor. Contactor should close contacts and energize compressor and condenser fan outside at the same time. Check terminals to see if they are heavily rusted to any of the mentioned. This will cause resistance and your unit may get a significant voltage drop or have burned up wires from excessive heat. With power off, check continuity going from condenser fan and to electrical panel. If your condenser fan isn't working, your compressor will go off on high head pressure with nowhere to reject the heat (it will be very hot to touch and not outside temp). A meter is all you need for now. You don't want to just start swapping parts to see if it works.
Thanks for doing this video showing how change Capacitor, my air compressor burned up ,I got it rewind , when I got it back I saw Capacitor on it, so I was doing a research to find out what is the purpose of it, over the years I had my air compressor such wasn't on it.so it was surprising ,and I saw your video. I'm so grateful 🙏 give thanks.
Excellent instructions and safety compliance. As an electrical engineer, I believe he has covered this subject very well.
I'm pinning your comment to the top. Thank you so much for watching, commenting, the valuable feedback and the very kind words. I appreciate it greatly. All the best.👍😀
Great video. Question could a good HVAC guy troubleshoot a large tig welders electrical system? My Lincoln SW tig 355 transformer tig welder has starts up gas/display but no arc. It has three large high output capacitors in it. I figure a HVAC guy may be easier to find.
Hw abt if u use increase the frequency before the cap instead of 120 ac use 240
@@richardlloydusa what Brand is the Multimeter?
As long as the guy feels comfortable with the machine, I can't see why not. I would have a go at it myself as I'm sure it's not to complex a system. Thank you so much for watching, commenting, the question and the valuable feedback. I appreciate it greatly. All the best.👍😀
This was super helpful! Thank you. I successfully replaced my burnt-out capacitor and restored functionality to my central AC unit. I didn't hurt myself or anyone else and I saved $250. We're in the middle of a heatwave and all local contractors are booked out for weeks. I will raise an icy glass of lemonade in your name today. Thank you!
A cold Texas Iced Tea looking back at you. You are most welcome. Thank you for watching, commenting and the kind words. I appreciate it greatly. All the best.
Wow! I am 81 years old and even though I’ve had my share of mild strokes, I was able to troubleshoot my Bryston A.C. and the culprit was the door run/start capacitor. I ordered a replacement on Amazon, received it today and within one hour, the repair was successful. Thank you kindly for your excellent video.
The mark of a great teacher is someone who can take complicated or detailed subject matter and put it into terms that the layperson can understand. You fulfill the criteria of a great teacher.
I have a rental townhome and the A/C stopped working. I met the HVAC service guy at the home, $99 service fee. I then watched him spend 3 minutes figuring our my Dual Run capacitor was bad. He even showed me the bowed top. He went to his truck and said, no problem to fix, simply pay $287.21 plus the $99 service fee. I didn't really have a choice, the home was 90 degrees inside, so I paid. DAMNIT! I got home, went straight to UTUBE and discovered the part was $12 and would have taken me about 10 minutes to replace. The good news, I am buying spare capacitors for my primary home, so I don't get taken again. Great Video!
Thank you very much. You learned the lesson much the same way I did unfortunately. If they were reasonable with their rates they would get more service. My $12 capacitor cost me $55 from an A/C contractor and I had to install it myself. It was a blessing really as it is what prompted me to make this video and help people all over the world fix this problem themselves. BTW the one I installed in this video is still keeping my family cool today. All the best.
He charge you his knowledge sir no offense
@@bris9984 He is over charging for his knowledge. They know they have you over a barrel.
He is not overcharging. Knowledge + overhead = that price he gave ya...
Thank you so much for your detailed explanation. I am a female and had zero experience with tools and electronics but was able to troubleshoot and replace my HVAC run start capacitor, saving $350.00 which was the repair quote given to me. Richard you are the best and I am truly grateful for you. I feel empowered.
I’m glad you were able to save a bunch of money and figure it out yourself… but please… this has nothing to do with being a female… I know plenty of men out there that can’t hang a picture…let alone do what you did with ought killing themselves or catching something on fire…keep learning and don’t be afraid to try and remember tools are for everyone
AWESOME! You're most welcome. Comments like this make my DAY! 😁️ I'm glad to know I could help you and that you got value from my work here. I made this video to help people just like you. Thank you for watching, commenting and the very kind words. I appreciate it greatly. All the best.👍😀
Thank you for making this video! My AC went out during a record setting heat wave- 115 degrees. HVAC contractor quoted $300 and a 3 day backlog. After watching your video, I was able to diagnose that it was the capacitor. All of the chain stores did not carry it. I called a few HVAC supply warehouses and they wouldn't even talk to me unless I was a contractor. Talk about a racket! Well $17 and 2-day free shipping from Amazon solved all my problems. You saved me hundreds now and hundreds more in the future. Thank you!
Great! Happy to hear it. You are welcome. Make sure you buy a spare. They don't spoil on the shelf and you wont have to wait two days next time (they are a wear item). Thanks for watching and the great story.
I've been a student in hvac in trade school for over a year and still didn't know how to troubleshoot and replace a capacitor. watched this and couldn't have found a more clear explanation. Thank you.
