MOST IMPORTANT: You should always turn off the unit at the power disconnect before opening any panels or poking around inside. This video is carelessly done and you are going to get someone hurt or killed. You may think it is okay to work on a live unit but you are teaching novices how to work on their own units and they might not understand about how electricity works. Please be more responsible on future videos.
@@terrymoore9185 Never heard of R34 refrigerant. There is R134a Refrigerant but that's only for automobile applications. If your unit is 15 yrs. old, then it likely has R22. In 2010 in the U.S. A/C' with R-410a were available for install in resident's homes. The replacement for R-410a is likely going to be R32. If you have a leak in your A/C what is the cost of the repair? What is the cost of a new unit? There are many variables that it would be difficult for anyone to answer your question. I'm shocked by all the misinformation on RUclips. I'm no expert and know nothing. If you would like to get the best information about A/C's I can recommend the WORD OF ADVICE channel on RUclips.
There are some safety things you need to cover for the capacitor part... 1) Discharge the bad cap before removing it.... 2) Turn power off at the service panel 3)Test for live voltage before beginning.
Hey thanks for the comment. I need to do an update video but there are still good points in this one. This was one of my first videos and it doesn’t state as many safety things for DIYers but I guess i take for granted that it should be obvious. Thank you so much for your feedback I really appreciate it!
Please update this video. People can shock themselves! "A capacitor is a device that stores electrical energy" and you didn't even mention turning off the power to the unit. People can be really clueless and blindly trust RUclips videos. What may be common sense for you and I, another person will have no idea what can potentially happen. Next thing you know they are suing you and your video instructions because they hurt themselves. I love the tips you gave but just fix the safety issues. 👍
@@AnimeTriviaQuest Uh, he doesn't owe you or anyone else anything. If people don't know the basics of what they're doing, then they shouldn't be doing it. He clearly mentions there is live current throughout that area.
Omg Thank you so much for all the information about the air-conditioning. I appreciate it. I was having a difficult time with my air conditioning and every time I called someone out it was always 300 400 so thank you. God Bless
Thank you! This solved my fan not spinning issue. I checked out your other videos and also took advice from other comments to "discharge the cap before removing it" I turned off the AC from my electrical panel and then pulled out the connector (?) from the separate HVAC breaker box next to the A/C. I followed all advice: changed filter, cleared out the condensation line, washed the a/c fins with the water hose. I removed the panel took a picture of the capacitor - ordered the exact part on Amazon and 3 days later installed it and like magic it is running! Tip: make sure you take pictures of old capacitor with all the wires connected to see where each wire goes. Each connection looks different so just take pics. My old one was corroded so no way to see the letters/words. But the pictures told me exactly how to connect it back. Thanks for this amazing video!
So I got a question on this about the fan not spinning 🤔? If I hear that the fan is having trouble spinning do you think I should replace the Compasitor. Or will that fix the problem 🤔?
@@thelasvegassportstalk the part is so inexpensive so I figured it didn't hurt to change it. Doing it myself meant I didn't have to pay for labor. Doesn't hurt to try.
@@thelasvegassportstalk Could be a capacitor or fan motor but capacitors are cheap so try it and see if the fan spins better. To me it sounds like a bad fan motor but I'm not there looking at it.
I am a HVAC service tech and I tell and explain all of these things to my customers. I try my best to explain the refrigerant cycle to my customers. The way I see it is that if I am transparent and straight forward and I feel better as a person and my customers love me for this. I get asked for by my company's customers all the time.
My man. You just saved us. Upper 90's in my area this week. A/C stopped working yesterday. Purchased capacitor from Amazon. Arrived this morning. A/C putting out cold air. Subbed, and thanks again.
I did mine too!! Saved me lots of $$$ as well! And i did a better job!! Then some lowlife crook contractor!! And i put a higher performance capacitor in it!!
Just got hosed over $320 for a Turbo2 Capacitor ($70 online) .. just the capacitor.. Diagnosis and labor..$200. So over $500 for knocking in a new capacitor. I was over a barrel cause 105 degrees all week...
@@jefftanasse6958my AC stopped yesterday. A friend suggested looking at replacing the capacitor. Watched a RUclips video on how to change it. Look d up the closest store that had mine and had to drive 40 minutes to the closest ACE hardware that had one. $30…took 10 minutes and my AC is working again. Would’ve had to pay $400+ for a technician to come out and change it
@@jefftanasse6958 Most service companies (of all types) engage in such ripoff and gouge these days, it is now an epidemic of dishonesty. I think what drives this, is nowdays most techs get a commission on the job besides their hourly wage. So, the tech you had probably made an extra 25% of the total bill you paid on top of his wage for a quick simple job. The days are gone when service companies were content to be paid handsomely for their work. Now they screw everybody they can. Especially in the big cities where there is an unlimited supply of new customers to rip. Small towns are different, because the contractors know word will get around in a small population, so they tend to be more honest. An honest company can be found in a big city, but it's just harder to find one.
@@jefftanasse6958 If you live in a hot area you should always have a SPARE capacitor and buss fuses stored near your furnace so you know where to find them. It can save you a lot of time and discomfort while waiting for your order to arrive during those hot days with a dead AC. Trust me...I've learned that the hard way!
Your a good man for telling people these most common problems.Most people just keep the information themselves and get the service money. I know this will help people, god bless
2:25. I clean my coils annually however I remove the top grille and spray from the inside out. That way, I'm pushing the debris out the way it came it rather than jamming it further into the coils. Also, this gives me an opportunity to clean whatever debris I find in the bottom. 2-1/2 ton Lennox I installed myself in 1988. It has never let me down. Thanks for posting this video.
This is what I learned to do from an honest HVAC guy, he showed me how to do it. I never thought to unscrew a few little screws on top of the unit and take the top protective grill off to get good access to the interiour of the unit and blast AWAY from the inside to outside. I regularily blasted the outside once a year but was surprised at how much I'd missed on the inside!
I remove the grill also. We have cottonwood trees in the woods around our neighborhood and I clean a thin blanket out of it twice a season. I've also replaced the cap and fan on it.
just a quick reminder.... when you replace that capacitor make sure to discharge it first. the capacitor stores a lot of electricity. (just cross the contacts with an insulated screw driver to discharge)
As an HVAC technician who has done this for 11 years so far, these are all things we tell the customer to check anyways before paying for a service call at my company now, before any other company will charge you an arm and a leg for simple calls like this, great information for homeowners and landlords🙏🏻🙏🏻Good stuff brother, way to keep everyone on the same page👌🏼
Minus the capacitor because of safety concerns and precautions *** Rather do that ourselves but as I said before, could save yourself more by listening to this technician and replacing yourself but please turn power off and discharge before replacing capacitor every time🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
Thank you Brian for your input. You speak like a professional. I like that you said good stuff brother! Many commenters are crucifying the man for not including safety steps. When you decide to reroof your house, you are aware of many risks. Especially if you're a D.I.Y. er. There are many D.I.Y. er's that shouldn't be doing a project alone. The ideal D.I.Y. er does her homework, talks to others who have done a repair or project, knows the risks and prepares to do the job safely. dyihvacguy has shared good information with us. Wish I could team up with him.
good? WRONG...forcing water through the wrong side of ANY COIL is WRONG. FORCING water back up your condensate? WRONG... you too are dangerous...11 years...same year 11 times sounds like
@@Rocketman88002 He should be including simple safety steps. After all, many people watching this video may literally follow what he is doing in the video and Not turn off the power while they're spraying water all inside their condensing unit, or while changing out the capacitor, etc. Plus, not showing how to discharge a capacitor Before handling it, "just in case."
Just FYI, I use a Shop Vac and pull the water out of the drain every so often, I do this based on the amount of humidity and frequency of the unit running. But when I started I did it every 2 weeks. It literally takes less than 10 minutes. And I find it works better than the push back method.
Can’t thank you enough for making this video! A/C unit went out the day before record high 108 where I live! Thanks to your video I was able to get the part for under $20 and replace the capacitor the following morning before the hottest time of the day. You literally saved us hundreds of dollars! Keep up the Great work
I built my own house - my uncle and I framed it, did my own plumbing and electrical, laid every brick, even hung my sheet rock - this is one of the best "do it yourself" vids on RUclips, hands down! I learned a few things! It's a great video!!!!!! Keep em coming!
Decent enough advice but: 1) You should never spray water inwards on the condenser this forces the debris further into the fins. Take the cabinet top off or disassemble to spray water from behind the fins outwards. 2) You should never blow air inwards into the condensate drain. This also forces debris inwards and doesn’t do anything to remove the clog. Use a small wet vac and vacuum the clog outwards. Attach the vacuum to the condensate drain with some tape or simply cup your hand around it to create a seal. - 25 years as an HVAC tech
Got it, 0 yrs here , knowing nothing but learning. How Great the vblogger and your sharing your professional knowledge as HVAC! 🌹💕 Hope we could find a local one like your guys, reliable, trustworthy, & not ripoffing consumers. R u aware of the local and nationwide' s consumers' most complaints r, in the services of coming home for repairs - electricity, a/c, heating, water pipe, natural gas pipe, repairs of anything、、、？ Outside of the home, would be car salesmen and lawyering 、、、?
I put Pet Screening around the unit, this catches the cottonwood and large debris, I regularly hose it down during the bad times in spring/ early summer ✌🏻
it doesnt matter which way you spray it, it isnt an air filter. The debris will simply flow out the other side of the condensor, into the bottom pan and out the drain for the rain. - 0 years as an HVAC tech
This is one of those things that people get ripped off on all the time, replacing the whole unit. Im a renovation contractor and I’m very happy to have honest subs I can depend on. People are generally stunned when they find out it’s only a service call charge and a part for the bill. Guarantees a lifetime client to the hvac guy.
Im learning this trade. I know how to ducts now proper and they never on right. Crazy how AC ppl don't even do right. Literally. Ducts need to be curled in the outside curled in with the insulation so the inner layer is exposed. Metal tape . Mastic. Your spray glue, then right amount connected not just slid all the way in and bunch of tape. Have tape on all the way and squeegee, smoothed out. Inside liner first. Then the out. Done. The amount of effort ppl do doing it wrong is the same or more then just doing it right the first time
Also make a shroud if not 1 or throw something over the ducts to keep em out the sun too. Also lift blocks to elevate the ducts all along them. Should be off the ground. I never see them done usually the prep is just the duct falling apart already jus pull off by hand lol. Always rotting tape already coming off
@ottawapop This has happened now, shortly after the AC unit was serviced, two years in a row >> The AC had always performed like a champ, and service technicians had never had to add a part after servicing, Then last year, the tech said they needed to return to add a part, they added it, and two weeks later, it suddenly began to stop the AC from working. The AC would turn on, or sometimes try to turn on, and would abruptly be stopped, not necessarily at the hottest part of the day, maybe at 3AM when it was only 83 outside . . so sometimes the limiting component would allow the AC to run (and it would run well), and a lot of the time it would not allow it to run at all. Then after 3 weeks of this bad behavior, it would run very well as it always had, never a problem. Then the same service technician comes to service it again this year, and he once again says that he'll have to return to replace a part (that he suggested needed to be replaced every year, when it had NEVER needed anything like that before he began servicing it last year), and he comes back and installs it in a few minutes time, all seemed well, but then 2-3 weeks later, the AC is acting up again exactly as it did last year, where the component was not allowing the AC to run, would shut it off when it would start, or shut it off prematurely, but sometimes it would allow it to run, and it would run great, but during this time, it's mostly not running at all. What did he install, and why was it "needed" *_when it was never needed before last year,_* and why after a few weeks of bad behavior, does the component allow the AC to once again run like a champ? Did he add an after-market component that limits the AC from running? The rest of the year, whether AC or furnace, the unit hasn't had a lick of trouble, no malperformance at all, only AFTER he installed this component, and then after a few weeks of bad non-performance, it works great once again, for the rest of the year. This has happened TWICE, for 3 weeks last year and now this year, ONLY AFTER he serviced the unit and came back to "replace" whatever the component is. What did he do? The unit seems to be great, but whatever the limiting component is, would convince most that the entire AC unit needs to be replaced, while I'm sure it doesn't, but that the component he installed last year and this year, should be removed, then the unit will work great as it otherwise does. What are your thoughts? I question his integrity and the integrity of the component. Thank you.
