I was a tech for 30yrs and I always kept 1“ wide strips of sheet metal 10”-12”long that I would cut from scrap on my truck . Very handy to use , and cost nothing . I would use the strips to mount capacitors, hang line sets , etc. work smart , and be safe !!!
My mom had a failure of her furnace blower motor in the dead of winter. It was the cap. It was evening and nasty cold outside. The local ACE Hardware carried caps for this purpose, but not the value I needed. However, from what they did carry, I was able to add two together to create the value I needed. Was it a hack? Sure. Did it work? Absolutely.
lol... Trane dealers hate Lennox, Lennox deals hate Carrier, Carrier dealers hate Trane. In reality, I think they are all built like crap now... nothing made to last, and WAY overpriced for what you are getting... What about Bosch?
I had to replace a fan blade on my AC which became unbalanced. The problem started when a service guy lost the correct sheet metal screw and replaced it with one from his scrap bag. The new screw was too long, and eventually contacted the fan blade when the ground surface settled just a bit during seasonal weather, causing the point of the too-long screw to cut a big nick in the blade, twisting one blade a bit and eventually unbalancing the entire blade assembly to the point it wobbled noisily at speed. It wobbled so bad it sounded like it was going to explode - all for the want of the correct length sheet metal screw.
Baby caps ain't bad but if you ever mess with the big 'uns a discharge stick is a very good idea. When I was at Keesler AFB in '81/82 a ground radar instructor got ahead of himself teaching and basically said "don't ever to this" then touched one and died on the spot. I was a Comm troop (aircraft radios) so I didn't see it but the whole base was suddenly VERY careful to disconnect power then dump residual charge! That incident was famous AF-wide. Even a modest shock can stop yer heart to take care. When I do industrial lockout/tagout any fuses go in my pocket
When my grandmother sold her house, the heat pump was about 3 years old. The guy who bought it apparently forgot that it had a switch you have to flip (cooling mode in summer, heating mode in winter). Mid-autumn and it didn't automatically switch from cooling to heating, so what's he do? He didn't call first and ask "What's with this heat pump?". Nope, the first thing he did was call a local HVAC place, and they told him it was 20 years old and all rusted out inside; charged him a small fortune to replace the whole thing... and THEN he calls to complain.
I tend to replace the dual capacitors with two separate capacitors, one for the compressor and one for the fan. This makes them last longer as they fail from heat and using two diffuses the heat better. I will mount with steel plumbers tape on both to ensure they are rigidly and safely attached. Also, I never use an impact driver, or any type of drill, to put the covers back on the unit. It usually strips out the holes in the thin sheet metal, then the screws become loose and the covers start to rattle.
I like to write the numbers right there inside the cabinet and along with the date that the new capacitor was installed Ted. I wish you would make that a habit. Plus, if every tech did that you would not have to go on a Jacque Cruseau exploration to try to hunt it down. Other than that one little tidbit, always very appreciative of your videos! Keep up the excellent work. Best regards; Edward in Connecticut, USA (and no, I am not a damn Yankee!“ :-)
My dryer vent is about 3 feet from the A/C but doesn't have lint hanging on it. My wife cleans the dryer every load she dries. The dryer is about 25 years old.
I like the 1/4” heads because it allows you to get closer to duct work when screwing a coil down during a changeout. Some of the cap straps the screw is close to the strap and the 5/16 makes for a tight fit sometimes
Interesting and informative video. As a homeowner I tried to buy a replacement cap for my AC, but the supply houses wouldn't sell to me, here in Texas. I ended up buying a Chinee knockoff off of (there's a good Jeopardy answer) Amazon. Tested good with my Fluke. It worked and I sold a couple years later, before it failed early. I don't know how it is allowed under the law to not sell to the public. Also, that green vine looked like poison ivy growing behind the units.
That dryer vent is a real fire hazard. My daughters apartment nearly burned down because the entire vent pipe was clogged and a static spark set it aflame
To the defense of the Builder, the unit being worked on was made back in 2007. Nice to see somebody doing their due diligence with something as simple as a run capacitor. Callbacks suck.
I love my Trane system. Had the XV18 with the TAM9 installed over a year ago. Awesome combination though it is more than my 1200+ square foot home requires. I can't say enough good things about it! And not to mention the HUGE savings it has provided in electric usage.
Lennox leaker - love it. I can confirm this. Had a 5 TON Lennox same design as those in the video. 3 leaks in the outside core and to many to count in the inside core. Killed the compressor with complete lock up. System was a total loss after less than 8 years.
Any tech that uses his fingers to check for a charged capisitor needs to keep the camera rolling so when he shakes and turns blue the homeowner will find him curreled up dead behind their unit. His insurance company (if he has any) can then deny a claim by his family and OSHA can use the video for training.