You are most welcome. Thank your very much for commenting, watching and the kind words. All the best.
Better go somewhere else
I'm a 62 year old grandmother in SE Texas. It's HOT! My daughter and I refused to wait until tomorrow for our Home Maintenance Service repairman. Your video saved us. It also saved us nearly $300 dollars. Thank you so much.
Your tutorial was very thorough and easy for me to understand! After watching I imediately felt well informed and confident enough to go ahead and changed our capacitor, the whole job took less than ten minutes and saved our family an incalculable amount of sweat, suffering, and waiting at the mercy of our local HVAC company! Best of all the money we saved, which I calculate to be somewhere north of $350, all thanks to you!
Every dollar we can hang on to right now is a huge blessing as we've recently been dealing with my unexpected, unplanned for, forced retirement due to health issues, putting us temporarily behind the eight ball! God bless you!My family and I can't thank you enough!
Richard, I just finished replacing the capacitor on my air conditioning unit... Thanks to your video.The part in your video where you showed how your air conditioner was acting was exactly what mine was doing. That removed all doubt about what the problem was. You saved me a lot of time, frustration, and money. Thank You!!!
You're most welcome. Glad to hear about your positive results. Comments like this make my DAY! 😁️ I'm glad to know I could help you and that you got value from my work here. Thank you for watching, commenting, subscribing and the very kind words. I appreciate it greatly. All the best.👍😀
Thank you Richard! I was able to replace my capacitor in less than 15 minutes. To be safe, I shut off the main power and tested the cables with a non contact voltage tester.
I have to say thank you for this walk through, it saved me literally hundreds of dollars on a repair. AC is working great now, you rock!
You're most welcome. Comments like this make my DAY! 😁️ I'm glad to know I could help you and that you got value from my work here. Thank you for watching, commenting and the very kind words. I appreciate it greatly. All the best.👍😀
Thank you Very much for this great video. I had the same issue with mine during a 2 week heat spell. I couldn’t get anyone out to check it till two weeks out, and I wasn’t going to sit in this heat waiting.
I found your video, and followed it step by step. I purchased the capacitor for $9.40, installed it and fan worked again. AC is working nicely now.
Thanks again! God bless you and keep you safe sir!
Thanks Richard. Even though I did mechanical engineering many years back, your video made me learn a lot by watching this video. This learning is immensely more precious than the money I saved on replacing the capacitor myself.
After watching this video, I narrowed my problem down to a bad capacitor. Bought a new one & changed it myself. BOOM!!!!!!Now my shop A/C is cold again!!! Thank you again bro for such easy to follow instructions!
You're most welcome. I'm glad and very happy to know that I could help you. Thank you so much for watching, commenting and the very kind words. I appreciate it greatly. All the best.👍😀
Nice video, although if I may make one comment. Capacitors say "protected" across the side which means they have an internal fuse. By putting a screwdriver across the terminals you can potentially blow the fuse, thus rendering a good capacitor inoperable. Then when you check it with a meter, it now shows the capacitor is bad even if it wasn't to start with. There are proper ways to discharge a capacitor, risking shorting out the fuse with a screwdriver is not one of them. It's been a long time since I've done this for a living but If I remember correctly, using a "bleed resistor" is the proper way. They probably make a tool to perform this function nowadays.
I never learned this, can you tell us the safer way to discharge a protected capacitor?
I'm curious about this, too. The man at the electric motor shop told me to discharge mine with a screwdriver as well. Maybe he's trying to sell me a new capacitor! Lol.
Thank you! A/C died on Friday night, but with you and Amazon Prime, I was cooling again Sunday afternoon!
That's AWESOME! You're most welcome. Probably faster than calling a tech this time of year. I suggest you order a spare capacitor too. I'm glad and very happy to know that I could help you. Thank you so much for watching, commenting and the very kind words. I appreciate it greatly. All the best.👍😀
R&R our capacitor just like shown in the video and it worked for me! Thanks so much for the video! Saved this poor family at least $100 as compared to an HVAC company service call. For us right now, 100 bucks might as well be 1000- it's just not doable. Went ahead and changed out the contactor, too.
Happy to hear it. Thank you for watching, commenting and the kind words. I appreciate it greatly. All the best.
This helped me diagnose the same problem in my A/C unit. Of course, it failed on a Friday afternoon mid-Summer, but I have the peace of mind knowing exactly what went wrong, and how to fix it. Thank you!
Excellent video! Turned what was going to be a costly fix ($190 minimum), to something that will take me 10 minutes, and the cost of the part (under $30)! Plus with watching your video on discharging the capacitor, I know I can do it safely as well. Thanks for doing this for everyone!
You are most welcome. Thanks for watching and the kind words. All the best.
Richard - Thank You for taking the "TIME" to explain the troubleshooting process for the DIY homeowner as well as the correct purchase & install procedure. You saved ALL of us who watched your video a lot of money and the Knowledge to make this repair on our OWN !!!