It’s so sad that way too many professionals always want to steal from people. Why do they have a need to cheat people when we are all just trying to survive. Thank you for having great integrity ❤
I always keep extra capacitors on hand because they like to Die In the Heat of the summer. I keep 2 at all times. I also installed a 3-2-1 hard start kit because it was suggested by the hvac tech to ease starting load on the compressor , but they wanted $240 to install it. So I watched a RUclips video about the 3-2-1 hard start kit and did it myself.
This was very helpful! A few days ago I called a HVAC man to see why in 95 degree outside temp here in South Florida, the A/C couldn't get the inside temp below 79. He fiddled around, added 2 pounds of "freon" and left.Yikes. I had not read the comments here, or else I would have asked him to show me the leak, and fix it!!!! Surprise. There was no real change in the cooling-that was $400 wasted for that visit. I then had another guy come out, and he wanted to put in a brand new A/C unit for $7,000 and spray insulating foam in the ceiling where the temp gets super hot. He wanted $3,000 for that foam job. Strange, as a year or two ago, the A/C inside would always go down to 76 or so on even the hottest days. That was without $3,000 of foam!!! I'm afraid to call a third HVAC guy to come out. He'll probably want to replace the roof, A/C unit, and spray foam....for only $45,000!!!
Usually on a Friday evening of the hottest weekend of the year, the fan capacitor goes bad. The temporary fix is to get a wooden stick like a ruler or paint stirrer, put the thermostat to cooler, go to the unit outside unit, and use the stick to turn the fan. If it continues to run you know it's the fan capacitor and it will cool down your house.
Thank God for RUclips! Several years ago my AC stopped working. I watched a RUclips video and learned how to replace my capacitor (the part was about $30 at the time). It worked for 2 years and died again. Another $30 capacitor, but it didn't fix it. Watched another video and learned how to replace the motor ($150). Been running fine for a few years now.
This is the best video that I’ve seen in a long time regarding maintaining and common issues. In addition, he’s gone an extra step and clearly shown how to test and set up a capacitor. Brilliant.
You’re always gonna get some haters that try and find fault with every video you post or add their 2cents. 30 year vet here and contractor, I appreciate you trying to save folks money. Some families need all the help they can get In todays economy and a bill for an HVAC repair can mean the difference in food on the table or not.
I just paid $300 to get the capacitor replaced. And was without air during one of our hottest weeks. Thank you for the info! I’m retired and on a limited income.
YEp. FWIW< $300 is not overpriced. You are paying for the truck, workman's comp, health insurance, travel time, gas & oil and insurance, But if you DIY, it's only a $12 part. Keep watching his videos. I do.
@@AnnM223 thats average, areas are different varying on the city/state. Cost of keeping a business goes up, and so do their prices, liability, van insurance, work comp, gas/truck use, etc. Parts cost go up as well, and some people will buy more expensive caps because they last longer. It's not easy to stay in business, the bigger the company the more you'll pay. Blame Washington, things used to be cheaper because parts and equipment used to be quite inexpensive
@3:30 you discuss the overflow condensate line. Typically if this is backed up and filling the pan under the ac, the primary condensate line is also plugged. The primary line runs to a p-trap under a sink somewhere in the house. This will often be blocked with algae buldup and need to be flushed with bleach solution to kill the algae.
I wouldn't recommend blowing into the condensate drain pipe to clear a plugged drain. First, all that will do is force the gunk back into the catch pan, where it can easily re-enter the drain pipe and clog it again. Second, if the catch pan is full of water and you blow compressed air into the drain pipe, you will likely cause that water to overflow. If that pan is in an attic, you would damage a ceiling. If it's mounted above a furnace, that water will flow back into the furnace. I'd recommend trying a wet & dry vac to pull the debris and water out (might need to use a plumbing snake to break loose a bad plug first). If there is a lot of trash in the condensate pan and drain, you need to find the source and fix it. Could be a sign of a bad filtration setup or torn filter, or it could be corrosion flaking off, signaling a pending failure, or ??. It's not normal for a condensate drain to become plugged if everything else is set up and running correctly. It's a warning that something else isn't right.
Thank you so much for the tips. I should have included that after it is cleared and flowing to go to the attic and clean out the pan from up top. That way you aren’t dealing with a bunch of water. When I said blow it it doesn’t need much so it’s not going to blow water everywhere.
Thank you thank you thank you for this video! Your detailed symptom of the failed capacitor was EXACTLY what I was experiencing! I got super lucky and found one at my local Ace Hardware (LAST ONE) for under $30. Installed it in minutes and we were on our way back to a cool house! It was the first really hot day we’ve had this year (105!) so I was sooooo relieved to fix this. You sure saved me a lot of $$$ but mostly you helped me be a DIY hero to my family!😂 I am a proud new subscriber to your channel, and I am encouraging my son to explore HVAC as a possible career path. Thanks again!
My friend-I'm from New York and today my year old American standard AC wasn't throwing cold air after watching your video my outside condenser fan wasn't working so I reset circuit breaker on the inside panel and another one outside. Thank God and thanks to you- my AC started throwing cold cold air Appreciate the time and effort to help normal people like me, Be well
What I really like, is the down to earth honesty, in trying to help people save money without any of the disclaimer mumbo jumbo. I do understand most of these diy tips needs to be taken seriously regarding safety precautions, but very much doable as explained. Also Kudos to keep the narrative flowing with casual conversation without much emphasis to correct any occasional slip of tongue. 👍
Perfect! Thanks so much. My fan stopped spinning, so I cleaned the fins, I replaced the flux capacitor, works great! Best $20 I ever spent. Saved hundreds! Thank you so much!
That was simply amazing ... I cleaned the a/c unit just as you said and I even bought a new capacitor. I replaced the air filter as I always do .... Thank you so much. Great job.
I sheet a breek when my compressor was blowing breakers. Half an hour online and I discovered that the likely suspect was the start/run cap. I pulled the disconnect and pulled the cap after discharge, then threw the thing in the truck. The next day, I was at my chiro when the HVAC guy came to work on their unit. Talk about handy timing. I got an extra cap from him for $15 and fixed my A/C when I got home. What a relief, as it was 113F that day. I love hearing tips which can save me money.
I had a contactor that failed prematurely after replacement. It had welded from arcing. I found the capacitor seal had failed. New capacitor and no more contactor welding. There are more failure indicators than swelling and I'm glad you brought that up. Thank you for producing this no-mystery content. I learned more in five minutes from you than from hours from other HVAC guys who could only use insider language. I had to learn a lot of things the hard way.
@@marcusfitzgerald59 basically he said one of the wires that was on the contactor got in contact with the frame of the unit and it sparked off so he changed it out
This is very well explained. However, any idea how 😮to clean your Compressor when sitting on A Rooftop? The worst place to park a Condenser/Compressor!😮
Here's my 2 cents...I've been an HVAC contractor for about 8 years. Discharging the capacitor is only necessary to test it, it will give you a false reading if you don't do it. I've never been shocked by a charged capacitor that has been disconnected from the condenser. It's always wise to talk about safety, regardless of the task. Whenever you DIY anything, and you've never done that specific task before, letting people know could save lives. It's a good size shock, and you have a bad heart, or have something like a pacemaker, it IS enough to cause issues, maybe even death. Just be careful when attempting a DIY project, or call us, you can always find a good contractor, that won't charge you an arm or a leg for the simple stuff. Have a great day folks...!! Greg Harbrecht Harbrechthvac@gmail.com Serving central Indiana since 2016
Safety is the #1 most important advise we can give anyone especially DIY. I believe instructing how to properly use the disconnect before opening the electrical compartment of the condenser especially before removing the capacitor should be in the video. Thanks Chad
Having worked for one of the 3 biggest HVAC commercial companies for 42 years now yes there's thing's a home owner can check like filters and coils and drain. But when it comes to the electrical side I'd be really careful and for heaven's sake turn the disconnect off before you open the cover. If you happen to hook up the capacitor backyards and get the herm and F backyards you're going to probably cost yourself big money. Sometimes it's best to let a trained technician do the electrical and refrigeration side of these systems.For those who have some electrical experience and want to be proactive I actually change the capacitor out every couple of year's before they have a chance to go bad. Just my 2 cents from someone who's been doing this stuff on a commercial level for 42 year's.
Thanks so much for sharing your expertise. Make sure and subscribe to the channel and comment on all of our videos as everyone can benefit from your experience! Cheers
I bought several start/run capacitors online a few years ago (once I knew what capacitor my unit used). They sat in my 'electrical' drawer in the garage. This year, the a/c went out and we called our contractor - he said we needed a new capacitor. I pulled one out, he said, yes, that's the right one, and he asked if I wanted him to go ahead and install it. Sure, I said. No charge for replacement. It was all covered with the annual retainer we paid to have these guys to do our A/C stuff. I think we pay $80/year for the privilege of 'retaining them'. Otherwise, it would have been a new part (at least $120+ with picking one up), labor, home visit fee, etc. Figure out what capacitor your unit uses. Get several. They go out every other year or so. Save yourself some grief. Great video DIY HVAC Guy. Thank you for putting this out. You are doing us all a nice service. It's a good thing to see, these days.
#3 is the #1 money saver for most people. Those capacitors go bad all the time. And HVAC companies LOVE charging upwards of $300 just for a capacitor, not including labor. And then you have predatory HVAC companies that will want to replace your fan for a lot more money. When a simple capacitor is all that's needed. It's a shame the amount of dishonesty that lives in the HVAC industry. I had a leaking schrader valve on my combo unit. I knew it was leaking, we did a sniffer test on it. I called 3 different HVAC companies to come give me a quote on fixing it, without telling them that I knew what was wrong. I get quotes ranging from $3000 - 10,000, wanting to replace the transfer coil, compressor and entire unit. For a $0.50 schrader valve core and recharge.
Thank you for great explorations! Single mother and always broke so I stress so much about having to call an HVAC company because it's always a long wait and more money than I have. This is something I can actually do myself and I will be ordering the capacitor now to have on hand when it's needed cause it's 103 degrees here with weeks of the same predicted
The only thing I would add is to turn the power off before taking the panel off the outside unit. Otherwise it’s a good video with very useful information.
Yes I didn’t even think about that. The power was off to the unit for the whole video but I should include that. Thanks for the tip! Trying to improve my videos with each new one :) cheers
You're my hero! I can't thank you enough. You saved me God knows how much $$, especially when this happened over the weekend during an unusually hot week. The culprit turned out to be a capacitor gone bad. A quick trip to the local hardware store and spending $29, and 10 minutes later, the fan was running again!
I have cleaned out my condensate drain with a shop vac. I cut the top out of a plastic coke bottle. The little end fit over the 1/2 inch pvc and the vac hose fit inside the cut end of the bottle. I was surprised how fast it cleaned it. I tried blowing in it, but line was too long, and water would flow onto the floor. Very good info, thank you!
Just a note to those that can't seem to find the condensate pump or think the pump may be internal. YOU may not have a pump at all! You may have a catch tank beneath the coils and a pipe that drains the catch tank by gravity ONLY! The water will drip from the coils into the tank and then flow down the pipe. If such is the case, and you have a clog, you generally only need to break up or remove the clog and pour water down the U-Trap's access port to literally flush the clog away. Just thought I'd mention this because it literally caught ME by surprise with my own HVAC system.