Great video ! Thanks for posting that strap #. i took a note of it. might pick up one of those. i'd recommend to the home owner to have that dryer vent extended 6' down the wall. You could even do it with 4" Metal one piece line set cover. screw it to the wall and your done. channelled away.
Caps are on Amazon, dirt cheap. Work paid $480 for a 5 amp fuse and a cap. Nothing is a ripoff like HVAC. I'm a long time mechanic and I am jealous. Replaced my landlord's control board for $130 ebay, it was brand new, oem part. That's a grand with some Freezone added. PS for you loudspeaker builders I have boxes of those caps. Paper in oil. Sound awesome. Thanks to the world's greatest dumpsters in your local office park. PPS a good cap will have a drain resister across the terminals for safety.
I always thought you leave the cover off while testing so the machine knows you won't waste your time taking it back off and it works the first time. Put the cover on before testing and the machine knows it can waste more of your time by making you take it back off again.
My choice for "The builder should be..." was shot. Firing him allows him to go elsewhere and perform the same shenanigans. Then again, is it the builder's fault if s/ he's just following the architect's plans? Unless you mean " builder" as in the cookie cutter McMansion production company that put in that subdivision.
If you're concerned with good connections to the capacitor you might want to give the contacts a squiz of contact cleaner(I like DeoxIT D100L) and a wire brush. A small dab will do you.
My mom in Florida paid a "professional" her fan cap which was part of a double cap died, he jumpered in the one side for the fan, within a month the other side of the cap went bad. He charged her $400 and didn't even clean the leaves out. didn't put all the screws back on the cover , wires dangeling. I never touched an AC unit in my life, I got the model number of the cap, called around, bought one from a local place for $24 put it in , cleaned the coils and such (I do this every year) and it ran for the next 6 years when she sold the house.
Can someone please explain what's going on when he says "Run Cap Bandit"? The reason why I'm asking is I'm curious and just don't know and trying to learn. My A/C recently went out a few weeks ago and it really got my curious about how A/Cs work and how they're troubleshooted and repaired.
Lennox used to be a quality product. I have a 1999 Trane system and do maintenance on it yearly and techs always say do not get a new one, and I have absolutely no intentions of getting a new one. Our home is about 1600 sq ft and it's just me and my wife and we keep the blinds closed all day (we live in Florida) and the thermostat 82 daytime and 84 at bedtime.
Pro-DIY HVAC comment for the Anti DIY HVAC guy: Why didn't you grab a paint brush or your vacuum and clean what you saw while you were there? It would have taken you 2 minutes. A DIY guy would have cleaned it. Ignoring things like that are why I do things myself; I want them done right. By the way; the capacitor hack was also probably done by a pro. If you want it done right, DIY it.
So you aren't supposed to put dielectric grease on the contacts? I figured since it was outdoor it would be a good protector unless it just collects more junk/debris than it helps.
As much as the EPA cracks on auto manufacturers for emissions I’ll never understand why they don’t put the same press on the AC manufacturers especially if they leak the super terrible for the environment “allegedly” refrigerant. BTW this is a completely rhetorical statement 😂
Turbo caps work just fine. And you don't have to carry 30 different brands of capacitors either. For some reason, builders LOVE to place dryer vents close to outside units....
Guys take them Carrier mounted cap straps out all the time and throw them away if new cap is smaller usually. I save the if need for other units but never seen anyone buy 1 👍 I save a few and send then to you if you like 😂
Enjoyed the video as I have been having similar problems with my ac unit. Any ideas why my 2006 Goodman is eating caps? Had my 5th service cal in 2 years for a bad cap yesterday. Have had no other problems and unit serviced annually.
Why do home builders put the dryer vent right behind the AC units because they don't care what happens after you buy the house.
Love the finger test for charged cap. I always find licking your finger first is best to make sure it is completely discharged .....😃
I replaced the cap on our home AC unit. The hardest part was finding a supply house who would sell me the replacement cap. Kind of a scam.
*anti diy hvac*
Ace Hardware has them. You have to ask for them at the front desk.
Or Amazon if you can wait a couple of days.
I was a tech for 30yrs and I always kept 1“ wide strips of sheet metal 10”-12”long that I would cut from scrap on my truck . Very handy to use , and cost nothing . I would use the strips to mount capacitors, hang line sets , etc. work smart , and be safe !!!
My mom had a failure of her furnace blower motor in the dead of winter. It was the cap. It was evening and nasty cold outside. The local ACE Hardware carried caps for this purpose, but not the value I needed. However, from what they did carry, I was able to add two together to create the value I needed. Was it a hack? Sure. Did it work? Absolutely.
For DIY people like me: Learn to discharge the existing capacitor after carefully disconnecting it. Do not touch it until you've discharged it.
lol... Trane dealers hate Lennox, