bad caps

[selfemployed]

How long is this going to go on ? How many bad caps are out there anyway ?

[Senior Tech]

As long as you are in the business and I hope lots...easy fix and great pay!

[selfemployed]

But I sold the unit. It's out of warranty and 45x3x370v round which I don't stock. Put in 2 till I can come back (another trip). I do remember the GE units that the 370v had to be changed to 440v in the late 70's though.

[absolute air]

There will always be bad capacitors.

[Swampfox]

Freakin' ICP and their plastic capacitors, with a 3 mfd for the fan no less, so you have to stock an oddball capacitor just for their equipment, other than that, I like to call run capacitors "revenue generators"

[skippedover]

Oh, they're not the only ones. Had a Trane XL13i the the other day. 30 + 3 @440. Sure, I got several of those on my truck! Billed as an OEM part plus travel. $$$$$$$$$$$$. Easy work for the money!

[mark beiser]

Last summer I had whole days, sometimes back to back, where every call I ran was a bad run cap and dirty condenser coil, lol.

[Swampfox]

Same here, its an epidemic, I love when you walk around to the condenser and hear that tell tale hummmmm, right then and there you know its an easy call

[johncavh]

it's not bad caps. 9 out of ten times also find conderser coils dirty, makes everything work harder.

[nc hvacman]

Its several thing actually. Numero Uno is NOTHING equals PCB oil as the electrolye cooling oil so they get hotter. Two they are usually 370 volt and not 440 volt. Three the size-much smaller than they used to be so they can't disipate the heat as well... Another thing is they are made Not in the USA-Mostly Mexico I think....Before I forget I know PCB's where very bad but it worked great and we don't have an equal - Sort of like asbestos I guess.

[Eclipse]

When did they outlaw PCB's? My 1984 Rheem CU still has the original run caps.

[selfemployed]

But wish I'd saved some of the old ones bout the size of a canned ham.

[reepersteve]

Thurs. was a 35/5 @370 day, Wed. was a 40/5 370 day, and today for some reason was a 25/5 370 day I can't keep up with all the stock, I'm going nuts, NVTS, nuts.
Besides the fact that dual caps. are junk, I kinda like charging for the pair. Plus easy to install.

[ar_hvac_man]

I love crappy capacitors. I wish all i did every day was change em.$$$$

[MichaelPaladin]

Well some things I've learned about caps over the past 23 years.

1. Yes quick and easy to change.

2. I will not just replace a cap, on a motor older than ten years, you do and you have a 70%+ chance of a call back. Namely because the motor burned up. Happens about equally on condenser motors and compressors.

3. Up on a roof and forgot your cap tester? Sometimes just shaking a cap can tell you if its good or bad. Shake and if you hear a liquid sound, then most likely its good. If you get no sound, then its bad (either shorted or open). But since your going down to get another cap, best to double check.


Now a good one I found recently was a Cond Fan motor that would "cut out" after about 30 minutes of run time. Felt the motor and it was hot as fire, for some crazy reason I decided to check the cap and see if it was good. Yes it was good 7.5 mfd cap, but the motor only required a 3 mfd cap.
Ended up replacing both the cap and motor, since it had been running like this since last summer.

[ckone180]

It is a conspiracy!!!!!

[sootface]

have you tried the Turbo 200 universal dual run cap?
It can be adjusted to run from 2.5 to 60 uf using supplied jumpers. They have about 8 terminals on them you just jump them together to add up to the size you need. We still use exact repacement if possable, but in a pinch they are a lifesaver. we have been useing them for two years and havent had any noticable problems so far. Anyone else use them? and what do you think?

[reepersteve]

I've thought about getting a couple for just that pinch. Known about them for quite some time, never used them though. Having all those differant terminals on them I was unsure of there effectiveness. The boss will not buy them due to expence. I thought about getting one or two for the van, to use for a temp. if I don't have the replacement on hand.

[selfemployed]

After have to put 2 caps in units until I get the one that fits it. I've been thinking it wouldn't be a bad idea to keep one on the van.

[mrfixit-ms]

I keep one in toolbox to use until I get the right size. Have used it several times. It means a return call but the customer is very happy that the house is cooling off now..