Really great tips. However, the part about changing out the run/start capacitor you didn't mention turning off the power and showing how to discharge the capacitor so folks won't get shocked and when reinstalling the new capacitor which wire goes to the correct terminal.
This one video is such a blessing for a lot of people that need to do their own work on things, especially the folks that are on fixed incomes. You're a blessing as well, thank you so much for your generosity and sharing your skills. 📖🛐✈️
You are the man. Saved me a few bucks. Checked fuses and capacitor. All were good. Then smacked the condensate pump it kicked on, started pumping out the water and viola, all is back to working order. Thank you!,
My condensate line was clogged with mold which caused a backup and the pan overflowed and a whole mess of leaking through the ceiling. The tech blew forced air through the pvc drain line in the attic, and got all that nasty gunk to come out of the line outside. He then showed me where to pour two cups of vinegar in the line every month to kill any mold growth and prevent that from happening again. So thankful for the knowlege. I have my own maintenance schedule every month of changing the filter, running vinegar through the drain line, and spraying the outside unit down.
Fourth common item is likely replacing the fuses in a local power disconnect box. That was my first repair for the condenser 25 years ago. Since then I have also replaced the fan motor, but nothing else outside. As far as inside, I repeatedly fix the igniter module due to cracked soldered connections, but then eventually replaced the entire module. I will be buying a spare capacitor just in case, so thanks for that tip. I’ve kept my original HVAC system running for 31 years now, along with the natural gas dryer. Everything else has had to be replaced once they could do a longer be fixed economically.
If your fuses are blowing, there is a reason why. Fuses in the disconnect are absolutely not something that I would include on the "common" list. Easy? sure. Common? No. There's a good chance that that condenser fan motor that you replaced later is why your fuses were blowing.
My Rheem classic X is 30 years old and the only thing I’ve had to do was replace the fuse in the outside fuse box. Still working perfectly and blowing cold air into my home!
The same as draining a forced hot water heating system, or water pipes I use a wet-vac to vacuum the system from the lowest point. That gets rid of the debris, and dries out the pipes assisted by gravity. Thanks for the video it wash extremely informative!!
I figured this out also...I used the wet vac on suction and held a rag and my hand over the drain pipe and sucked out all that green algae and whatnot. I do this every year because the overflow has ruined the paint on my baseboards. I also insert a small amount of bleach/water mix at the top to kill that algae.
great diy video i do have a couple things to add. Using a shop vac to remove debris from the comdensate drain is a better idea than blowing the debris backwards in the line only to have it clog the drain again later. Many times the condensate pumps fail not because they have gone bad but because they are hindered by the same sludge that plugs the drains. A seasonal cleansing and a touch of clorine, they have clorine tablets available for this purpace, are a good recomendation. When purchacing a run capacitor the capacitance rating isn't the only concern, the vac rating is important. you don't replace a 440 vac with a 370 vac.. You can however replace a 370 vac with a 440 vac. When cleaning the condenser one for whatever reason they always seem to be the dirtiest on the house side. The type of condensers with the hairbrush style of fins are touchy to say the least and a foaming cleanser and gentle spray would be a good recomendation. Those bristles will easily flatten even with a normal spray cleaning. Thanks again for a great video.
@@davidlindgren2448 yea I should have clarified, once the pan has draining. Go up to wherever the furnace is and clean it out more thoroughly. Thanks for your comment 👍🏽
Unless the debris is dry then u can use a pick tool to get it started away from the fins and then just peel it off…the few I’ve cleaned out at the A frame were mostly layers of pet hair…but damn..it was filthy and no wonder the unit wasn’t working right lol…there was another whole pet on the A frame! The guys in my area never look at the coils…it’s always…”it’s shot” even if they just installed it 2 years prior lol…I miss the old timers and their honesty…this new crowd that are replacing the old timers in every profession lack the honesty and ethnics the old timers had…shame really..I’d rather spend all the money for the certification and the equipment to fix my own now…I have enough family that it would pay off in the end working I just my unit and my family members homes lol…I just don’t like dealing with fire for the brazing etc…
Just found your great video. Thx. The capacitor thing happened to me a few years back. Cost me a service call and $300. Then the dirty condenser thing happened. $200 service call. Twice. Just now the dirty air filter thing happened. $150 service call. Found your video. Not gonna wait for the plugged condensate drain to happen. =)
My AC guy told me to get a shop vac and an old sock. Put the sock around the condensation line coming out of the house and put the shop vac hose around the pipe/sock. You will be AMAZED how much gunk you can clear from this line. It saved me a service call.
Great info for a simple repair/service. I'm not a HVAC contractor just a homeowner, I have always done all my repairs from cleaning coils to replacing control modules and motors and fans. pretty much everything but the compressors. My house has 3 zones and at this point I have worked on all of them. Great video man. Just a reminder, It is a GREAT idea to discharge the capacitor as they do hold some shocking information lol
He he...when I was an Air force Radar tech, the first day of schooling the instructors had spread out on the top floor landing a bunch of small capacitors and when the students picked them up they got a big kick out this little lesson!
@@robertlester4569 Step-by-step Disconnect any power sources from the capacitor and its circuit. ... Identify the capacitor(s) on the circuit board. ... Turn the circuit board over to get access to the capacitor terminals. ... Connect the leads of your resistive load to the terminals of the capacitor. ... Give the capacitor time to discharge.
@4:35 - Be careful putting air pressure on the drain, installers don't always glue the fittings together on those drains and you might pop it open and drain all that water into a wall or in an attic.
Great video. I added a couple things to my to-do list after watching it. A warning about blowing pressure back into the condensate line. My father and I did this on my house back in the 80's and ended up with a wet mess inside. I've had some luck with a wet/dry shop vac and a few adapters to vacuum pull on the condensate line. The service techs that have been to my house use a venturi-based vacuum system that seems to do a great job, but not really DIY because of the high pressure gas required. I wish more installers would add some parts to the condensate line at the air handler to make maintenance and repair easier for the home-owner.
Success! When I would start my AC I would hear the compressor try to start then it would go off and I had air flow with no cooling. I replaced my capacitor with one from Amazon for $12 and now my compressor works and I've got great cooling again. I ordered 2 more capacitors just in case lol. Thank you!!!
Good video. A 4th common reason for your service call is that the system is low on it's refrigerant charge which is probably due to a refrigerant leak in the system. Beware of technicians who simply add more refrigerant to fix this problem without first locating the leak(s), repairing them and then testing that the repairs are not leaking before recharging the refrigerant in the system.
Thanks for such great information. My capacitor was replaced early in its life, but I had no clue what it was for. Very helpful information from you....thanks, again.
The capacitor, yep, I had changed in July. A tech told me all about it. My air-furnace unit is almost 30 yrs old. He said “baby this it’s like a tank and better than the new units.” And so I am taking care of it.
Yes! The older units u want to keep! They’re made of quality material unlike this new junk they make now…the new ones are made with aluminum coils which doesn’t handle the drastic temperatures a central air unit has on the lines etc…I honestly think the gov is just trying to eliminate hvac in america altogether because the new Freon type r410a has also been banned and is being phased out as well…everyone who has a new unit will soon realize “it’s shot” when the phase out is done and no one will recharge the Freon because it’s not sold in America anymore…..however, it’s not illegal to buy r22 online without a license …they’re still selling and using it in every other country…it’s just america and the EU countries that signed up for the climate hoax that can’t sell it…god forbid natural elements of the atmosphere be used to cool and heat our homes…they want use living like cave men with no luxuries
@@w8what575 We threw a wrench in their gears for 4 years. Could have been more or permanently fixed but people don't make informed decisions at the Ol ballot box. I am hopeful this nonsense can be walked back. We have only one more chance for that in '24.
WOW!!! Awesome video. I work for the BBB so I know lots of our BBB HVAC accredited businesses and they say it could also be a relay switch. Also discharge the capacitor so you wont get shocked. I know they hold a charge. Just put a screw driver over the terminals to short it out. Of course before you get started, TURN OFF THE POWER to the unit. Excellent video!!! Good stuff to know. Beware of some of the HVAC scammers may tell the homeowner the unit is totally dead where it may just be a bad capacitor like you said. Thanks for sharing your video. Your saving consumers a service call plus $10 part (HVAC dealer price he buys by the case) so it could easily be a $150 service call. Thanks again!
I found this helpful. Last week my condenser was clogged and water was running all over. I had to replace the tub on the pump. It was an easy fix my pump tubing was clogged beyond belief. Good common sense information. Thanks...
Great info. In my case, the HVAC guy showed me that a fuse on the control board had burnt out and he replaced both the fuse and the contactor in the AC unit. I realize that control boards are specific to the unit but fuses and contactors should be common things to check if the capacitor is ok. Please do a video on this. Thanks!
I replaced the capacitor and a year later the condenser fan motor went out, a little more work especially getting the old blade off, but you can also save money by doing that yourself as well. BTW: I would rather use a wet vac to clear the condensate line. You can also test if the capacitor is not working by spinning the fan blade if it is accessible with the a/c turned on, if it starts to run the capacitor is bad.
This was indispensable information especially about the capacitor. I have old R-whatever in jugs in my garage, now useless because I wanted to be prepared but you can bet I plan to buy a Capacitor immediately to have on hand. I at least know how to clean my Condenser unit and learned by getting ripped off over the years and paying attention. But your detailed explanation of the Capacitance leads and Capacitors in general and their pitfalls hits the mark. Lawyers spend countless hours and millions of dollars making sure people do NOT know the law. They never answer simple questions on purpose. You took money out of the pockets of many HVAC guys but good on anyone who wants to learn and DIY. Not just for the savings but to know how to maintain your home. Thank you so much for that.
I really appreciate this kind of info. As a DIY'er, I've swapped out the capacitors on both the indoor blower and the outdoor A/C. It was easier than I had expected. I saved $221 by doing it myself on the outdoor unit (based on the $41 I spent to buy a new capacitor and the $262 I was quoted by the HVAC guy). I replaced the blower capacitor, just as a preventative measure, BECAUSE IT WAS SOOOOO EASY! I likely saved $150 on that on.
Amazing. Thanks for sharing. Everyone on here is saying DIYers should never do this. Did you die? You are clearly still living and a happy camper haha I’m glad you were able to do this yourself and save a bunch of dough! AND this isn’t the last time you’ll replace one. They go bad every 5 years or so. Most people spend like 300 dollars multiple times in their life, not to mention other repairs. So this knowledge is great to have. Cheers brotha
So what should a home owner do if there’s no hvac guys in the area that will work on old units? Mine is a 99 carrier…it works perfectly but the line leaks Freon after the home was moved and the guy who installed it was angry because he didn’t get away pulling a fast one and ripping me and my dad off on the agreement..,he did such a bad job on the brazing I had to try redoing it myself…luckily the unit was empty thank God cuz I learned after the fact that r22 is made out of methane! And if a DIYer is messing with electrical and doesn’t know u have to discharge a capacitor!? They shouldn’t be doing DIYer crap involving electrical! I have a good guardian angel that kept my dumba$$ from blowing up my home lol…I would have visited the discriminating parties who refused to work in it if it had blown up…this is why u can not discriminate against folks based on bs stereotypes! I don’t have a spouse and don’t want one! So I can not afford a fancy home that costs $2000+ a month for a payment…I own my place and my land without debt! Discriminate against that logic…not against a woman who doesn’t want to be the stereotype and has done it on her own….society makes me physically sick to my stomach with their bs too often anymore…but I learned to fix it myself..and did…that middle finger is what I have to offer for pricks who discriminate! If I have a wad of cash to pay and the credit for overage but don’t need it cuz cash is how I like to pay for things lol…and that’s still not good enough…then who needs us! Rich people are becoming fewer and fewer so enjoy being a slave to those filthy rich pos
That capacitor replacement is very informative advice, they blow after thunderstorms a lot ! HVAC guy in SW florida charges $300 to come up to replace it and sometimes they scam you that your compressor or fan is bad to charge you $1,500 for replacement...it's insane.
