Had the hvac guy out to check my heater and a/c as part ot the 2 twice a year maintainence contract I have. He tells me the caps for the heater motor and a/c motor are ou of spec and wanted $250 each to replace them!!! I looked them up on amazon and they are about $35 each. What makes them so expensive for him to change them when he had them in his hand? I took pictures of them to make sure I get the correct ones. Any secrets I need to know to change them other than to kill the power, remove the wires and install the wires into the new caps?
Changing hvac motor capacitors
- Thread starter 87GN
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Rookie2
Well-known member
If the unit is working.......they are ok If in doubt you can change them (or one, if it is a dual cap) when they fail the unit stops working. You'll pay list price but that should be around $15.00 - $20.00
usually i turn off the power then short each cap out with a screw driver or nut driver. then exchange one wire at a time so there is no mix up.
usually i turn off the power then short each cap out with a screw driver or nut driver. then exchange one wire at a time so there is no mix up.
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Trey T
Well-known member
Easy to change out. Turn off power b4 service. Search on YouTube
HVAC tech said they were out of spec. They were over 6% of their rating.
Rookie2
Well-known member
The new digital meters have a micro-farad range on them. if he checked it with a digital meter then change them. $250 each is out right theft !
nehog
Well-known member
BS... and I have no idea what 'over 6% of their rating' even means! Does that mean they were 6% of the stated value?
justsam
Well-known member
I too call BS on this!
Non polarized such as used here have a wide tolerance. I suspect he could go thru a whole truck full of his capacitors and not get within 6 percent. Techs typically carry universal type caps that they can configure and get close to specified value which is all you need
Non polarized such as used here have a wide tolerance. I suspect he could go thru a whole truck full of his capacitors and not get within 6 percent. Techs typically carry universal type caps that they can configure and get close to specified value which is all you need
Wow! Rip off. If the system is working, I cannot see replacing the caps. This is not high precision circuitry here. I don't think I would invite him or his company back for future service. If you do change a cap, beware that it can shock you even if the circuit is turned off. You have to discharge the cap as others have mentioned.
Scooterville
Member
Rookie2's right! And don't forget to short it out after power is off!
I do HVAC work and I can tell ya that guy was trying to rip you off!
I changed a duel cap today for a customer. It was swollen and it was reading bad on both the fan side and hermetic side of cap. Outdoor unit would not come on at all when calling for cooling.
I do HVAC work and I can tell ya that guy was trying to rip you off!
I changed a duel cap today for a customer. It was swollen and it was reading bad on both the fan side and hermetic side of cap. Outdoor unit would not come on at all when calling for cooling.
cj7365
Well-known member
The old saying, if its not broke, don't fix it
I would speak to that guy and see if that cap is mil-spec and made to fly you to the moon and back plus some.
Dependents on what it is, I got mine for about $15 for a dual cap from this Temco guy from ebay. think he is also member here. or $50 for a box of 10 of different type from viot ..... having said that..... something says about that contractor is not honest. I am pretty sure 6% over or under is normal for any cap. all of them have +/- X%.
Dependents on what it is, I got mine for about $15 for a dual cap from this Temco guy from ebay. think he is also member here. or $50 for a box of 10 of different type from viot ..... having said that..... something says about that contractor is not honest. I am pretty sure 6% over or under is normal for any cap. all of them have +/- X%.
pattenp
Well-known member
Caps are listed with a tolerance % range and if outside of that range is an indication they starting to go bad and should be replaced. As a rule of thumb I think once outside of the listed UF by 10% it's best to change the cap instead of waiting for it to fail. That's why it's called preventive maintenance.
You are correct. I didn't say what I meant to say. They were over 6% of their value.
joel63
Well-known member
First off, how old is the unit?
If it's 10 years or more, I would change out the capacitors for preventive measures and for peace of mind. BUT not for $250!!!!
I have noticed lately that the new motor run capacitors don't seem to last very long, even on new units.
Finally if you decide to change them, get the replacements at a decent price, and as others have already said, make sure the power is off and discharge the capacitors by shorting across the terminals.
If it's 10 years or more, I would change out the capacitors for preventive measures and for peace of mind. BUT not for $250!!!!
I have noticed lately that the new motor run capacitors don't seem to last very long, even on new units.
Finally if you decide to change them, get the replacements at a decent price, and as others have already said, make sure the power is off and discharge the capacitors by shorting across the terminals.
byoungblood
Well-known member
10% is pretty standard tolerance for most caps.