Denny
AWESOME! You're most welcome. Comments like this make my DAY! 😁️ I'm glad to know I could help you and that you got value from my work here. I made this video to help people just like you. Thank you for watching, commenting and the very kind words. I appreciate it greatly. All the best.👍😀
Hi Richard. Love your being so complete. Especially appreciate how you explain the inner workings/fail safe of the capacitor. Makes a difference in knowing what it does when it fails vs simply replacing without that knowledge. Great job. You saved me a service call and the capacitor's mark-up...plus a couple of days without AC. Thank you!
You're most welcome. Comments like this make my DAY! 😁️ I'm glad to know I could help you and that you got value from my work here. Thank you for watching, commenting and the very kind words. I appreciate it greatly. All the best.👍😀
I use the chopstick method to get the fan running and everything seemed to click on so I'm going to keep it running until I can buy the capacitor tomorrow. Excellent video thank you for the help!
Thank you, my air conditioning wasn't working and now with your video and a $22 part it is working great. you saved me thousands of dollars and a hot house. No amount of thank you can repay my gratitude
That's great to hear. You are most welcome. Thanks for watching and the kind comments. All the best.
Thank you Richard! The repair technician I called replace it with a cheap/used capacitor (I heard it's a common practice here) that last only 6 months. I followed your very useful & informative video to buy & replace it with a brand new one. Been working for over a year.
You are most welcome. Very good to hear. I am glad I was able to help you. The one I replaced in the video is still working.
I recently moved and so I had a look at my (new to me) AC unit and I found that the fan motor has been already replaced (but I can't read the deteriorated label to get the specs). The dual run capacitor is not to spec to the manufacturer on the compressor or fan side. I ordered an new one that is to specification. I will probably buy a spare too. It's a dual run capacitor and who ever serviced it managed to get BOTH values wrong. So they bypassed the fan capacitor and just used a 5 MFD single capacitor for the fan. On top of all that they left the 5 MFD capacitor for the fan in it's original box and just stuffed it in to the electrical compartment! So shoddy work seems to be common. To be fair this house was a rental home prior to me buying it and it was badly beat up (I renovated it completely). Looks like the AC unit was beat up too. But I have no idea who did the service, it may have been a back yarder. My AC unit needs a make over needs a make over. LOL. I may do a video on that too. Thank you for watching and commenting. I appreciate it greatly. All the best.👍😀
If this works,I THANK YOU, TO GET YOUR WIFE OFF YOUR BACK AND SAVE MONEY,YOUR A LIFE SAVER...
Wow that’s sketchy. Good on you man. Thanks
I do HVAC for a living... nobody installs used capacitors ever...
@@richardlloydusa the new fan motor may require a 5uf capacitor. That's why it is not to factory specs. It no longer has the factory motor.
Thanks dude, I kinda absorbed that lol. Our ac died like 2 weeks ago & we're in wv, everyone is poor as hell lol so the unit is a 91 with Rheem. Lenox & ..whatever the ac 90 is. Anyway the cap didn't have anything written or stamped in it. I have a bit of knowledge from guitar wiring but yeah. So I have a bucket here literally a 5gallon bucket of donor caps. I got shocked alot from pulling them out but turns out I had 1 in my shop. A old Sprague paper covered 1, it's a 45uh 5uh. You saved me a good amount of time. It's like danm, almost 6am here, I'm jumping in the shower & trying to get to sleep before my wife wakes up lol, thanks dude you rock
You're most welcome. Get yourself a SPARE. That paper one sounds like it's been around since Tesla was playing with them. I'm glad and happy to know I could help you. Thank you for watching, commenting and the very kind words. I appreciate it greatly. All the best.👍😀
@@richardlloydusa lol they're definitely old, I'll have to make a quick video to show you some of them. I have a Ge new in the box from 71lol. It's a Sprague I think so from just guitar knowledge they're now kinda vissue (sorry can't spell, my wife's on 1 arm sleeping & I am missing a bit of my other thumb lol) But from my understanding you can always have higher mf but not lower well the 1 is 438!! Lol they did boiler work too. I didn't know it was common for houses to have 360v and 440v! Lol I got a lot of old transformers and inverters aswell
Thank you very much! Great video and tips! After watching your video instruction, I just replaced my capacitor and saved $250 from calling an A/C company! Also, great video on how to safely discharge the capacitor!
You are most welcome. I am glad to know I could help you. Thank you for watching, commenting and the kind words. I appreciate it greatly. All the best.👍😀
Thank you so much!!! today in Los Angeles area is 110 and above! found out my situation is same as yours shown on video. google and went to shore to buy the capacitor. fixed it in less than 15 minutes! you save a lot of people by posting this video! supper great job! supper helpful! GOD blessed.
opened the AC unit, assessed the capacitor, ordered the new one on amazon, installed it the day after!! saved me a ton and was easier than i thought. THANK YOU THANK YOU
Richard, just wanted to thank you for this video. I can't wait to get home to check and replace my Dual Run A/C Capacitor accordingly. Your articulate video gives me hope that I won't have to call in the A/C team for something that I may be able to fix myself. Good Job!
You are most welcome. Please tell us what you found and how it went for you. Thank you very much for watching and the kind comments. All the best.