Great content. It's 85 in my house and my thermostat is set to 70. 2 hvac guys said nothing was wrong and that my unit was working as it should. One guy added a little more freon but it wasn't low at all. I complained a few days later that the problem still isn't fixed. He told me that I need more insulation. I found his statement hard to believe because last year this same unit blew cold air when set at 70 in the scorching summer heat when it was 99 inside the house. I went from being totally drenched in sweat to no seat at all within 5 to 10 minutes of the unit being turned on. I am going to apply what I just learned and see what happens. Thanks again
I saved hundreds of dollars from a service call by replacing the capacitors on my RV AC unit myself. I also checked the capacitor with the meter and confirmed the bad actor. It's important to note that capacitors store a charge and if you disconnect one and touch the terminals you may be in for a big surprise. It's best to let them rest for a while or if technically able, put a resistor across the terminals to bleed it down. Some folks might dead short them but I wouldn't recommend it.
@@NoSpam1891I don't understand the ratings on the resistor, hopefully you won't mind clarifying ... do you mean 1000 ohms and 5 watts? Are they rated for power ... volts/amps? I am thinking to get parts to bleed these down correctly,.
Good video. Lot of useful information. Moving forward, perhaps you could include opening incoming power at the disconnect and or breaker to the CU. Also, discharge the possible holding voltage at the dual run cap. Keep learning and sharing your adventures. Good luck out there and STAY SAFE!
I have a possibly stupid question, but bear with me: Does the capacitor have to be "discharged" even after the power is cutoff and the capacitor is taken out?
Thank you for TAKING the time to SHARE these AMAZING ideas and fixes! I was ALREADY aware of DISCHARGING capacitor. A-LOT of MONEY has been MADE off of these SIMPLE truths that you share. I'm sure (some) DISHONEST HVAC contractors have USED these SIMPLE truths to RAILROAD their customers. SUCH is NOT the CASE with you. I've watched your other vids and you seem to TRULY care about PEOPLE. That is PARTICULARLY valuable in TROUBLING times as these. Again, thank you!
I wished I watched this before I called for service. Oh well. As they say... fool me once. I will do it all myself next time. Life lessons.Thanks for the info!
Your videos are very informative and speak to challenges I have as a retired person living through hot Texas summers. Two question: (1) Are there any serious downsides to adding the softstart system to A/C over time? (2) Why don’t A/C manufacturers make these systems standard on their units? It seems slowing down the power surges required to operate A/C would ultimately have a positive impact on our “stand alone” Texas power grid.
Because soft starts are expensive. Just listen to the comments so far, everyone is whining about price, manufacturers HAVE to make these units inexpensive.
Of course! I’ll keep the hvac for beginners videos coming out! I worked under a good friend who was an hvac contractor for a couple years and learned a lot of what I know from him through hands on training. My not so strong suit is ductwork and transitions but each system looks a little nicer :) thanks for the support bro!
All good advice. If your AC is not keeping up you might have a refrigerant leak. Some furnaces have the cooling line at the furnace. If you see a build up of ice on this line it usually means a loss of refrigerant. I was lucky to find the source of leak and repair it. Once repaired I added more refrigerant. 15 years later no issues with the AC.
I just recently changed my run capacitor on my squirrel cage fan and it was very cheap, about $10, I heard a humming sound coming from it and that is what it was, I saw on the old one were it had mushroomed some, the new one has it running like a new one 👍 and I love these kind of videos, thanks for sharing 👍
Pretty good video. However, It's never a good idea to spray the condensing coil from the outside surface. This will push dirt further into the coil. The fins are very close together. The dirt/debris will become lodged between the fins and make cleaning harder. A better approach is to TURN THE HIGH VOLTAGE ELECTRICITY OFF, remove the top, and spray from the inside to the outside, forcing the dirt out the way it came in. If tree sap or other organics are present, use a household cleanser and spray the outside of the coil thoroughly and rinse from the inside to the outside. In Texas, drains are required (since the 80's) to be piped to a P-trap, usually under a bathroom sink. A person cannot blow the drain out - there is not enough capacity or pressure-building capability to clear the line. Using air pressure to blow the line is the preferred method AFTER you install a back-flow preventer valve (PVC ball valve) at the evaporator drain outlet (otherwise, air pressure will blow back into the drain pan and not the drain line). In respect to the electric components, these are best left to a licensed professional technician. Not to be critical, but the single most important thing is to TURN THE HIGH VOLTAGE ELECTRICITY OFF before opening the panel! This aspect of the system is NOT owner-friendly! People get hurt frequently trying this. A capacitor stores energy and can deliver a serious shock to an untrained person. I strongly encourage leaving this aspect of the system alone! This is my own opinion and some likely know more than me but I've been in the industry for 50 years. No one needs to get hurt trying to service a high-voltage appliance. Have a Great Day!!
Good old scare tactics. Safety is important, but for those that have common sense and a multimeter, there is nothing difficult about any of this. Just be aware that the contactor could engage if the main system is not powered off. Turn the thermostat off as well to be on the safe side. After turning everything off, use the meter to verify no voltage present and push the contactor in to also verify main system power is off.
Very helpful for the average home owner, great info that can save someone that has a bit of heartache if they are so inclined to have a crack at it. Although I usually tell anyone not to force a contactor cause I've seen that go wrong. But tbh, I do it myself (on rare occasions) as do many other experienced technicians, cause it'll quickly tell the tale as to what is really going on and gives you a direction for which to troubleshoot. It's kind of a cheat code, which I discourage anyone inexperienced to attempt.
I remember last summer our capacitor went bad. Same symptoms as you described. My father ended up calling a contractor he knew. He changed it no problem... Charged us $215 for the 2 minutes it took him. Luckily I watched him do it. I looked up the price of the part that was changed out, it was 10 bucks at Home Depot... I was LIVID. $215 FOR 2 MIN OF WORK FOR A $10 PART!? LOL never again.
From the contractor perspective it isn’t the 10 dollar part you are paying more for, it’s the knowledge of what part to take of and knowing it will fix it. That’s really what you are paying for. But I’m glad you have the knowledge to do this yourself now! Cheers
Same here, I had to replace mine recently and I paid $200 for the part/labor. Now I know how cheap these parts really are, but at least I didn't run the risk of being electrocuted (or maybe I'm telling myself that so that I feel better, ha).
I had an A/C check done recently, guy said cap was OK but starting to be out-of-spec, wanted $370 to replace it if he did it today, and if he did it later, it would be that much + $120 service/trip charge! I told him to tell his boss they were overcharging and I'd do it myself. That's thievery!
Thanks, this video really helped me a lot. I did exactly what you said and OMG it work perfectly. In other words everything you said about the capacitor was spot on for my unit. I purchased one from Amazon and installed it myself saving $100's. You are DA Man!! Awesome!!
THANKS TO ALL YOU RUclips folks that take the time and effort to help us DIY folks. You probably have no idea how much your information is used and has helped others find out whats wrong and how to fix or investigate it. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU. I wish i could express how much your few minutes of time help out !!
@The DIY HVAC Guy we've learned much thru all you guys everytime. Learning about the crankcase heater for compressor in our last situation. Breaker kept kicking off, couldn't find why. All cause by corroded& broken connection for crankcase heater. Never knew it was even there.
Thank you for the excellent video. Please update it with the safety cautions so you aren't held liable for any accidents. This is a great video otherwise.
Also with the capacitor: Make sure to check and tighten the connections on the contactor. If the spade connectors are suspect crimp on new ones. Also IF you're comfortable trying this; turn the 2 pole breaker off at the panel then tighten the connections at the disconnect box.
in my opinion you should always clean your outdoor unit from the INSIDE to out, not just spray the outside. Even though that can help. There are always leaves inside that should be removed etc.
Any cleaning is better than none. The average homeowner risks damaging coils gaining access to spray outward and is likely better off doung it outside in.
VERY USEFUL INFO! Waiting a day or more for an A/C repair tech in sweltering hot weather is not a prospect I look forward to if I can fix it... THANK YOU!
I just went and inspected my AC coils and found a bunch of cottonwood wool in the coils. I washed them out and am now better prepared for the upcoming heat wave! Thanks for the tips.
Thanks for another good, informative video! Like the discussion on the "one fits all" cap! Don't get too much talk about those.
Yea they are a life saver! Thanks for your support!
Love your videos! We have a 15yr old system with r34 with a leak. Should we just replace the whole system?
@@keepthinking2666 what is 410?
MOST IMPORTANT: You should always turn off the unit at the power disconnect before opening any panels or poking around inside. This video is carelessly done and you are going to get someone hurt or killed. You may think it is okay to work on a live unit but you are teaching novices how to work on their own units and they might not understand about how electricity works. Please be more responsible on future videos.
@@terrymoore9185 Never heard of R34 refrigerant. There is R134a Refrigerant but that's only for automobile applications. If your unit is 15 yrs. old, then it likely has R22. In 2010 in the U.S. A/C' with R-410a were available for install in resident's homes. The replacement for R-410a is likely going to be R32. If you have a leak in your A/C what is the cost of the repair? What is the cost of a new unit? There are many variables that it would be difficult for anyone to answer your question. I'm shocked by all the misinformation on RUclips. I'm no expert and know nothing. If you would like to get the best information about A/C's I can recommend the WORD OF ADVICE channel on RUclips.
You’re one hell of a nice guy. I’m a senior citizen and I appreciate your money saving tips, God Bless you
There are some safety things you need to cover for the capacitor part... 1) Discharge the bad cap before removing it.... 2) Turn power off at the service panel 3)Test for live voltage before beginning.
Hey thanks for the comment. I need to do an update video but there are still good points in this one. This was one of my first videos and it doesn’t state as many safety things for DIYers but I guess i take for granted that it should be obvious. Thank you so much for your feedback I really appreciate it!
thanks dad, im sure if we are facing with this shit, we know to do all that, asshat
Please update this video. People can shock themselves! "A capacitor is a device that stores electrical energy" and you didn't even mention turning off the power to the unit. People can be really clueless and blindly trust RUclips videos. What may be common sense for you and I, another person will have no idea what can potentially happen. Next thing you know they are suing you and your video instructions because they hurt themselves. I love the tips you gave but just fix the safety issues. 👍
@@AnimeTriviaQuest how do you discharge the energy out of something that stores power turning the breaker of isn't enough?
@@AnimeTriviaQuest Uh, he doesn't owe you or anyone else anything. If people don't know the basics of what they're doing, then they shouldn't be doing it. He clearly mentions there is live current throughout that area.
You are so very generous to share these tips.
All in the name of saving everyone some money, time and stress.
Thank you for caring 🙏🏻
Why didn't you show me how to change the filter? Ugh
Omg Thank you so much for all the information about the air-conditioning. I appreciate it. I was having a difficult time with my air conditioning and every time I called someone out it was always 300 400 so thank you. God Bless
Glad it was helpful!
Thank you for this video! I almost spent $300 on a new fan, when the problem ended up being a $20 capacitor.
Thank you! This solved my fan not spinning issue. I checked out your other videos and also took advice from other comments to "discharge the cap before removing it" I turned off the AC from my electrical panel and then pulled out the connector (?) from the separate HVAC breaker box next to the A/C. I followed all advice: changed filter, cleared out the condensation line, washed the a/c fins with the water hose. I removed the panel took a picture of the capacitor - ordered the exact part on Amazon and 3 days later installed it and like magic it is running! Tip: make sure you take pictures of old capacitor with all the wires connected to see where each wire goes. Each connection looks different so just take pics. My old one was corroded so no way to see the letters/words. But the pictures told me exactly how to connect it back. Thanks for this amazing video!
