Home A/C Capacitor Lifespan??

Do Capacitors in an outdoor AC unit have a lifespan?

Cleaned out the outside unit on my house bright and early this AM.

Noticed my contactor block is looking a bit tired so plan to get a spare as a just in case. Mine has a few years on it and also had some ants in the electrical cabinet that I addressed this AM. Bugs killed the last one! Darn Bugs!

That got me to thinking about the Capacitor. I know I've replace the Fan motor and the contactor in the past but don't recall ever touching the capacitor.

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Originally Posted by POS Racing

Do Capacitors in an outdoor AC unit have a lifespan?

Cleaned out the outside unit on my house bright and early this AM.

Noticed my contactor block is looking a bit tired so plan to get a spare as a just in case. Mine has a few years on it and also had some ants in the electrical cabinet that I addressed this AM. Bugs killed the last one! Darn Bugs!

That got me to thinking about the Capacitor. I know I've replace the Fan motor and the contactor in the past but don't recall ever touching the capacitor.

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My experience says yes. My house has 2 Trane units. When the downstairs unit went out, I payed $200 for a guy to come out, diagnose it in about 2 minutes by pointing out that the capacitor was bulging like a soda can that had been in the freezer, and replacing it with a replacement off the truck. It was about 10 years old at the time. After he left, I got the part number off the upstairs unit's capacitor, and ordered one online for about $25. 6 months later, the upstairs unit went out and sure enough the capacitor was bulging. I replaced it with the one I already had in the waiting and I was back up and running in under 10 minutes.

Yea I think I will add one to my shopping list to keep "in stock". I like working A/C ;-)

I sure hope my neighbor continues to keep these in stock now that he's retired... My downstairs compressor eats one about every 5 years. I guess I should stock my own...

A lizard fried mine while I was away last week, but it also killed the compressor since it kept trying to cycle on for several days. Definitely a cheap item to keep on a shelf if you get them online. I saved my big air compressor in the garage last year by replacing a bulging capacitor. $6 part.

There can be 3 kinds of capacitor on the condenser. Run, Start, and Fan. Sometimes they are merged into one capacitor with multiple terminals. Sometimes they will bulge and you know they are bad, sometimes they just quit and you have to test them.
If the compressor is running but the fan is not, push the fan blades in the proper direction with a stick. If the fan starts, the fan capacitor is dead.
If the compressor is not running, but fan is, then you have to start checking things. Could be start or run capacitor. Or Compressor problem.

Anyway, be careful around the electrical stuff. 240V kids, take it seriously.

PS - POS is an old electrician IIFC, so I don't worry about him ;)

^After you kill the breaker, always a good idea to span the terminals with an insulated screwdriver to discharge the cap!

What sammmmmmmmm said

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Originally Posted by OZMDD

A lizard fried mine while I was away last week, but it also killed the compressor since it kept trying to cycle on for several days. Definitely a cheap item to keep on a shelf if you get them online. I saved my big air compressor in the garage last year by replacing a bulging capacitor. $6 part.

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This seems like it may be something for those of us with critter trouble to look at - http://www.emersonclimate.com/en-us/...49P11-843.aspx

Mine lasted about 7 years before it blew out, cheap part and good to keep one as a backup.