Capacitors! Yikes!

[Glennhvac]

Thirty plus years and I have never come near replacing this many run caps in a season! I think in the past three weeks 75% of my calls have been blown caps in condensing units. Unfortunately that's about all that is blowing.

All I can figure is it's the power company dropping back the voltage during these 100 degree days.

[t527ed]

Thirty plus years and I have never come near replacing this many run caps in a season! I think in the past three weeks 75% of my calls have been blown caps in condensing units. Unfortunately that's about all that is blowing.

All I can figure is it's the power company dropping back the voltage during these 100 degree days.

same thing here, has to be something going on with the voltage.

most of the caps are 10-15 yrs old so its not just a cheap chinese cap problem.

went through so many 35-5s i had trouble getting them.

[54regcab]

Could it be the record heat driving head pressures through the roof?

[Eddie1KRR]

Same thing here, and my brother and other HVAC buddy are all saying the same thing.

I've replaced more caps already this year than I think I normally do over a 5 year span or more.

[ironpit]

caps are going out everytwhere. And it's not just the cheap chinese ones. The mexican ones are too

[Six]

Ok so if you used 440s in place of 370s that should give you more of a buffer when these people experience power problems.

[Glennhvac]

And almost all are in units with no start components which is not that uncommon today. I wonder if these things are blowing when the compressor starts up or while running.

[Glennhvac]

Ok so if you used 440s in place of 370s that should give you more of a buffer when these people experience power problems.

Ever since I posted a question regarding this that's all I buy now if possible. 440.

[jeep6275]

seems like i see alot of low on charge or dirty condensor with my blown cap.....
i have been trying to install 5 2 1's with my run caps.... just to see if it helps.... i many never know though

[Bsmith816]

I've ran into same thing here. I have replaced at least 8 caps a day for the past 6 weeks straight. Most of them are 35/5 and 40/5. Also changed plenty of fan motors. It's gotten to the point I carry a 35/5 40/5 and 45/5 in my bag

[Chuck]

I believe heat is the main killer. For sure the ones that bulge out on top.

[2sac]

My motor supplier says it's caps made in China.

[Bsmith816]

I have also seen more than I normally do that actually blow up inside the unit and go everywhere. Anyone else seen that lately?

[Glennhvac]

I have also seen more than I normally do that actually blow up inside the unit and go everywhere. Anyone else seen that lately?

yes blown apart like a grenade

[Eddie1KRR]

I have also seen more than I normally do that actually blow up inside the unit and go everywhere. Anyone else seen that lately?

Fortunately, the ones this year so far for me are just swollen, or leaking a little. I've only had to deal with the fully exploded ones a couple times...Thankfully. What a mess!

[bgranger]

Tons here also. I don't mind them nice easy calls especially last one in the evening when you're dragging.

[allenwrench]

Yea me too I'd take capacitor calls all day long and we are getting alot too. I actually had to put on two hard starts in one day havent had that happen before.

[cboe]

could be quality controle too.chines, mexico, and USA

[mark beiser]

So now you guys up north see what those of us who work in areas where it is normally 100º every day in the summer have been dealing with for a number of years now!

Run capacitors have been our #1 summer failure item for years, easily a more common failure than all other items combined.

The presence of a start kit in the unit doesn't seem to make any difference in the failure rate of the run capacitors.
It just seems like it does because a failed run cap in a unit that has a start kit doesn't generate an immediate service call. The compressor still starts, and the system still cools, just not as efficiently.
I find a bunch of bad run caps in units that have start kits every spring when I'm doing cooling check ups, and in the case of heat pumps, every fall when doing heating checks.

Blower motor run capacitors are also becoming problematic. They don't completely fail nearly as often as compressor run caps, but since I got in the habit of checking them every time I am doing any work on the indoor unit, I've found a very high percentage of them to be weak.

For replacements, I try to only use AmRad capacitors that are made in the USA, or the Mars "made in Mexico" ones in a pinch.
Most of the other Mexican made brands of capacitors, and literally every single brand of Chinese made capacitors, are garbage.

[Eddie1KRR]

So now you guys up north see what those of us who work in areas where it is normally 100º every day in the summer have been dealing with for a number of years now!

Run capacitors have been our #1 summer failure item for years, easily a more common failure than all other items combined.

The presence of a start kit in the unit doesn't seem to make any difference in the failure rate of the run capacitors.
It just seems like it does because a failed run cap in a unit that has a start kit doesn't generate an immediate service call. The compressor still starts, and the system still cools, just not as efficiently.
I find a bunch of bad run caps in units that have start kits every spring when I'm doing cooling check ups, and in the case of heat pumps, every fall when doing heating checks.

Blower motor run capacitors are also becoming problematic. They don't completely fail nearly as often as compressor run caps, but since I got in the habit of checking them every time I am doing any work on the indoor unit, I've found a very high percentage of them to be weak.

For replacements, I try to only use AmRad capacitors that are made in the USA, or the Mars "made in Mexico" ones in a pinch.
Most of the other Mexican made brands of capacitors, and literally every single brand of Chinese made capacitors, are garbage.

That's wild, I'll have to start paying attention to the manufacturer of the failed ones, admittedly, I have not. I have always used Mars caps since that is what my trusted supplier sells. I guess good thing as it turns out that they do. (I'll look into AmRad too and see who sells them around here)

Blower caps, I have not been seeing a ton of failure there yet, but then again, by the time I get there, the motor is already toast, so that's a generalization and of course I have to replace that cap too with the motor...But so far, this year, not a ton of blower motor failures.

Thanks for the heads up, I plan to start checking the blower caps on tune ups going forward.