So I got a question on this about the fan not spinning 🤔? If I hear that the fan is having trouble spinning do you think I should replace the Compasitor. Or will that fix the problem 🤔?
@@thelasvegassportstalk the part is so inexpensive so I figured it didn't hurt to change it. Doing it myself meant I didn't have to pay for labor. Doesn't hurt to try.
@@thelasvegassportstalk Could be a capacitor or fan motor but capacitors are cheap so try it and see if the fan spins better. To me it sounds like a bad fan motor but I'm not there looking at it.
I am a HVAC service tech and I tell and explain all of these things to my customers. I try my best to explain the refrigerant cycle to my customers. The way I see it is that if I am transparent and straight forward and I feel better as a person and my customers love me for this. I get asked for by my company's customers all the time.
Awesome, thanks so much for sharing :)
Kyle someone raised you right......that's how you treat people and customers.
Integrity - you have it
That ethic will keep you busy for the entire career n sure wish I could find others that really would copy ur method !!
You're one of the few honest ones. Many techs are forced by their company to upsell anything they can....it's so obvious and sad.
My man. You just saved us. Upper 90's in my area this week. A/C stopped working yesterday. Purchased capacitor from Amazon. Arrived this morning. A/C putting out cold air. Subbed, and thanks again.
I did mine too!! Saved me lots of
$$$ as well! And i did a better job!! Then some lowlife crook contractor!! And i put a higher performance capacitor in it!!
Just got hosed over $320 for a Turbo2 Capacitor ($70 online) .. just the capacitor.. Diagnosis and labor..$200. So over $500 for knocking in a new capacitor. I was over a barrel cause 105 degrees all week...
@@jefftanasse6958my AC stopped yesterday. A friend suggested looking at replacing the capacitor. Watched a RUclips video on how to change it. Look d up the closest store that had mine and had to drive 40 minutes to the closest ACE hardware that had one. $30…took 10 minutes and my AC is working again. Would’ve had to pay $400+ for a technician to come out and change it
@@jefftanasse6958 Most service companies (of all types) engage in such ripoff and gouge these days, it is now an epidemic of dishonesty. I think what drives this, is nowdays most techs get a commission on the job besides their hourly wage. So, the tech you had probably made an extra 25% of the total bill you paid on top of his wage for a quick simple job. The days are gone when service companies were content to be paid handsomely for their work. Now they screw everybody they can. Especially in the big cities where there is an unlimited supply of new customers to rip. Small towns are different, because the contractors know word will get around in a small population, so they tend to be more honest. An honest company can be found in a big city, but it's just harder to find one.
@@jefftanasse6958 If you live in a hot area you should always have a SPARE capacitor and buss fuses stored near your furnace so you know where to find them. It can save you a lot of time and discomfort while waiting for your order to arrive during those hot days with a dead AC. Trust me...I've learned that the hard way!
Your a good man for telling people these most common problems.Most people just keep the information themselves and get the service money. I know this will help people, god bless
This really is the majority of things that go wrong. Great video.
2:25. I clean my coils annually however I remove the top grille and spray from the inside out. That way, I'm pushing the debris out the way it came it rather than jamming it further into the coils. Also, this gives me an opportunity to clean whatever debris I find in the bottom. 2-1/2 ton Lennox I installed myself in 1988. It has never let me down. Thanks for posting this video.
This is what I learned to do from an honest HVAC guy, he showed me how to do it. I never thought to unscrew a few little screws on top of the unit and take the top protective grill off to get good access to the interiour of the unit and blast AWAY from the inside to outside. I regularily blasted the outside once a year but was surprised at how much I'd missed on the inside!
I remove the grill also. We have cottonwood trees in the woods around our neighborhood and I clean a thin blanket out of it twice a season. I've also replaced the cap and fan on it.
@@Rktect yep. This guy doesn’t know what he’s doing.
Get the. Leaves out n stuff
Thanks for the tip. I've been using a hose spraying from the outside in all these years oops.😮
just a quick reminder.... when you replace that capacitor make sure to discharge it first. the capacitor stores a lot of electricity. (just cross the contacts with an insulated screw driver to discharge)
Start caps have bleed resistors.no need bro. RUN caps have low microfareds...some people get hurt shorting them lol..
As an HVAC technician who has done this for 11 years so far, these are all things we tell the customer to check anyways before paying for a service call at my company now, before any other company will charge you an arm and a leg for simple calls like this, great information for homeowners and landlords🙏🏻🙏🏻Good stuff brother, way to keep everyone on the same page👌🏼
Minus the capacitor because of safety concerns and precautions *** Rather do that ourselves but as I said before, could save yourself more by listening to this technician and replacing yourself but please turn power off and discharge before replacing capacitor every time🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
Thank you Brian for your input. You speak like a professional. I like that you said good stuff brother! Many commenters are crucifying the man for not including safety steps. When you decide to reroof your house, you are aware of many risks. Especially if you're a D.I.Y. er. There are many D.I.Y. er's that shouldn't be doing a project alone. The ideal D.I.Y. er does her homework, talks to others who have done a repair or project, knows the risks and prepares to do the job safely. dyihvacguy has shared good information with us. Wish I could team up with him.
I was not told to check these things before hand. They came out and charged me $199 to replace that part, and my house still won't cool down
good? WRONG...forcing water through the wrong side of ANY COIL is WRONG. FORCING water back up your condensate? WRONG... you too are dangerous...11 years...same year 11 times sounds like
@@Rocketman88002 He should be including simple safety steps. After all, many people watching this video may literally follow what he is doing in the video and Not turn off the power while they're spraying water all inside their condensing unit, or while changing out the capacitor, etc. Plus, not showing how to discharge a capacitor Before handling it, "just in case."
Just FYI, I use a Shop Vac and pull the water out of the drain every so often, I do this based on the amount of humidity and frequency of the unit running. But when I started I did it every 2 weeks. It literally takes less than 10 minutes. And I find it works better than the push back method.
YES PULL, NEVER PUSH... this kid needs to stick to handyman
Can’t thank you enough for making this video!
A/C unit went out the day before record high 108 where I live!
Thanks to your video I was able to get the part for under $20 and replace the capacitor the following morning before the hottest time of the day.
You literally saved us hundreds of dollars!
Keep up the Great work
I built my own house - my uncle and I framed it, did my own plumbing and electrical, laid every brick, even hung my sheet rock - this is one of the best "do it yourself" vids on RUclips, hands down! I learned a few things! It's a great video!!!!!! Keep em coming!
Thank you so much! Your comments mean a lot to me. Make sure and subscribe to our channel for more heating and air tips and tricks. Cheers, Dave.
@@diyhvacguy What travel guy said.
Decent enough advice but:
1) You should never spray water inwards on the condenser this forces the debris further into the fins. Take the cabinet top off or disassemble to spray water from behind the fins outwards.
2) You should never blow air inwards into the condensate drain. This also forces debris inwards and doesn’t do anything to remove the clog. Use a small wet vac and vacuum the clog outwards. Attach the vacuum to the condensate drain with some tape or simply cup your hand around it to create a seal.
- 25 years as an HVAC tech
you got it, 30 years HVAC!👍
Got it, 0 yrs here , knowing nothing but learning. How Great the vblogger and your sharing your professional knowledge as HVAC! 🌹💕 Hope we could find a local one like your guys, reliable, trustworthy, & not ripoffing consumers. R u aware of the local and nationwide' s consumers' most complaints r, in the services of coming home for repairs - electricity, a/c, heating, water pipe, natural gas pipe, repairs of anything、、、？ Outside of the home, would be car salesmen and lawyering 、、、?
I'm glad that someone else pointed this out especially forcing air in the drain line back through the system.
I put Pet Screening around the unit, this catches the cottonwood and large debris, I regularly hose it down during the bad times in spring/ early summer ✌🏻
it doesnt matter which way you spray it, it isnt an air filter. The debris will simply flow out the other side of the condensor, into the bottom pan and out the drain for the rain.
- 0 years as an HVAC tech
This is one of those things that people get ripped off on all the time, replacing the whole unit. Im a renovation contractor and I’m very happy to have honest subs I can depend on.
People are generally stunned when they find out it’s only a service call charge and a part for the bill. Guarantees a lifetime client to the hvac guy.
Im learning this trade. I know how to ducts now proper and they never on right. Crazy how AC ppl don't even do right. Literally. Ducts need to be curled in the outside curled in with the insulation so the inner layer is exposed. Metal tape . Mastic. Your spray glue, then right amount connected not just slid all the way in and bunch of tape. Have tape on all the way and squeegee, smoothed out. Inside liner first. Then the out. Done. The amount of effort ppl do doing it wrong is the same or more then just doing it right the first time
Also make a shroud if not 1 or throw something over the ducts to keep em out the sun too. Also lift blocks to elevate the ducts all along them. Should be off the ground. I never see them done usually the prep is just the duct falling apart already jus pull off by hand lol. Always rotting tape already coming off
I need to find someone like you!!! Any ideas on how to word things to try to find one in my area?
@ottawapop
This has happened now, shortly after the AC unit was serviced, two years in a row >> The AC had always performed like a champ, and service technicians had never had to add a part after servicing, Then last year, the tech said they needed to return to add a part, they added it, and two weeks later, it suddenly began to stop the AC from working. The AC would turn on, or sometimes try to turn on, and would abruptly be stopped, not necessarily at the hottest part of the day, maybe at 3AM when it was only 83 outside . . so sometimes the limiting component would allow the AC to run (and it would run well), and a lot of the time it would not allow it to run at all. Then after 3 weeks of this bad behavior, it would run very well as it always had, never a problem. Then the same service technician comes to service it again this year, and he once again says that he'll have to return to replace a part (that he suggested needed to be replaced every year, when it had NEVER needed anything like that before he began servicing it last year), and he comes back and installs it in a few minutes time, all seemed well, but then 2-3 weeks later, the AC is acting up again exactly as it did last year, where the component was not allowing the AC to run, would shut it off when it would start, or shut it off prematurely, but sometimes it would allow it to run, and it would run great, but during this time, it's mostly not running at all. What did he install, and why was it "needed" *_when it was never needed before last year,_* and why after a few weeks of bad behavior, does the component allow the AC to once again run like a champ? Did he add an after-market component that limits the AC from running? The rest of the year, whether AC or furnace, the unit hasn't had a lick of trouble, no malperformance at all, only AFTER he installed this component, and then after a few weeks of bad non-performance, it works great once again, for the rest of the year. This has happened TWICE, for 3 weeks last year and now this year, ONLY AFTER he serviced the unit and came back to "replace" whatever the component is. What did he do? The unit seems to be great, but whatever the limiting component is, would convince most that the entire AC unit needs to be replaced, while I'm sure it doesn't, but that the component he installed last year and this year, should be removed, then the unit will work great as it otherwise does. What are your thoughts? I question his integrity and the integrity of the component. Thank you.
It’s so sad that way too many professionals always want to steal from people. Why do they have a need to cheat people when we are all just trying to survive. Thank you for having great integrity ❤
I always keep extra capacitors on hand because they like to Die In the Heat of the summer. I keep 2 at all times. I also installed a 3-2-1 hard start kit because it was suggested by the hvac tech to ease starting load on the compressor , but they wanted $240 to install it. So I watched a RUclips video about the 3-2-1 hard start kit and did it myself.
This was very helpful!
A few days ago I called a HVAC man to see why in 95 degree outside temp here in South Florida, the A/C couldn't get the inside temp below 79. He fiddled around, added 2 pounds of "freon" and left.Yikes. I had not read the comments here, or else I would have asked him to show me the leak, and fix it!!!! Surprise. There was no real change in the cooling-that was $400 wasted for that visit.
I then had another guy come out, and he wanted to put in a brand new A/C unit for $7,000 and spray insulating foam in the ceiling where the temp gets super hot. He wanted $3,000 for that foam job.