This is the best AC repair demonstration I have seen! Simple and clear! Thanks
You are most welcome. Thanks for watching and the kind words. I appreciate it. All the best.
Same here ... Simple, clear, with a lot of needed information and usefull tips. Big Thanks!
Thanks a lot Richard! Your video covers all the bases on this easy repair, it was 25 well spent minutes. This happened to us late on Friday during this SoCal heat wave. The hardest part was tracking down a place that would sell me the capacitor. Most HVAC supply stores in San Diego only sell them to licensed contractors so your advice to order an extra is right on. After finally tracking one down, I was able to swap it in and we were back up and running. $30 part plus DIY saved us a couple hundred I'm sure. Thanks again!
You're most welcome. Comments like this make my DAY! 😁️ I'm glad to know I could help you and that you got value from my work here. Thank you for watching, commenting and the very kind words. I appreciate it greatly. All the best.👍😀
My ac did the exact same thing. The humming and fan not turning and if i put a stick in and turn it turned but it was blowing cold air from it outside and not hot lol. I have no hvac experience but i followed your instructions step by step and it worked. I was so happy i did it myself and save $320 that i was quoted. I got mine from grainger didn't want to wait next day for Amazon. Thanks again brother
You're most welcome. Comments like this make my DAY! 😁️ I'm glad to know I could help you and that you got value from my work here. I made this video to help people just like you. Thank you for watching, commenting and the very kind words. I appreciate it greatly. All the best.👍😀
Thank you Richard. Your video saved me at the very least a service call and parts.Or much more. My unit is at least 25 years old and never had anything replaced just cleaning the coil every spring. They probably would have tried to sell me a new unit. One $8 capacitor later and im cooling again in 95 degree weather! Thanks again.
HANDS DOWN!!!! The best heat/air video. EVER!!!! Very well done, my friend. And thank you.
#GodBlessTexas
Excellent information sir.
Common people like me can easily understand Ur videos,
Thank you so much,
Do videos like this more.
I Love how detailed your videos are! you cut Zero corners!
I am glad you enjoyed it. Thank you very much for watching and the very kind words. All the best.
Spring project when temps allow.
thanks for video
Marc Halverson hsm
Thanks heaps Richard, I not only understand the capacitor function I also learned it's best to disconnect both the main circuit breaker in my basement but also the one outside which is easy to unplug. As a retired guy on a budget I try to do some basic home repairs and was able to do that thanks to your video. Cheers!
I had my cap replaced in my AC a week ago here in East Texas and it cost me $250. Grrrrr I am handy enough and safety minded enough to do this thanks so much!!
You're most welcome. Wow, that's painful. Make sure to get a spare for the next time it fails (you know it will and usually at the hotest part of the year as that is when it's most used and stressed) such is the nature of the beast. You will feel great after you replace it in fifteen minutes and your family is cool again for usually under $20. Always keep a spare and you may even consider a spare for the inside blower as well just in case. Thank you so much for commenting, watching and the very kind words. I appreciate it greatly. All the best.👍😀
The problem you had was exactly what mine was doing. Thank you for the tutorial.
THANKS !! My AC repairman will hate me... because from now on I will try to do this repair myself.
Thank you for watching and commenting. I appreciate it greatly. All the best.👍😀
@@richardlloydusa I did this myself yesterday, saved me at least 500 dollars. The AC repair man comes and makes some noise for about half an hour and all he does is replace this item is crazy
this is the first movie I've watched until the end since Raiders of the Lost Ark
Wish all the folks making/posting videos followed your style...excellent,clear presentation and no excess babbling. This video saved me serious money so thank you very much.
You are most welcome. Thank you for watching and the kind words. I appreciate it. All the best.
Great video on how to replace AC run capacitor. Ordered one for my outside unit on Amazon for just over $14 dollars. Five years ago I had this same repair done (for my second unit) and was charged $240 dollars. Thank you!
Thank you Richard for doing this I woke up yesterday morning and my air conditioner or heater I should say was not cycling on the fan starts up and runs fine but you can hear like I think it’s the compressor trying to kick on but it long so I’m thinking after watching this video that I don’t have a problem with the starter capacitor although I’m going to go check out first and I’m hoping you have another video talking about repairing the compressor this video was super easy to watch and I really appreciate you doing things like this I’m a single mom and I don’t have the type of money they’re asking to even come out and look at it. God bless you for doing this
You are most welcome. I am glad to know I could help. Thank you for watching, commenting and the kind words. I appreciate it greatly. God bless you and your family as well. All the best.👍😀
I a student at rsi in phx az and our teacher plays your videos. keep them coming!
Wow! Thank you very much. I truly appreciate your kind words and knowing that my videos are helping to educate future AC professionals is flattering to say the least. I will keep them coming. All the best to you and your future endeavors.
Can I take an epa test and be certified after? Without school
@@richardlloydusa ôa
Thank you , my ac was making that exact noise and it started when I pushed the fan. You just saved me a lot of money.
