start & run capacitors

[dijit]

Has anyone noticed a pattern in the types of capacitors that are failing prematurely? I changed a 60 MFD @370 run capacitor on a compressor 4 ton. It was drawing 21.7 amps. With new capacitor the amp draw dropped to 14.1. In the last 10 years I have changed 5 times as many capacitors as I did in the 90's.

I think it may be because of the somewhat new regulations in the types of chemicals that can be used inside. The older stuff is a lot more nasty than the newer stuff. I am thinking that the newer stuff may make it easier to fail though. Either that or it is because they are made by China these days which makes crap. And everything is made to fail these days. even stuff that used to be made to last.

[icemeister]

電容

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[SwampTromper]

The icing on the cake is that that the US has to borrow money from China(the country we outsourced our jobs, products, and even resources to) in order to keep dysfunctionally, functioning. The thought process doesn't make a bit of sense. Not to be a conspiratist, but i'd imagine that the money and politics is not what it seems, there's a black market shuffle involved somewhere. Call it a reasoned rant...

[chuckcrj]

We also have an ARP forum.............

[lions_lair]

if it didn't matter they wouldn't make both kinds.

Yesterday, 07:35 PM
t527ed
Professional Member*
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: burlington county n.j.
Posts: 8,678
if it didn't matter they wouldn't
make both kinds.

^^^....what he said...^^^
Now that's funny...can't get more "matter of fact"..than that....damn...I might put that under my quotes...

[OD23]

Understand the type/variety of oil has changed....anybody got any info on this?

[infinitend]

Last week I replaced an evaporator fan motor in an ancient looking reach in freezer. It was an old GE motor, made in the USA. The replacement I got from Meiers' was also a GE only it was made in China. It failed after less than a week. May have been a coincidence but I'm more inclined to think the 12 year olds making $2/hr and working 15 hour days are slacking.

[timebuilder]

Ok.

In the old days...

..that was when I was as young as most of the members here...

the superior oil used in oil filled capacitors and transformers was "PCB" oil.

That stands for PolyChlorinated Biphenyl.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polychlorinated_biphenyl

It had very good dielectric properties.

Now, the oil is a more "environmentally friendly" substance that is not anywhere near as good for the purpose.

Secondly, the coatings used on the plates as the primary dielectric are not as good, mostly due to cost of production.

Mind you, you can still buy a pretty good cap, but it costs a LOT more money. Dry caps used in military electronics, for example, cost a bundle.

Finally, the Chinese are happy to build a cap to the specifications they are given. The specs they are given will often include a mandate to produce the product at a lower cost, and they will use ONLY the amount of chemicals and materials that are needed in order to accomplish their mission. Longevity of the part is usually NOT a part of their mandate.

Does that help?

[bostonmark]

電容

If you don't know what 電容 represents, just Google it.

vetty funny

[SwampTromper]

Nope, doesn't help. I still go to the supply house and ask for a cap and its garbage. The good news is atleast things last longer now than they will in ten more years!

[timebuilder]

You could find a supply house that carries Amrad, or even a supply house that carries mexican made caps. They are better than the Chinese caps sold under the Beacon name.

[geo user]

ON the same subject. I have installed 50 or more universal run capacitors. You can adjust the size of capacitance. Most of them have failed, some blew up and caught on fire. I thought they would replace the 30 differnent run caps. I am back to stocking lots of different ones again.

[Hvacman4God]

I been gone so long I don't know what that fancy writing with the houses and boxes mean. Something about Q= something over something.