Strange, as a year or two ago, the A/C inside would always go down to 76 or so on even the hottest days. That was without $3,000 of foam!!!
I'm afraid to call a third HVAC guy to come out. He'll probably want to replace the roof, A/C unit, and spray foam....for only $45,000!!!
Where in South Florida are you.
I know of a few good a.c. guys.
How old is the unit
What is the make, manufacture
Usually on a Friday evening of the hottest weekend of the year, the fan capacitor goes bad. The temporary fix is to get a wooden stick like a ruler or paint stirrer, put the thermostat to cooler, go to the unit outside unit, and use the stick to turn the fan. If it continues to run you know it's the fan capacitor and it will cool down your house.
Thanks,good to know.❤
And here we are on saturday.. lol
Thank God for RUclips! Several years ago my AC stopped working. I watched a RUclips video and learned how to replace my capacitor (the part was about $30 at the time). It worked for 2 years and died again. Another $30 capacitor, but it didn't fix it. Watched another video and learned how to replace the motor ($150). Been running fine for a few years now.
13:00 I really appreciate that you're dedicated to helping others with your experience and tips.
I’m not a person who comments on RUclips videos.
This is one of the best videos I found for trouble shooting. Good work… god bless.
This fixed my problem! Thank you!
Good job sir! I’m retired now with 40 years HVAC/R and these are always the top items wrong with most units. 👍🏼
This is the best video that I’ve seen in a long time regarding maintaining and common issues. In addition, he’s gone an extra step and clearly shown how to test and set up a capacitor. Brilliant.
You’re always gonna get some haters that try and find fault with every video you post or add their 2cents. 30 year vet here and contractor, I appreciate you trying to save folks money. Some families need all the help they can get In todays economy and a bill for an HVAC repair can mean the difference in food on the table or not.
This was awesome. I just got my AC unit back online (bad capacitor) in >1hour, with a 101F day incoming. THANKS.
I just paid $300 to get the capacitor replaced. And was without air during one of our hottest weeks. Thank you for the info! I’m retired and on a limited income.
YEp. FWIW< $300 is not overpriced. You are paying for the truck, workman's comp, health insurance, travel time, gas & oil and insurance, But if you DIY, it's only a $12 part. Keep watching his videos. I do.
$300, really? That is grossly overpriced. $150 in my expensive area.
Some "cap bandits" charge a lot more.
@@AnnM223
It's worth 300 dollars not to electrocute yourself. An experienced HVAC person makes it look easy. It's not so easy.
@@AnnM223 thats average, areas are different varying on the city/state. Cost of keeping a business goes up, and so do their prices, liability, van insurance, work comp, gas/truck use, etc. Parts cost go up as well, and some people will buy more expensive caps because they last longer. It's not easy to stay in business, the bigger the company the more you'll pay. Blame Washington, things used to be cheaper because parts and equipment used to be quite inexpensive
I wish a lot guys were like this man, so helpful and honest
@3:30 you discuss the overflow condensate line. Typically if this is backed up and filling the pan under the ac, the primary condensate line is also plugged. The primary line runs to a p-trap under a sink somewhere in the house. This will often be blocked with algae buldup and need to be flushed with bleach solution to kill the algae.
AMEN. I LOVE knowledge that is free. The way the world should be.
I pour vinegar down my condensate drain every once in a while. So far it stays clear. My drain is only gravity. Great video.
Awesome! That’s a great tip that I’d love to use in a future video :) cheers!
I wouldn't recommend blowing into the condensate drain pipe to clear a plugged drain. First, all that will do is force the gunk back into the catch pan, where it can easily re-enter the drain pipe and clog it again. Second, if the catch pan is full of water and you blow compressed air into the drain pipe, you will likely cause that water to overflow. If that pan is in an attic, you would damage a ceiling. If it's mounted above a furnace, that water will flow back into the furnace. I'd recommend trying a wet & dry vac to pull the debris and water out (might need to use a plumbing snake to break loose a bad plug first). If there is a lot of trash in the condensate pan and drain, you need to find the source and fix it. Could be a sign of a bad filtration setup or torn filter, or it could be corrosion flaking off, signaling a pending failure, or ??. It's not normal for a condensate drain to become plugged if everything else is set up and running correctly. It's a warning that something else isn't right.
Thank you so much for the tips. I should have included that after it is cleared and flowing to go to the attic and clean out the pan from up top. That way you aren’t dealing with a bunch of water. When I said blow it it doesn’t need much so it’s not going to blow water everywhere.
Thank you thank you thank you for this video! Your detailed symptom of the failed capacitor was EXACTLY what I was experiencing! I got super lucky and found one at my local Ace Hardware (LAST ONE) for under $30. Installed it in minutes and we were on our way back to a cool house! It was the first really hot day we’ve had this year (105!) so I was sooooo relieved to fix this. You sure saved me a lot of $$$ but mostly you helped me be a DIY hero to my family!😂 I am a proud new subscriber to your channel, and I am encouraging my son to explore HVAC as a possible career path. Thanks again!
Totally saved me bucks as my issue did indeed turn out to be a bad capacitor! And now I'm slightly better with a multimeter. Thx! :)
My friend-I'm from New York and today my year old American standard AC wasn't throwing cold air after watching your video my outside condenser fan wasn't working so I reset circuit breaker on the inside panel and another one outside. Thank God and thanks to you- my AC started throwing cold cold air
Appreciate the time and effort to help normal people like me, Be well
How awesome of you to share all this information with us all . Thank you for sharing! 😊
What I really like, is the down to earth honesty, in trying to help people save money without any of the disclaimer mumbo jumbo. I do understand most of these diy tips needs to be taken seriously regarding safety precautions, but very much doable as explained. Also Kudos to keep the narrative flowing with casual conversation without much emphasis to correct any occasional slip of tongue. 👍
Perfect! Thanks so much. My fan stopped spinning, so I cleaned the fins, I replaced the flux capacitor, works great! Best $20 I ever spent. Saved hundreds! Thank you so much!
Flux capacitor LOL "Roads, where were going we don't need roads!"
@@mrzee1958 ROFLMAO ; ))))))
That was simply amazing ... I cleaned the a/c unit just as you said and I even bought a new capacitor. I replaced the air filter as I always do .... Thank you so much. Great job.
I sheet a breek when my compressor was blowing breakers. Half an hour online and I discovered that the likely suspect was the start/run cap. I pulled the disconnect and pulled the cap after discharge, then threw the thing in the truck. The next day, I was at my chiro when the HVAC guy came to work on their unit. Talk about handy timing. I got an extra cap from him for $15 and fixed my A/C when I got home. What a relief, as it was 113F that day.
I love hearing tips which can save me money.
I had a contactor that failed prematurely after replacement. It had welded from arcing. I found the capacitor seal had failed. New capacitor and no more contactor welding. There are more failure indicators than swelling and I'm glad you brought that up. Thank you for producing this no-mystery content. I learned more in five minutes from you than from hours from other HVAC guys who could only use insider language. I had to learn a lot of things the hard way.
Wtf are you talking about lmao
@@marcusfitzgerald59 basically he said one of the wires that was on the contactor got in contact with the frame of the unit and it sparked off so he changed it out
This is very well explained. However, any idea how 😮to clean your Compressor when sitting on A Rooftop? The worst place to park a Condenser/Compressor!😮
Here's my 2 cents...I've been an HVAC contractor for about 8 years. Discharging the capacitor is only necessary to test it, it will give you a false reading if you don't do it. I've never been shocked by a charged capacitor that has been disconnected from the condenser. It's always wise to talk about safety, regardless of the task. Whenever you DIY anything, and you've never done that specific task before, letting people know could save lives. It's a good size shock, and you have a bad heart, or have something like a pacemaker, it IS enough to cause issues, maybe even death. Just be careful when attempting a DIY project, or call us, you can always find a good contractor, that won't charge you an arm or a leg for the simple stuff. Have a great day folks...!!
Greg Harbrecht
Harbrechthvac@gmail.com
Serving central Indiana since 2016
Safety is the #1 most important advise we can give anyone especially DIY. I believe instructing how to properly use the disconnect before opening the electrical compartment of the condenser especially before removing the capacitor should be in the video.
Thanks Chad
That was my first thought too. Definitely need to remind everyone to disconnect the power for someone gets killed.
Having worked for one of the 3 biggest HVAC commercial companies for 42 years now yes there's thing's a home owner can check like filters and coils and drain. But when it comes to the electrical side I'd be really careful and for heaven's sake turn the disconnect off before you open the cover.
If you happen to hook up the capacitor backyards and get the herm and F backyards you're going to probably cost yourself big money. Sometimes it's best to let a trained technician do the electrical and refrigeration side of these systems.For those who have some electrical experience and want to be proactive
I actually change the capacitor out every couple of year's before they have a chance to go bad. Just my 2 cents from someone who's been doing this stuff on a commercial level for 42 year's.
Thanks so much for sharing your expertise. Make sure and subscribe to the channel and comment on all of our videos as everyone can benefit from your experience! Cheers
I bought several start/run capacitors online a few years ago (once I knew what capacitor my unit used). They sat in my 'electrical' drawer in the garage. This year, the a/c went out and we called our contractor - he said we needed a new capacitor. I pulled one out, he said, yes, that's the right one, and he asked if I wanted him to go ahead and install it. Sure, I said. No charge for replacement. It was all covered with the annual retainer we paid to have these guys to do our A/C stuff. I think we pay $80/year for the privilege of 'retaining them'. Otherwise, it would have been a new part (at least $120+ with picking one up), labor, home visit fee, etc.
Figure out what capacitor your unit uses. Get several. They go out every other year or so. Save yourself some grief.
Great video DIY HVAC Guy. Thank you for putting this out. You are doing us all a nice service. It's a good thing to see, these days.
#3 is the #1 money saver for most people. Those capacitors go bad all the time. And HVAC companies LOVE charging upwards of $300 just for a capacitor, not including labor. And then you have predatory HVAC companies that will want to replace your fan for a lot more money. When a simple capacitor is all that's needed. It's a shame the amount of dishonesty that lives in the HVAC industry. I had a leaking schrader valve on my combo unit. I knew it was leaking, we did a sniffer test on it. I called 3 different HVAC companies to come give me a quote on fixing it, without telling them that I knew what was wrong. I get quotes ranging from $3000 - 10,000, wanting to replace the transfer coil, compressor and entire unit. For a $0.50 schrader valve core and recharge.
Thank you for great explorations! Single mother and always broke so I stress so much about having to call an HVAC company because it's always a long wait and more money than I have. This is something I can actually do myself and I will be ordering the capacitor now to have on hand when it's needed cause it's 103 degrees here with weeks of the same predicted
I am in the same boat, I feel ya. You Tube videos like this have really helped me out a few times.
The only thing I would add is to turn the power off before taking the panel off the outside unit. Otherwise it’s a good video with very useful information.
Yes I didn’t even think about that. The power was off to the unit for the whole video but I should include that. Thanks for the tip! Trying to improve my videos with each new one :) cheers
@@diyhvacguy and show how to discharge the capacitor
@@lawdog516 yes, moving forward I’ll make sure to do the discharging part
What for ? Lol it's more exiting with live power 😁
@@yurydolinsky capacitor tickle haha
You're my hero! I can't thank you enough. You saved me God knows how much $$, especially when this happened over the weekend during an unusually hot week. The culprit turned out to be a capacitor gone bad. A quick trip to the local hardware store and spending $29, and 10 minutes later, the fan was running again!
He saved you exactly $289
My AC Stopped cooling today and by the info on this video, looks like it’s time to replace my capacitor…. Thank you for this informative video
One of the best explanations on RUclips. Thanks. Keep those videos coming.
I have cleaned out my condensate drain with a shop vac. I cut the top out of a plastic coke bottle. The little end fit over the 1/2 inch pvc and the vac hose fit inside the cut end of the bottle. I was surprised how fast it cleaned it. I tried blowing in it, but line was too long, and water would flow onto the floor. Very good info, thank you!