You are most welcome. I am glad to know I could help you. Thank you for watching, commenting and the kind words. I appreciate it greatly. All the best.👍😀
@@richardlloydusa चेझ
Thanks for the great video. Was able to buy the part for 25 bucks at a local shop and get my AC repaired in about 45 minutes. Saved me several hundred dollars and I learned a new skill!
You're most welcome. Comments like this make my DAY! 😁️ I'm glad to know I could help you and that you got value from my work here. I made this video to help people just like you. Thank you for watching, commenting and the very kind words. I appreciate it greatly. Subscribe, Click The Bell and stay tuned! All the best.👍😀
Thanks for detailed explanation, it did go out last night and this morning I took out and had to drive 27 miles each to get it since neither Homedepot or Lowe’s stock it and on a day that was 104 degree did not want to wait to next day delivery.
Luckily Ace hardware carries and got it and replaced it, all and all with your explanation was easy and saved me lots of headache. Thanks again
The start capacitor just died on my A/ C unit this past weekend at
104° in Perris Ca and I had to call an HVAC contractor to get it replace for $170.00. I'll definitely but couple of these at Amazon so I'm prepare next time.
Thank you so much for the detail in the video and I live in Texas and I can tell you I am going to get a backup capacitor just to keep handy on my 13 year old unit
I actually have TWO spares LOL. Overkill I know but they are very cheap better safe than sorry. Actually during the lock down getting a spare (or a service call) was near impossible here. I am glad to know I could help. Thank you for watching, commenting and the very kind words. I appreciate it greatly. All the best.👍😀
Thank you, I had the same problem as you and after buying a new capacitor I had it changed out in 10 minutes and everything is now working great. 👍
You're most welcome. Thank you for watching, commenting and the very kind words. I appreciate it greatly. I will probably do a spare parts video for HVAC system as many are fairly cheap and when you need them you need them FAST. All the best.👍😀
That was as comprehensive as you'd like a repair video to be. The last time I had my HVAC company do a maintenance on my Heat Pump he wanted to replace the capacitor for $280 + tax. I looked up my capacitor and it was $38 a far cry from $280. I refused and it's almost been a year since so the next time he comes back and wants to replace my capacitor I'll just hand him one. Thanks for putting this up.
Thank you very much for your video. My 16-years old Trane unit XB 1000 fan does not run. I called and left message for service, but there was no call back . I watched your video and opened my unit and found my XB 1000 capacitor model GE 97FE9839. I found the exact model on Amazon for $20.11 and placed the order. It arrived in 4 days, and I follow your instruction: pull the safety switch, discharge the capacitor with a screw drive, and the whole process last 10 minutes. I turned the safety switch and my breaking circuit back on and voila, my central air unit fan ran and house is cool again. Thank you!
You are most welcome. Glad you got it fixed. Thanks for watching and the kind comments. I appreciate them greatly. All the best.
Thank you for this video! You saved me a $100 service fee from a local HVAC contractor as I replaced the bad capacitor on my AC myself.
You are most welcome. Thank you for watching. I am happy to hear I was able to help you. All the best.
Only $100? I just got an estimate of over $250 to replace my capacitor... and that didn't even include the cost of the capacitor itself. I was looking at it as he inspected it and was thinking... "That looks like it would be rather easy to replace myself." Seriously, you don't even have to do any soldering or anything. I'm definitely going to do this myself. It's like a 5 minute fix.
My AC unit is from 1998 and the capacitor inside is dated from 1997, so it's 25 years old now! Not even bulged and tested to spec too.. i just ordered another one just in case, as well as another contactor relay, since i had one of these go out about 10 years ago. Better tohave the spare parts cause you never know ☺️
Good idea! I have an extra contactor relay as well, also have a sequencer for the inside unit, a spare capacitor for the outside AC unit and inside Unit fan capacitor as well. Spare parts total about $70 and can be changed in minutes. Considering the amount of mayhem on the planet at the moment, don't expect these parts to be readily available when you need them. Here in Texas waiting a week for part this time of the year would be hardship to say the least. I'm even thinking about getting spare fan motors for both units as well. All these parts are wear items they WILL fail eventually and with the exception of the capacitors (which you can test and see that they are degrading) you have no way of knowing when these other parts are near end of life, though sometimes they will give you a little warning by becoming intermittent in operation. Thanks for your comment. I may do a video on spare parts, Oh I just thought of another reason, they will probably double in price in the near future!
@@richardlloydusa what's a sequencer for the inside unit, a transformer?
Here's a link to what my sequencer looks like on Amazon(paid): amzn.to/3zRGfTT Yours may differ. it's a component that delays the start time of the internal fan unit for a bit of time till after the outside unit gets up to speed to limit startup amperage spikes which could result in breakers tripping and also allowing the cooling radiator (evaporator) on the inside unit to get cold prior to the fan turning on. Also it continues to keep the fan going after the outside unit (compressor) turns off to extract the remaining cold temp in the inside unit which increases efficiency. Bottom line it's a type relay timer circuit but like every electro-mechanical device with electrical contacts eventually it wears out and stops functioning.
The symptom will be the fan not turning on but the capacitor is fine but there's no power to the fan but the outside unit works just fine. Mine froze the evaporator solid all the way to the outside unit because the outside unit kept running and trying to cool without any airflow over the evaporator. Which would have continued happen except that I was home and noticed the house getting hotter and that the outside unit was working but the inside unit was not.
