capacitor size question

[itshothere]

Hello,

I'm a complete noob with regards to HVAC. I'm also unemployed and struggling to pay bills so I can't affors to call a repairman.

I've been researching and troubleshooting all day. I'm in Texas and it's hot here! My A/C stopped cooling last night. It just blew warm air. I turned it off, opened the window and just tried to deal with the heat.

Today I started trying to decide what to do and then took a procative approach and decided to get educated in a hurry. It's didn't take long, using sites like this one, to figure out that I had a bad capacitor. It was bulging at the seam. By this time there is no way to get another capacitor today.

Luckily for me, my dad can't resist buying something for a good price even when he has no immeadiate use for whatever he bought. He just so happened to have two complete Train A/C units in a storage trailer. Yeah!

I went to rob a capacitor from one of the units. Both of them used a 65uf 440 vac dual capacitor. The problem is that the faulty capacitor from my A/C unit used a 45uf 370 vac dual capacitor.

It was so hot in the house and I couldn't stand it any longer, so I tried the larger capacitor. When turned the power back on an tried the A/C, the compressor kicked in ran instantly. The A/C is working and cooling the house now. It's been on now for less than an hour. My fear is that the larger capacitor will burn up my compressor.

Can someone tell me if I'm about to cost myself way more money? Should I turn it off and get the smaller capacitor? Will it make it throught the night until I can get another capacitor?

Thanks for any help,
itshothere

[hvac_superman]

Sorry but we get our hands slapped for offering DIY advice. Just let me say that the engineers that made your unit are more than likely smarter than both of us, so with that in mind answer your own question.:)

[beenthere]

Your burning up the compressor.

[itshothere]

Hmm...guess I registered at the wrong site then. I'm off to find a diy hvac forum.

Thanks for trying to help anyway.

[iraqveteran]

Turn the system off......

Call a technician.

You have already put yourself at risk attempting to diagnose your own system. And now you have put your system at risk by hacking it with incorrect parts.

This is not a DIY site. Read the rules. Call a qualified tech to come diagnose and check the system

[itshothere]

Thanks, I will get the correct part tommorow, and I will do it myself, regardless of the risk. I didn't let it run for very long at all, hopefully it's not burned up.

Not everyone has the financial resources to pick up the phone and call a technician. If you heard the horror stories about the HVAC people in my community, you'd do it yourself even if you had the funds to call a professional. It's really sad that so many HVAC companies (in my area) will tell you that the unit is old and shot and needs to be replaced and it'll only cost you $4500 dollars. I have little trust in the services around me. It's laso sad that reputable HVAC companies suffer at the hands of the theives in the industry.

I'll take my chances and do it myself.

Thanks again, and I won't ask anymore questions here.

[BALLIN J 23]

You Are Causing Harm To Your Unit Call Tech Out To Check Why Probem Was Caused

[iraqveteran]

All I gotta say is.....


What a Dumbass.


Just throw a new one in. Who cares what caused the failure. As long as it works for now. I give it 2 weeks and he'll be back.


Didn't even tell us where he was from. A true DIYer. Maybe he shouda done a search for the horror DIY stories.

[caliweath33]

Thats fine if he does it himself. That way when the a/c crooks in his area sell him a new system at least he will know that it really is shot and that it is time to change.

[oldheathen]

I saw reference to "hard start" capacitors (apparently, these are "boosters") - this made me think we were talking about straight-forward cap start motors (my father wrote specs for all kinds of motors - fractional hp to multi hp monsters). What I know of motors, I got from him - cap's I learned on my own - he was uncertain just what they did. I gave up trying ot explain.
So, are most of the compressor motors straight start or start/run?

[itshothere]

All I gotta say is.....


What a Dumbass.


Just throw a new one in. Who cares what caused the failure. As long as it works for now. I give it 2 weeks and he'll be back.


Didn't even tell us where he was from. A true DIYer. Maybe he shouda done a search for the horror DIY stories.

I've done an extensive search on causes of capacitor failure. What I found is that it could be any one of several things. It could be heat, a thunderstorm, power surge, dirty unit, a weak compressor. I've also found that provided the uf or mfd is within 10% +/- of the recommended, it can be safely used.

I sincerely doubt that a tech could provide exact cause of capacitor failure, although I'm sure a tech could provide the probability of a failure.

I'd say mine failed due to heat and dirty coils. Although, it did happen following a thunderstorm, so maybe it was power surge. Fact is it failed and no matter if a tech was called or not, that part is defective and has to be replaced.

You HVAC guys and your esoteric ways make me laugh. This ain't rocket science. You just don't want people to know you're raping them. Dying are the days of the unsuspecting consumer, whose pockets you want to pillage.

A man that thinks he knows all, is a man without wisdom.

Now I'm done in this forum!

[dezerttech]

i'm making a good livin fixin DYI mistakes keep on tryin pal touching thing without knowledge makes em worse

[ableactech]

I've done an extensive search on causes of capacitor failure. What I found is that it could be any one of several things. It could be heat, a thunderstorm, power surge, dirty unit, a weak compressor. I've also found that provided the uf or mfd is within 10% +/- of the recommended, it can be safely used.

I sincerely doubt that a tech could provide exact cause of capacitor failure, although I'm sure a tech could provide the probability of a failure.

I'd say mine failed due to heat and dirty coils. Although, it did happen following a thunderstorm, so maybe it was power surge. Fact is it failed and no matter if a tech was called or not, that part is defective and has to be replaced.

You HVAC guys and your esoteric ways make me laugh. This ain't rocket science. You just don't want people to know you're raping them. Dying are the days of the unsuspecting consumer, whose pockets you want to pillage.

A man that thinks he knows all, is a man without wisdom.

Now I'm done in this forum!

It is TOO funny. This jerk off wants to lecture us about our esoteric ways. We don't want people to know we are raping them??? Yet, who does he come to, when he wants FREE advice. What a moron. A man without wisdom, gets online, and tries to get FREE advice, to try and save a penny, at the chance of ruining thousands of dollars worth of equipment.

[beenthere]

A man that thinks he knows all, is a man without wisdom.

Now I'm done in this forum!

Many DIYers, are people without wisdom.

Good luck, good bye.

[aintitfun]

what a dumb@$$ , I love it though. I just wish I could be there when his over-confidence, bites him in the @$$. I as well sir, am making a good living fixing mistakes from people like yourself. Thanks for the job security, being un-employed, I bet you wish you had that.

[michael013]

I wonder how much extra he will pay his utility company this month....

He stated dirty coils....were they cleaned? Properly?

Who checked the refrigerant charge after?

And these so called customers wonder why no one wants to service them??

Maybe that is why HVAC work costs so much...........