Just a note to those that can't seem to find the condensate pump or think the pump may be internal. YOU may not have a pump at all! You may have a catch tank beneath the coils and a pipe that drains the catch tank by gravity ONLY! The water will drip from the coils into the tank and then flow down the pipe. If such is the case, and you have a clog, you generally only need to break up or remove the clog and pour water down the U-Trap's access port to literally flush the clog away. Just thought I'd mention this because it literally caught ME by surprise with my own HVAC system.
Really great tips.
However, the part about changing out the run/start capacitor you didn't mention turning off the power and showing how to discharge the capacitor so folks won't get shocked and when reinstalling the new capacitor which wire goes to the correct terminal.
This one video is such a blessing for a lot of people that need to do their own work on things, especially the folks that are on fixed incomes.
You're a blessing as well, thank you so much for your generosity and sharing your skills.
📖🛐✈️
You are the man. Saved me a few bucks. Checked fuses and capacitor. All were good. Then smacked the condensate pump it kicked on, started pumping out the water and viola, all is back to working order. Thank you!,
My condensate line was clogged with mold which caused a backup and the pan overflowed and a whole mess of leaking through the ceiling. The tech blew forced air through the pvc drain line in the attic, and got all that nasty gunk to come out of the line outside. He then showed me where to pour two cups of vinegar in the line every month to kill any mold growth and prevent that from happening again. So thankful for the knowlege. I have my own maintenance schedule every month of changing the filter, running vinegar through the drain line, and spraying the outside unit down.
Fourth common item is likely replacing the fuses in a local power disconnect box. That was my first repair for the condenser 25 years ago. Since then I have also replaced the fan motor, but nothing else outside. As far as inside, I repeatedly fix the igniter module due to cracked soldered connections, but then eventually replaced the entire module. I will be buying a spare capacitor just in case, so thanks for that tip. I’ve kept my original HVAC system running for 31 years now, along with the natural gas dryer. Everything else has had to be replaced once they could do a longer be fixed economically.
If your fuses are blowing, there is a reason why. Fuses in the disconnect are absolutely not something that I would include on the "common" list. Easy? sure. Common? No. There's a good chance that that condenser fan motor that you replaced later is why your fuses were blowing.
My Rheem classic X is 30 years old and the only thing I’ve had to do was replace the fuse in the outside fuse box.
Still working perfectly and blowing cold air into my home!
The same as draining a forced hot water heating system, or water pipes I use a wet-vac to vacuum the system from the lowest point. That gets rid of the debris, and dries out the pipes assisted by gravity. Thanks for the video it wash extremely informative!!
I figured this out also...I used the wet vac on suction and held a rag and my hand over the drain pipe and sucked out all that green algae and whatnot. I do this every year because the overflow has ruined the paint on my baseboards. I also insert a small amount of bleach/water mix at the top to kill that algae.
great diy video i do have a couple things to add. Using a shop vac to remove debris from the comdensate drain is a better idea than blowing the debris backwards in the line only to have it clog the drain again later. Many times the condensate pumps fail not because they have gone bad but because they are hindered by the same sludge that plugs the drains. A seasonal cleansing and a touch of clorine, they have clorine tablets available for this purpace, are a good recomendation. When purchacing a run capacitor the capacitance rating isn't the only concern, the vac rating is important. you don't replace a 440 vac with a 370 vac.. You can however replace a 370 vac with a 440 vac. When cleaning the condenser one for whatever reason they always seem to be the dirtiest on the house side. The type of condensers with the hairbrush style of fins are touchy to say the least and a foaming cleanser and gentle spray would be a good recomendation. Those bristles will easily flatten even with a normal spray cleaning. Thanks again for a great video.
Thanks so much for these tips! When I do another video On this I’ll be sure to incorporate that. Thanks again! Cheers
@@diyhvacguy I also think spraying water from the inside out is better than spraying from the outside in, though it's a bit more difficult to do
@@davidlindgren2448 yea I should have clarified, once the pan has draining. Go up to wherever the furnace is and clean it out more thoroughly. Thanks for your comment 👍🏽
Always use shop vac. Only as a last resort would I use water or air to clear drain from discharge side
Unless the debris is dry then u can use a pick tool to get it started away from the fins and then just peel it off…the few I’ve cleaned out at the A frame were mostly layers of pet hair…but damn..it was filthy and no wonder the unit wasn’t working right lol…there was another whole pet on the A frame! The guys in my area never look at the coils…it’s always…”it’s shot” even if they just installed it 2 years prior lol…I miss the old timers and their honesty…this new crowd that are replacing the old timers in every profession lack the honesty and ethnics the old timers had…shame really..I’d rather spend all the money for the certification and the equipment to fix my own now…I have enough family that it would pay off in the end working I just my unit and my family members homes lol…I just don’t like dealing with fire for the brazing etc…
Just found your great video. Thx.
The capacitor thing happened to me a few years back. Cost me a service call and $300.
Then the dirty condenser thing happened. $200 service call. Twice.
Just now the dirty air filter thing happened. $150 service call.
Found your video.
Not gonna wait for the plugged condensate drain to happen. =)
My AC guy told me to get a shop vac and an old sock. Put the sock around the condensation line coming out of the house and put the shop vac hose around the pipe/sock. You will be AMAZED how much gunk you can clear from this line. It saved me a service call.
Great info for a simple repair/service. I'm not a HVAC contractor just a homeowner, I have always done all my repairs from cleaning coils to replacing control modules and motors and fans. pretty much everything but the compressors. My house has 3 zones and at this point I have worked on all of them. Great video man. Just a reminder, It is a GREAT idea to discharge the capacitor as they do hold some shocking information lol
Thank you for the capacitor info hopefully everyone reads your comment. Shocking information danger! Thanks Wes
He he...when I was an Air force Radar tech, the first day of schooling the instructors had spread out on the top floor landing a bunch of small capacitors and when the students picked them up they got a big kick out this little lesson!
how do you discharge a capacitor?
@@robertlester4569 Step-by-step
Disconnect any power sources from the capacitor and its circuit. ...
Identify the capacitor(s) on the circuit board. ...
Turn the circuit board over to get access to the capacitor terminals. ...
Connect the leads of your resistive load to the terminals of the capacitor. ...
Give the capacitor time to discharge.
@@marrowsteven Thank you
@4:35 - Be careful putting air pressure on the drain, installers don't always glue the fittings together on those drains and you might pop it open and drain all that water into a wall or in an attic.
Great video. I added a couple things to my to-do list after watching it. A warning about blowing pressure back into the condensate line. My father and I did this on my house back in the 80's and ended up with a wet mess inside. I've had some luck with a wet/dry shop vac and a few adapters to vacuum pull on the condensate line. The service techs that have been to my house use a venturi-based vacuum system that seems to do a great job, but not really DIY because of the high pressure gas required. I wish more installers would add some parts to the condensate line at the air handler to make maintenance and repair easier for the home-owner.
Ha ha; that'll be the day! lol.
I had a guy run a wire from inside the house to the outside unit to clear it. No problems since. I have a 1984 GMC, I believe it was made by goodman.
Success! When I would start my AC I would hear the compressor try to start then it would go off and I had air flow with no cooling. I replaced my capacitor with one from Amazon for $12 and now my compressor works and I've got great cooling again. I ordered 2 more capacitors just in case lol. Thank you!!!
Awesome! Glad this helped you out!! Cheers
Thank you so much for the informative video. It was 92 Fkn degrees in my house after work today. I'm so glad I found your video.
Good video. A 4th common reason for your service call is that the system is low on it's refrigerant charge which is probably due to a refrigerant leak in the system. Beware of technicians who simply add more refrigerant to fix this problem without first locating the leak(s), repairing them and then testing that the repairs are not leaking before recharging the refrigerant in the system.
Thanks for such great information. My capacitor was replaced early in its life, but I had no clue what it was for. Very helpful information from you....thanks, again.
The capacitor, yep, I had changed in July. A tech told me all about it. My air-furnace unit is almost 30 yrs old. He said “baby this it’s like a tank and better than the new units.” And so I am taking care of it.
Nice! Thanks for sharing
Yes! The older units u want to keep! They’re made of quality material unlike this new junk they make now…the new ones are made with aluminum coils which doesn’t handle the drastic temperatures a central air unit has on the lines etc…I honestly think the gov is just trying to eliminate hvac in america altogether because the new Freon type r410a has also been banned and is being phased out as well…everyone who has a new unit will soon realize “it’s shot” when the phase out is done and no one will recharge the Freon because it’s not sold in America anymore…..however, it’s not illegal to buy r22 online without a license …they’re still selling and using it in every other country…it’s just america and the EU countries that signed up for the climate hoax that can’t sell it…god forbid natural elements of the atmosphere be used to cool and heat our homes…they want use living like cave men with no luxuries
@@w8what575 We threw a wrench in their gears for 4 years. Could have been more or permanently fixed but people don't make informed decisions at the Ol ballot box. I am hopeful this nonsense can be walked back. We have only one more chance for that in '24.
Yep my 25 y o unit looks like new n works great just with a lil lovineach season.
What brand an model do u have? I still have mine a YORK frm 1988.
WOW!!! Awesome video. I work for the BBB so I know lots of our BBB HVAC accredited businesses and they say it could also be a relay switch. Also discharge the capacitor so you wont get shocked. I know they hold a charge. Just put a screw driver over the terminals to short it out. Of course before you get started, TURN OFF THE POWER to the unit. Excellent video!!! Good stuff to know. Beware of some of the HVAC scammers may tell the homeowner the unit is totally dead where it may just be a bad capacitor like you said. Thanks for sharing your video. Your saving consumers a service call plus $10 part (HVAC dealer price he buys by the case) so it could easily be a $150 service call. Thanks again!
I found this helpful. Last week my condenser was clogged and water was running all over. I had to replace the tub on the pump. It was an easy fix my pump tubing was clogged beyond belief. Good common sense information. Thanks...
No idea what you are talking about. Condenser clogged? Causing water to fun all over? I. Guess I don’t know much about ACs
Great info. In my case, the HVAC guy showed me that a fuse on the control board had burnt out and he replaced both the fuse and the contactor in the AC unit. I realize that control boards are specific to the unit but fuses and contactors should be common things to check if the capacitor is ok. Please do a video on this. Thanks!
I replaced the capacitor and a year later the condenser fan motor went out, a little more work especially getting the old blade off, but you can also save money by doing that yourself as well. BTW: I would rather use a wet vac to clear the condensate line. You can also test if the capacitor is not working by spinning the fan blade if it is accessible with the a/c turned on, if it starts to run the capacitor is bad.
Good pointers man! Thanks for sharing! Cheers
Yep. Been there had that problem.
+2
This was indispensable information especially about the capacitor. I have old R-whatever in jugs in my garage, now useless because I wanted to be prepared but you can bet I plan to buy a Capacitor immediately to have on hand. I at least know how to clean my Condenser unit and learned by getting ripped off over the years and paying attention. But your detailed explanation of the Capacitance leads and Capacitors in general and their pitfalls hits the mark. Lawyers spend countless hours and millions of dollars making sure people do NOT know the law. They never answer simple questions on purpose. You took money out of the pockets of many HVAC guys but good on anyone who wants to learn and DIY. Not just for the savings but to know how to maintain your home. Thank you so much for that.
Those jugs are worth a lot! About 700 bucks a jug is what they go for here
I really appreciate this kind of info. As a DIY'er, I've swapped out the capacitors on both the indoor blower and the outdoor A/C. It was easier than I had expected. I saved $221 by doing it myself on the outdoor unit (based on the $41 I spent to buy a new capacitor and the $262 I was quoted by the HVAC guy). I replaced the blower capacitor, just as a preventative measure, BECAUSE IT WAS SOOOOO EASY! I likely saved $150 on that on.