I'm planning on doing a video on wear parts on the inside and outside AC unit but we're in a heat wave here so I can only take the unit offline for filming for short periods of time. The sequencer another cheap wear item that I will now always keep on hand. Stay tuned! Thank you so much for watching and commenting. I appreciate it greatly. All the best.👍😀
Mine was from 1996 and was still working when the fan bearing went bad last year. Had the fan and cap replaced and the compressor finally stopped this year.
Thank you so much for commenting and watching. I appreciate it greatly. All the best.👍😀
This was incredibly helpful. Fast and detailed. After watching a couple of videos before, yours was the most informative. Thanks
You are most welcome. Thanks for watching and the kind words. I appreciate it. All the best.
Richard Lloyd hhh
THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. Your video SAFELY SAVED me hundreds of dollars (paid $32 for a new Dayton capacitor) and days of sweltering heat by explaining how to diagnosed and replace my heat-pump capacitor. Bless you, mjp
You are most welcome. It makes my day to know I could help. Thank you for watching, commenting and the kind words. I appreciate it greatly. All the best.
Out standing Mr.Lloyd My college training on this stuff wasn't as good as yours training. Too much theory. Thank you for making life so simple in understanding this stuff.
You are most welcome. Thank you for watching, commenting and the kind words. I appreciate it greatly. All the best.
That was GREAT!! You are a very very good teacher.
You are most welcome. Thanks for watching and the kind words. I appreciate it. All the best.
3er5
Most AC problems can be traced to a faulty capacitor.If you learn this basic fact and learn the skill of replacing it yourself,you can save yourself hundreds of dollars.You will not believe how many people have been ripped off hundreds or possibly thousands of dollars due to their lack of knowledge.Thx for this video.
You are welcome. Thank you for watching and commenting.
I replaced my capacitors on my a.c. unit still does not come on
robert lewis change your car
Excellent demo and lecture!! Love this presentation. Thanks, Richard!
You are most welcome. Thanks for watching and the kind comments.
I told myself if I change the capacitor and it doesn't work , I'm calling someone! Ofcourse it didn't work so I called someone. It turn out it was in issue with my my quick release fuses. My quick release fuse box has two fuses, one was bad and causing my fan motor not to turn on! Great video! The a.c. repairman was impressed that I was able to replace it and said that the capacitor is the most common issue for most a.c. fans not turning on.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. Bubbled up capacitor, fan spun if pushed with a chopstick, all that stuff you showed is valid. Got a $13 replacement from a local HVAC parts store. My HVAC repair place that replaced my furnace a year ago (but not AC) still has not called me back to repair this. I was dreading dealing with them because they really pushed a new unit a year ago without even looking at it.. this repair was easy and saved me a ton.
Great video , You explained it very easy and very thorough . You did an outstanding job. Thank you
Ditto on the positive comments! Thank you for the clear and easy instructional video.
Regarding the 370 versus 440 volts options - as long as the new capacitor voltage is higher than the old capacitor voltage, you're fine.
For example, if you have a 370V that fails, you can and likely should replace it with the 440V model. The 440V will be more resilient to voltage spikes associated with lightning strikes and such.
Thank you for the explanation
Well done. Very good explanation. Thank you for the knowledge.
Thanks so much, my ac stopped working in the middle of the night, bummer. The next day i went out and the fan was not moving and there was a loud humming noise. gave the fan a spin and it started to go but no cool air. watched you video and looked at the capacitor and it was like a round dome at the top. Replaced it and all is good now, wife is happy, $30.00 . Thank you
Great video. Starting capacitor replacement is the number 1 repair call in the HVAC business. They charge between $200-300 for a $10-20 part.
Understood. The price is what the market will bear but worse than that will be the time it takes for them to get to your AC unit after you call! Some people have to wait a WEEK! Both reasons are why I always have a spare or two. The recent events stacked on top of it all would have made it very hard to get replacement quickly anywhere too. I'm glad and very happy to know that I could help you. Thank you so much for watching, commenting and the very kind words. I appreciate it greatly. All the best.👍😀
Larkin Crutcher
Larkin Crutcher I retired in 2005 and did this work 5 to 6 days a week FOR 25 YEARS. I never found capacitors, either START or RUN Capacitors to be the number 1 cause of service calls. Most times it was a dirty clogged indoor air filter or a dirty condenser coil. If you are going through MORE THAN 1 or 2 capacitors over a short period of time, you might want have someone check your line voltage. Checked mine last week, read 127 VAC a little high but within tolerance.
Great explanation! Thank you, Richard.
You're most welcome. Thank you for watching, commenting and the very kind words. I appreciate it greatly. All the best.👍😀
The AC connection at min 7:14 is a disconnect switch not to be confused with an AC circuit breaker. Which is normally found in the home main power panel.
Thank you.
Correct, a service disconnect.
thanks,nice video
You are most welcome. Thank you for watching, commenting and the kind words. I appreciate it greatly. All the best.
