Changing hvac motor capacitors

[zmaxmotorsports]

I got involved in a 'service contract'. Seemed like a good idea at the time. 'I thought' the company was dependable and would be a service you could count on. I was travelling extensively at the time and thought there was some peace of mind knowing they would be a call away. Bottom line -- I fell for their BS spiel. During a regular service I had the capacitors were 'weak' claim and should be replaced now pitch. Went ahead and had them changed. Their gimmick was the 'guaranteed' price nonsense was to your advantage. Complained and got a small adjustment. Speed ahead to the next service and I'm told the evaporator coil was plugged and would have to be removed in order to clean it properly. They wanted approx $800. I 'thanked' the tech for bringing it to my attention and called the company headquarters and fired them.

Contacted a local, good reputation firm, and they have been very reliable. Their tech inquired about the new capacitors. HVAC tech was aware they are a frequently pitched item. They cleaned the coil and serviced the equipment for around $180.

I usually don't get involved with service contracts. Wish I'd listened to myself on this one.

 

[Scooterville]

All this talk about how to short out a cap. How about doing it RIGHT- use a discharge resistor (20,000 ohm, 2 watt, wire wound). Then nothing gets damaged...

Tommy

Shorted them using a screwdriver for years and never had a problem.

 

[Scooterville]

I normally change the cap when changing a motor also,for $5-6 its a cheap insurance policy for a brand new motor in my book anyway.

Yup, it is required to do so anytime you replace a motor or compressor.

 

[LS6 Tommy]

Shorted them using a screwdriver for years and never had a problem.

Guess you've been lucky enough to never have one pop in your face... Also, if you plan on reusing a cap, use a discharge resistor because shorting it with a screwdriver can blow the internal fuse in the cap.

Realistically, the only time you would need to discharge a run cap is if you pull one wire off with the motor running or if a wire burns off with the motor running. Then the cap stays charged. As soon as you turn the power supply off to the unit, the run capacitor will discharge through the motor windings. A start cap can stay charged as they are always removed from the circuit under power when the start relay opens.



Tommy