I also save $250 but I was shocked by 240v in the process my family found me the next day fried onto the condenser
Amazing. Thanks for sharing. Everyone on here is saying DIYers should never do this. Did you die? You are clearly still living and a happy camper haha I’m glad you were able to do this yourself and save a bunch of dough! AND this isn’t the last time you’ll replace one. They go bad every 5 years or so. Most people spend like 300 dollars multiple times in their life, not to mention other repairs. So this knowledge is great to have. Cheers brotha
Hah! Yea right. 220v is less dangerous then 110
@@diyhvacguy I'm still at the hospital...I would recommend to hire a professional!
So what should a home owner do if there’s no hvac guys in the area that will work on old units? Mine is a 99 carrier…it works perfectly but the line leaks Freon after the home was moved and the guy who installed it was angry because he didn’t get away pulling a fast one and ripping me and my dad off on the agreement..,he did such a bad job on the brazing I had to try redoing it myself…luckily the unit was empty thank God cuz I learned after the fact that r22 is made out of methane! And if a DIYer is messing with electrical and doesn’t know u have to discharge a capacitor!? They shouldn’t be doing DIYer crap involving electrical! I have a good guardian angel that kept my dumba$$ from blowing up my home lol…I would have visited the discriminating parties who refused to work in it if it had blown up…this is why u can not discriminate against folks based on bs stereotypes! I don’t have a spouse and don’t want one! So I can not afford a fancy home that costs $2000+ a month for a payment…I own my place and my land without debt! Discriminate against that logic…not against a woman who doesn’t want to be the stereotype and has done it on her own….society makes me physically sick to my stomach with their bs too often anymore…but I learned to fix it myself..and did…that middle finger is what I have to offer for pricks who discriminate! If I have a wad of cash to pay and the credit for overage but don’t need it cuz cash is how I like to pay for things lol…and that’s still not good enough…then who needs us! Rich people are becoming fewer and fewer so enjoy being a slave to those filthy rich pos
That capacitor replacement is very informative advice, they blow after thunderstorms a lot ! HVAC guy in SW florida charges $300 to come up to replace it and sometimes they scam you that your compressor or fan is bad to charge you $1,500 for replacement...it's insane.
Great content. It's 85 in my house and my thermostat is set to 70. 2 hvac guys said nothing was wrong and that my unit was working as it should. One guy added a little more freon but it wasn't low at all. I complained a few days later that the problem still isn't fixed. He told me that I need more insulation. I found his statement hard to believe because last year this same unit blew cold air when set at 70 in the scorching summer heat when it was 99 inside the house. I went from being totally drenched in sweat to no seat at all within 5 to 10 minutes of the unit being turned on. I am going to apply what I just learned and see what happens. Thanks again
I saved hundreds of dollars from a service call by replacing the capacitors on my RV AC unit myself. I also checked the capacitor with the meter and confirmed the bad actor. It's important to note that capacitors store a charge and if you disconnect one and touch the terminals you may be in for a big surprise. It's best to let them rest for a while or if technically able, put a resistor across the terminals to bleed it down. Some folks might dead short them but I wouldn't recommend it.
A 1K 5W resistor is good for most anything 240 volt or below.
@@NoSpam1891I don't understand the ratings on the resistor, hopefully you won't mind clarifying ... do you mean 1000 ohms and 5 watts? Are they rated for power ... volts/amps? I am thinking to get parts to bleed these down correctly,.
@@jimw6991 Yes. 1000 ohms and 5 watts. It avoids the splat and sparks of a short. It only takes a second to discharge that.
Good video. Lot of useful information. Moving forward, perhaps you could include opening incoming power at the disconnect and or breaker to the CU. Also, discharge the possible holding voltage at the dual run cap. Keep learning and sharing your adventures. Good luck out there and STAY SAFE!
Great suggestion! Thanks you as well
I have a possibly stupid question, but bear with me: Does the capacitor have to be "discharged" even after the power is cutoff and the capacitor is taken out?
@@chiefhokie yes, discharge before you touch the capacitor. The only stupid question is the one you DON'T ask. Better to know for sure 1st. Good luck!
Took the words out of my mouth . Safety first .
@Trey Brinson how do you discharge the capacitor 😮
Nicely done. Take care of your equipment and it will take care of you. Your tips on replacing the motor capacitor are awesome!
Thank you for TAKING the time to SHARE these AMAZING ideas and fixes!
I was ALREADY aware of DISCHARGING capacitor.
A-LOT of MONEY has been MADE off of these SIMPLE truths that you share. I'm sure (some) DISHONEST HVAC contractors have USED these SIMPLE truths to RAILROAD their customers.
SUCH is NOT the CASE with you. I've watched your other vids and you seem to TRULY care about PEOPLE.
That is PARTICULARLY valuable in TROUBLING times as these. Again, thank you!
Thank you so much! I did step 1 and 2 and the AC is now working. Save me a service call!!!
Awesome glad to hear it!
I wished I watched this before I called for service. Oh well. As they say... fool me once. I will do it all myself next time. Life lessons.Thanks for the info!
Remember!!…nobody will do a better job then you!! Remember that!!
Your videos are very informative and speak to challenges I have as a retired person living through hot Texas summers. Two question: (1) Are there any serious downsides to adding the softstart system to A/C over time? (2) Why don’t A/C manufacturers make these systems standard on their units? It seems slowing down the power surges required to operate A/C would ultimately have a positive impact on our “stand alone” Texas power grid.
Because soft starts are expensive. Just listen to the comments so far, everyone is whining about price, manufacturers HAVE to make these units inexpensive.
This is an awesome video! I work in the electrical field but has little to no knowledge when it comes to hvac systems. Thanks for the video!
Of course! I’ll keep the hvac for beginners videos coming out! I worked under a good friend who was an hvac contractor for a couple years and learned a lot of what I know from him through hands on training. My not so strong suit is ductwork and transitions but each system looks a little nicer :) thanks for the support bro!
Actually I’m vise versa, I’d love to know more about electrical!
All good advice. If your AC is not keeping up you might have a refrigerant leak. Some furnaces have the cooling line at the furnace. If you see a build up of ice on this line it usually means a loss of refrigerant. I was lucky to find the source of leak and repair it. Once repaired I added more refrigerant. 15 years later no issues with the AC.
I just recently changed my run capacitor on my squirrel cage fan and it was very cheap, about $10, I heard a humming sound coming from it and that is what it was, I saw on the old one were it had mushroomed some, the new one has it running like a new one 👍 and I love these kind of videos, thanks for sharing 👍
Pretty good video. However, It's never a good idea to spray the condensing coil from the outside surface. This will push dirt further into the coil. The fins are very close together. The dirt/debris will become lodged between the fins and make cleaning harder. A better approach is to TURN THE HIGH VOLTAGE ELECTRICITY OFF, remove the top, and spray from the inside to the outside, forcing the dirt out the way it came in. If tree sap or other organics are present, use a household cleanser and spray the outside of the coil thoroughly and rinse from the inside to the outside. In Texas, drains are required (since the 80's) to be piped to a P-trap, usually under a bathroom sink. A person cannot blow the drain out - there is not enough capacity or pressure-building capability to clear the line. Using air pressure to blow the line is the preferred method AFTER you install a back-flow preventer valve (PVC ball valve) at the evaporator drain outlet (otherwise, air pressure will blow back into the drain pan and not the drain line). In respect to the electric components, these are best left to a licensed professional technician. Not to be critical, but the single most important thing is to TURN THE HIGH VOLTAGE ELECTRICITY OFF before opening the panel! This aspect of the system is NOT owner-friendly! People get hurt frequently trying this. A capacitor stores energy and can deliver a serious shock to an untrained person. I strongly encourage leaving this aspect of the system alone! This is my own opinion and some likely know more than me but I've been in the industry for 50 years. No one needs to get hurt trying to service a high-voltage appliance. Have a Great Day!!
I totally agree. You need to RESPECT electricity and leave it to the pros.
Good old scare tactics. Safety is important, but for those that have common sense and a multimeter, there is nothing difficult about any of this. Just be aware that the contactor could engage if the main system is not powered off. Turn the thermostat off as well to be on the safe side. After turning everything off, use the meter to verify no voltage present and push the contactor in to also verify main system power is off.
Very helpful for the average home owner, great info that can save someone that has a bit of heartache if they are so inclined to have a crack at it. Although I usually tell anyone not to force a contactor cause I've seen that go wrong. But tbh, I do it myself (on rare occasions) as do many other experienced technicians, cause it'll quickly tell the tale as to what is really going on and gives you a direction for which to troubleshoot. It's kind of a cheat code, which I discourage anyone inexperienced to attempt.
It's obvious that you don't work with 3 phase .
@@Natureboy1607 see a lot of three phase homes do you?
I remember last summer our capacitor went bad. Same symptoms as you described. My father ended up calling a contractor he knew. He changed it no problem... Charged us $215 for the 2 minutes it took him. Luckily I watched him do it. I looked up the price of the part that was changed out, it was 10 bucks at Home Depot... I was LIVID. $215 FOR 2 MIN OF WORK FOR A $10 PART!? LOL never again.
From the contractor perspective it isn’t the 10 dollar part you are paying more for, it’s the knowledge of what part to take of and knowing it will fix it. That’s really what you are paying for. But I’m glad you have the knowledge to do this yourself now! Cheers
Same here, I had to replace mine recently and I paid $200 for the part/labor. Now I know how cheap these parts really are, but at least I didn't run the risk of being electrocuted (or maybe I'm telling myself that so that I feel better, ha).
I had an A/C check done recently, guy said cap was OK but starting to be out-of-spec, wanted $370 to replace it if he did it today, and if he did it later, it would be that much + $120 service/trip charge! I told him to tell his boss they were overcharging and I'd do it myself. That's thievery!
Wish I'd thought to watch this video this last year...lol
Overhead; business expenses, advertising, taxes; licensing, etc. IT'S NOT ALL GRAVY !!!
Thanks, this video really helped me a lot. I did exactly what you said and OMG it work perfectly. In other words everything you said about the capacitor was spot on for my unit. I purchased one from Amazon and installed it myself saving $100's. You are DA Man!! Awesome!!
THANKS TO ALL YOU RUclips folks that take the time and effort to help us DIY folks. You probably have no idea how much your information is used and has helped others find out whats wrong and how to fix or investigate it. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU. I wish i could express how much your few minutes of time help out !!
Of course! Thanks for the support!
@The DIY HVAC Guy we've learned much thru all you guys everytime. Learning about the crankcase heater for compressor in our last situation. Breaker kept kicking off, couldn't find why. All cause by corroded& broken connection for crankcase heater. Never knew it was even there.
Thank you for the excellent video. Please update it with the safety cautions so you aren't held liable for any accidents. This is a great video otherwise.
Also with the capacitor: Make sure to check and tighten the connections on the contactor. If the spade connectors are suspect crimp on new ones. Also IF you're comfortable trying this; turn the 2 pole breaker off at the panel then tighten the connections at the disconnect box.
I use a shop vacuum to suck out the debris from my condensation line. Good tips especially on cleaning the condenser coils with a water hose.
Yes! One of my connectors had corroded and broken off. I replaced the end and it was fixed.
in my opinion you should always clean your outdoor unit from the INSIDE to out, not just spray the outside. Even though that can help. There are always leaves inside that should be removed etc.
Any cleaning is better than none. The average homeowner risks damaging coils gaining access to spray outward and is likely better off doung it outside in.
VERY USEFUL INFO! Waiting a day or more for an A/C repair tech in sweltering hot weather is not a prospect I look forward to if I can fix it... THANK YOU!
I just went and inspected my AC coils and found a bunch of cottonwood wool in the coils. I washed them out and am now better prepared for the upcoming heat wave! Thanks for the tips.