While we're on this topic, my blower motor stopped yesterday. I called a guy up that was recommended to us by someone at church who deals with him regularly and told him I had it narrowed down to the motor or start cap. He said that he usually replaces the motor alongside the capacitor because (his words) "the motor usually goes out shortly after the capacitor".
I haven't had to replace a start cap on anything in ages, so is he just trying to get some extra $$$ out of the job, or is there some truth to it? I'd probably swap the cap myself, but with the wife and two year old at home, and low 90 degree temps I don't think they're willing to wait for me to get home from work to swap it out.
While we're on this topic, my blower motor stopped yesterday. I called a guy up that was recommended to us by someone at church who deals with him regularly and told him I had it narrowed down to the motor or start cap. He said that he usually replaces the motor alongside the capacitor because (his words) "the motor usually goes out shortly after the capacitor".
I haven't had to replace a start cap on anything in ages, so is he just trying to get some extra $$$ out of the job, or is there some truth to it? I'd probably swap the cap myself, but with the wife and two year old at home, and low 90 degree temps I don't think they're willing to wait for me to get home from work to swap it out.
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pattenp
Well-known member
I don't agree with this. Caps can go bad multiple times before a motor ever fails. Put in a new cap. Make sure it's not a run cap vs. a start cap. Being a blower motor it's most likely a run cap.
Troutsqueezer
Well-known member
If it's a starter cap and it goes bad, the motor will not kick over and produce any back EMF. That means it will sit there and **** current without offering any resistance to it other than passive resistance. It can overheat and boil the annealing from the windings at that point if the breaker doesn't protect it. Maybe that's what the tech meant.
Discharging a large cap with a screwdriver will arc on your slide-on connectors, maybe damaging them.
Might be better to hook a couple of alligators to the cap tabs and then short the other ends of the alligators so the arcing occurs there. Or not.... 
Falcon67
Well-known member
I did pay about $250 for one - but that was an after hours emergency call, 30 miles trip charge, after hours rate, list price for the part. The bill was expected - gotta pay for service. $250/each on a regular check out says "find another service company".
Discharging a large cap with a screwdriver will arc on your slide-on connectors, maybe damaging them.
Could I use a pair of battery jumper cables to do this?
byoungblood
Well-known member
That sounds logical. I could hear some relays closing and some humming from the motor, but the motor itself wouldn't budge.
nehog
Well-known member
I still don't understand what you are saying.
Capacitors have a nominal value. Say that value is 50 (micro farads is the unit of measure.) Capacitors such as motor capacitors have a tolerance, typically around 10%. IMHO, if they are 6% high, I'd ignore it. Capacitors always lose capacitance as they age, though that is not a significant factor in choice of values.
Troutsqueezer
Well-known member
Hmmm...might be on the large side. If they fit without damaging something themselves, then sure.
LS6 Tommy
Well-known member
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
Tommy
Crown Imperial
Well-known member
Op needs to pop a cap on that AC tech guy.
LS6 Tommy
Well-known member
Rookie2
Well-known member
I'll bet your sorry you asked ! huh .
also don't expect the new cap from CHINA to last . just had one 2 yrs old fail.
also don't expect the new cap from CHINA to last . just had one 2 yrs old fail.
gayler
Well-known member
How about just a jumper wire with a 100ohm resistor with insulated clips?
Tarheelgarage
Well-known member
Holy Chit; you are dealing with a sleavy contractor who is in the process of ape-****** you. Hope he lubed you up good before starting...
This maintenance contract you got yourself into sounds like it is not worth the paper it is written on if they come out to do repairs and still charge you for the repair????
zmaxmotorsports
Well-known member
They can actually get weak without going completely belly up,the motor will take longer to start up and run a little hotter.Theres no excuse for the prices he was trying to charge for those capacitors,Your service guy is a serious crook.
zmaxmotorsports
Well-known member
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.
Diversitech are made in the US, that doesn't necessarily mean they are better. Many of the Chinese/Asian caps I've been told are filled with veggie oil, which is why they aren't lasting. Price gouging on parts is quite common here. Those guys that quote $50-$65 an hour labor often times charge $120-$140 for a cap and $300+ for a universal motor. But I often get hung up on for quoting $80 an hour for labor.
LS6 Tommy
Well-known member
That's too small. It will likely burn up. I previously posted the specs for a discharge resistor...
Tommy
gayler
Well-known member
Sorry, I didn't see you post.
I just figured 100 ohm would not give much spark, but would drain pretty quick.LS6 Tommy
Well-known member
No problem. I miss posts ALL the time...
Tommy
Tommy
kenfath
Well-known member
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.
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.