I just had mine replaced at a cost of 250.00 bucks. Had I known about this video, I could have fixed it myself. Now, I think I'll get a spare just in case. Thanks for the video
You're most welcome. I'm glad and very happy to know that I could help you. Thank you so much for watching, commenting and the very kind words. I appreciate it greatly. All the best.👍😀
My A/C went out right as we were sitting down to eat dinner in mid July last year in Houston. Several hours later as service tech was leaving and I was $200 poorer, I was glad to have AC back. Now I am protected with a spare cap. Advise adding a separate surge protector and ground to the condenser unit as well. These units with electronics are very sensitive to voltage surges that occur especially when thunder and lightning storms pass through the area. Many thanks for such a helpful video.
thank you so much, every question I had was answered and I'm confident I'm buying the right product now! you actually saved me from buying the wrong one!!
That's great to hear. You are most welcome. Thanks for watching and the kind comments. All the best.
It's cool... When you know...you know...Thanks for honest information & Great video.
You are most welcome. Thank you so much for watching and the very kind comments. I appreciate it greatly. All the best.
Capacitors keep exploding because they can't use PCBs.
Here's a simple article that makes a mockery of the ban on PCBs AND that stupid Montreal Protocol:
Natural Chlorine? You Bet! (American Chemistry Counsel)
"Many of these chemicals are identical to highly publicized manmade organochlorines: chlorophenols, chlorinated hydrocarbons, PCBs, CFCs and dioxins."
chlorine.americanchemistry.com/Background-Natural-chlorine-You-bet-/
My Window Panasonic Window Airconditioner stopped sending cold air. I could not figure it out at first. It's a really hot summer & family could not sleep well. I called a repair man whom I understood, to be honest. It turned out that only by replacing Capacitor 35UF which cost less than USD10 he charged me USD150 for half an hour job. Changing Capacitors should not be so costly. Please check the Capacitor first.
I 100% agree but most people have no idea what is going inside that unit. My advice is check it once a year at least and if it is not within specified values replace it. Even if you find it is OK buy a spare and keep it handy for when the capacitor eventually fails and it will fail as it is a wear item and has a limited lifetime. Thank you so much for commenting, watching and the very kind words. I appreciate it greatly. All the best.👍😀
Richard, watched your video, Amazon didnt have right capacitor but local parts store did for $ 33. 15 minute fix!!! WOOHOO!! Thank you so much!!!
Thank you for this video which saved me a lot of money. My Carrier HVAC wasn't blowing cold air yesterday all of a sudden and I found your video, removed the capacitor in ten minutes, purchased a new one at local supply store and now it's running.
My AC is working again! Took me just 15 minutes and $18. The wife thinks I'm a god. I'm gonna get lucky tonight :-)
You owe me a BEER! I am glad to know I could help in more ways than one. LOL Thank you for watching, commenting and the very kind words. I appreciate it greatly. All the best.👍😀
Thank you so much: very articulated, lot of needed info, usefull tips Best vedio I have ever seen.
Thanks so much, My capacitor was changed 4 years ago,it just went again is that common in 4 years.A contractor changed it 400.00. I am going to get a spare and change it my self next time. Thank You I got ripped off
Sorry that happened to you but happy to hear it will not happen to you again. Yes it is a common wear item and how long it lasts depends on how many duty cycles it has been put through and what the operating temperature was during it's lifetime. I will always have a spare for my unit from now on. They are very cheap and they don't go bad sitting on a shelf. Thanks for watching and commenting.
John Ricci I had one that wore out in 2 years! I paid $200 or maybe $230 and it burnt out again in about 2 years that's when I looked up what the part actually costs!
If the contractor had one that was not available for you for a few days and save you and your family's comfort it may be worth 400, it's not just about how much things cost it's about convenience and timeliness also. Most things in appliances aren't that complicated if you know it, in fact if you know a thing it's simple. :)
You have to factor the cost of business in any trade. Just because a offbrand capacitor costs 11 dollars doesn't mean you got ripped.
@@richardlloydusa , I saw in your video has three wire connected in to the capacitor which is fan,herm and c, but mine has 4 wires in to the capacitor 2 wires is connected to c, I need your help bro! why has 4 wires ? My condenser breaker in the mane breaker keeps tripping please help thanks.
I have paid just for the same think 700 dollars service fan motor and capacitator.and man ho was servicing the unit stepped on the fan blade purposely 6 months after I have to do it all over again and this time I have done it all by my self . Thanks
Good video filled with useful information. One note: A breaker is a mechanical OCPD(over current protection device). It will be located in your electrical panel. What you keep refering to as a breaker is actually a disconnect. Wires come from the load side of your 2pole breaker in the panel to the disconnect. That plug is just disrupting the electrical connection to your AC unit. Better practice would be to open the breaker in the panel AND pull the disconnect.
Thank you " Richard Lloyd " for sharing this post. God Bless.
