billybob Posted July 29, 2020 Share Posted July 29, 2020 Hello, Fan or condenser motor not working. After power surge from lightening strike am testing with simple analog meter, the dual run capacitor. Continuity check shows good. Meter has.no capacitance check function. So, what are the chances that cap is really good? Turns the compressor on but motor for fan remains cool to the touch like no power is received. Guess that the cap could be good only for the compressor side. Motor for fan is old looking and maybe an original 20 y/o. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OO1 Posted July 29, 2020 Share Posted July 29, 2020 you can check the cover of the AC to see where the lightning strike hit , it will be a burn mark -wherever it hit would show the damaged area -------usually the capacitor and the contactor are the parts to replace 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CECAA850 Posted July 29, 2020 Share Posted July 29, 2020 Caps are normally the first thing to go after a storm. Don't listen to Dean, you don't need Jupiters in an ac unit. 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boom3 Posted July 29, 2020 Share Posted July 29, 2020 AC contractors generally charge about 5X list (Mouser, Allied, etc) for motor run caps (not including labor). Just sayin'... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvel Posted July 29, 2020 Share Posted July 29, 2020 My co-worker just replaced the motor run caps in his A/C unit... good thing it was all he needed, and we've been in the mid 90s here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
babadono Posted July 29, 2020 Share Posted July 29, 2020 Appliance parts shop will test your cap and sell you a new one even if its good if you want 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Matthews Posted July 29, 2020 Share Posted July 29, 2020 If we're talking about the same thing, an easy test is to turn on the a/c, and while you are at the condenser unit, use a stick to poke inside the top and give the fan blade a good nudge clockwise. If it starts spinning, it's a bad capacitor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edgar Posted July 29, 2020 Share Posted July 29, 2020 9 minutes ago, Jeff Matthews said: If it starts spinning, it's a bad capacitor. Just to be picky; if it keeps spinning, it's a bad capacitor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Matthews Posted July 29, 2020 Share Posted July 29, 2020 7 minutes ago, Edgar said: Just to be picky; if it keeps spinning, it's a bad capacitor. LOL. True! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OO1 Posted July 29, 2020 Share Posted July 29, 2020 1 hour ago, boom3 said: AC contractors generally charge about 5X list (Mouser, Allied, etc) for motor run caps (not including labor). Just sayin'... plus the service call charge and the labor and the shipping on parts Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OO1 Posted July 29, 2020 Share Posted July 29, 2020 22 minutes ago, Jeff Matthews said: If we're talking about the same thing, an easy test is to turn on the a/c, and while you are at the condenser unit, use a stick to poke inside the top and give the fan blade a good nudge clockwise. If it starts spinning, it's a bad capacitor. you're super handy with an AC but you can't fix a dryer ------love it - 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldtimer Posted July 29, 2020 Share Posted July 29, 2020 AC is way more necessary where he lives than a dryer. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OO1 Posted July 29, 2020 Share Posted July 29, 2020 43 minutes ago, oldtimer said: AC is way more necessary where he lives than a dryer. -like you said , much better for the clothes to dry outside ---- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldtimer Posted July 29, 2020 Share Posted July 29, 2020 Just now, RandyH000 said: -like you said , much better for the clothes to dry outside ---- Actually I dry them inside. Less humidity and you get some evaporative cooling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OO1 Posted July 29, 2020 Share Posted July 29, 2020 Just now, oldtimer said: Actually I dry them inside. Less humidity and you get some evaporative cooling. very interesting , same as Atlanta -GA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
billybob Posted July 30, 2020 Author Share Posted July 30, 2020 Lol, appreciate the ideas. Drove a 100 mile rounder for the correct cap replace. No cigar so am eliminating Caps for the moment. Have a hard start cap that tests good.and another ordered. Looking like the fan now or/and the control board. The breaker never tripped and the low voltage fuse inside never blew. There is a 3 amp fuse in the control board that is inline with the thermostat that blows but, thinking it is protection against my tinkering. Checked continuity from the new stat I just installed to the control board. Brown fan wire good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tigerwoodKhorns Posted July 30, 2020 Share Posted July 30, 2020 6 hours ago, billybob said: Motor for fan is old looking and maybe an original 20 y/o. Thanks Replace the fan on each of your units. Residential units do not have a fan sensor and when the fan dies your compressor will die right away. If your units go, you need to replace everything (including the evaporator) to covert to the new Freon which might even require larger line sets depending on how far away the units are. This will be very expensive. This info is from a few years ago. I replaced all of my units when the R22 units were being phased out even though they were working on the advice form a friend in the business. You should also look at a 5-2-1 hard start kit. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gilbert Posted July 30, 2020 Share Posted July 30, 2020 20 hours ago, boom3 said: AC contractors generally charge about 5X list (Mouser, Allied, etc) for motor run caps (not including labor). Just sayin'... More like 10x About 20 years ago I started buying my own AC capacitors on ebay. Price is usually between $20 and $30 bucks nowadays. I learned the hard way after being shafted $300 for a 15 min. visit and a $15 part swap. When I discovered the cost of the real cost of the capacity I was livid. This was back in the late 1990's. God forbid what they charge nowadays for such a simple job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OO1 Posted July 30, 2020 Share Posted July 30, 2020 16 hours ago, billybob said: Lol, appreciate the ideas. Drove a 100 mile rounder for the correct cap replace. No cigar so am eliminating Caps for the moment. Have a hard start cap that tests good.and another ordered. Looking like the fan now or/and the control board. The breaker never tripped and the low voltage fuse inside never blew. There is a 3 amp fuse in the control board that is inline with the thermostat that blows but, thinking it is protection against my tinkering. Checked continuity from the new stat I just installed to the control board. Brown fan wire good. -lucky no one was outside when the lighting hit , I lost a friend that way Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seadog Posted July 30, 2020 Share Posted July 30, 2020 Last summer the cap failed on my A/C compressor. It was the origial GE cap from when the unit was installed in 1986. When I was buying a new Dayton cap at Grainger, I mentioned to an employee how long the original cap lasted. She said, "I can guarantee this new capacitor won't last that long". I bought two more to have on the shelf. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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