After a long summer and fall of hard work keeping your home cool, your air conditioning system may start to run into trouble due to wear and tear. This is one of the hazards of living in a place with such a warm climate where ACs don’t get a long break during the winter. We have to be extra vigilant of how our air conditioning systems operate to catch potential trouble they may have between their regular maintenance visits in the spring.
One common trouble that ACs encounter after working through hot weather is with capacitors. Failed capacitors will bring an air conditioner to a halt. Below we’re going to talk more about capacitors, how to tell if they are failing/have failed, and what to do about it.
The Job of the Capacitors
Capacitors are important parts of many electrically powered devices. They are responsible for holding an electrical charge, like temporary batteries, and sending voltage to motors to start them and then keep them running. A central air conditioner has multiple motors—for the compressor, the exhaust fan, the blower fan—and both run and start capacitors for each of them.
Capacitors are not permanent, and they will tend to wear down before an AC needs to have a replacement. They’re also susceptible to intense heat, which can limit how much of an electrical charge they can hold—this is the danger a Florida AC can face. If a capacitor fails, motors will either not start or will not continue to run and rapidly shut back down again.
Signs of Capacitor Problems
Failing capacitors give off warning signs. The most noticeable is a clicking sound. If you’re hearing repeated clicking noises from the AC cabinet when it’s starting up a cooling cycle, this may indicate a dying capacitor. Another warning is when the AC’s compressor begins struggling to start, which is known as “hard starting,” or if the compressor shuts down soon after it starts up. When capacitors fail, the AC’s motors won’t run at all or only come on briefly.
Solving Failed Capacitors
If you go online to search for solutions to failed AC capacitors, you’ll run into tutorials advising you on how you can purchase new capacitors and install them. Please do not follow any DIY instructions for capacitor replacement! We can’t emphasize this enough: only professionals can do this job. There are many types of sizes of capacitors, and putting in the wrong one can permanently damage the air conditioner’s motors. Working with capacitors is also potentially dangerous—these are high-voltage components of a complex electrical system.
The best way to deal with AC capacitor problems is to call our team for air conditioning repair in Lake City, FL. We’ll find out if capacitors are the source of the problem, as there are several other issues that might look like failed capacitors. We’ll get the correct type and voltage of capacitors to replace any failed ones. We can restore your AC to working order
Call Touchstone Heating & Air Inc 24/7 for exceptional customer service! We’ve served the communities of North Central Florida since 1998.