Capacitors don't just wear out b.s. there is always a reason they fail usually because they took in too much voltage or amperage or the system is low on charge or compressor short cycled I am a tech 35 years never had one wear out other wise his info is correct
According to General Electric they do wear out and have Operating life of 60,000 hours with a 94% survival. You can read this here on the specification sheet for their capacitors: www.alliedelec.com/m/d/0e6caf07b16fd270ab32109f984fd76a.pdf So with all due respect it's NOT "B.S.". 60,000 hours would be 6.8 years of 24/7 continuous operation so 11 years of operation in my case would make sense before it's operating life was used up (wore out). Thank you.
@an0n xx tell me what the hell is moving inside that cap to wear out ?
He “did hvac” please show me how to “hvac” lol. They do wear out
Craig Oldenburg Electrolytes. Like a car battery.
Tiu can use 440 volt on a unit that a 370 but you can not use 370 on one that uses 440 volt
This is true. Thank you for watching, commenting, the valuable feedback and the kind words. I appreciate it greatly. I am happy to know I could help. All the best.👍😀
Really? Do you know the difference?
Just use 440V all the time. Compatible with existing 440V and extra overhead for a 370V.
Xlnt Video. if people only knew that most AC problems are resolved by this simple fix. I was on a business trip many years ago when my wife almost got suckered into a "new $6k" AC system by a shady AC company. Thank God she held out. Our Ac system is 16 years old and its always been the capacitor that fails here in hot Arizona. Saved THOUSANDS with this EZ fix !!!
Excellent video. Just dropped 4 bills on an emergency service repair on a $15 capacitor. Going to purchase my spare can now.
OUCH! But hey, never again! I'm glad and very happy to know that I could help you. Thank you so much for watching, commenting and the very kind words. I appreciate it greatly. All the best.👍😀
good one Richard.
Thank you.
Wcw
I was charged 265.23 to replace this plus coming out and diagnostics
You should become an HVAC technician
You got robbed blind.
what if the fan motor works fine but the compressor doesn't turn on, could it still be a faulty capacitor?
BlitzkriegStaffords the capacitor you seen in this video does both compressor and fan (dual capacitor). Some times they are separate. (2 capacitors).
Yes, it can be. My technician said that they have dual function. It was happening with my Rheem, the fan was running, but not cooling. The compressor made a short humming noise with a click (every 10 seconds, maybe) and would not start. The technician attached a booster to the capacitor... the compressor is working and cooling. I will get "2 new capacitors" as advised...
You rock buddy, we have not had AC for 2 days now and no one couldn't come fix it until next week. I followed your youtube video and now I have AC. Thank You for taking the time to do this video! Cost savings from service call. Thanks
You are most welcome. Makes my day to know I could help. Thank you for watching, commenting and the kind words. I appreciate it greatly. All the best.
So that's my problem. We moved in a mobile home for 2 years now and so if I will start investigating my unit I have to figure out what they possibly took out. So far I learned plenty much so thank you so MUCH!
Not sure if you're checking these comments anymore, but I have a question. A friend suggested this video when my AC stopped blowing cold air last night. On closer inspection, my ac unit (outside,) doesn't buzz when I turn it on, and it also doesn't start spinning when I manually encourage it. The fan never spins. The whole unit is silent and still when the AC is running in the house.
Is this likely to be a capacitor issue, or something else?
Thanks!
I would check the capacitor, first physically for damage (bulging, leaking etc.) replace it if you see any and if not check it with a meter to verify that it is within spec. It can look perfectly fine and be defective too. This will at least tell you whether the capacitor is the problem or rule it out so you can check other parts of the system. Thanks.
I assume you checked the breaker
i would check make sure you have 24 volts going to contactor
I had the same problem this week, and it ended up being my float switch because my drain line was clogged. Ran some bleach threw it and then attached a wet vac to the end of the drain line. Problem solved
Go from a known to an unknown. Check voltage after your disconnect breaker to outside AC unit. Check voltage at the line side going to your contactor. Check coil voltage at sides of your contactor. Check microfarad rating of capacitor. If the thermostat is calling for it, you should get low voltage to contactor. Contactor should close contacts and energize compressor and condenser fan outside at the same time. Check terminals to see if they are heavily rusted to any of the mentioned. This will cause resistance and your unit may get a significant voltage drop or have burned up wires from excessive heat. With power off, check continuity going from condenser fan and to electrical panel. If your condenser fan isn't working, your compressor will go off on high head pressure with nowhere to reject the heat (it will be very hot to touch and not outside temp). A meter is all you need for now. You don't want to just start swapping parts to see if it works.
mistake in your description, capacitors DO NOT hold a voltage they hold charge. C= Q/V
Hello Richard i am an apprentice 1 in HVAC can you be my role model.
Not sure I am qualified but feel free to learn from the video. Thanks.
Yes MR. Richard rowlmodels ...im from indonesia
Dude you just saved me 6k. Had a specialist out said it was my condenser. He said i need a new unit. 20 dollar capacitor. THANK YOU!!👍👍👍👍👍
Thanks for doing this video showing how change Capacitor, my air compressor burned up ,I got it rewind , when I got it back I saw Capacitor on it, so I was doing a research to find out what is the purpose of it, over the years I had my air compressor such wasn't on it.so it was surprising ,and I saw your video. I'm so grateful 🙏 give thanks.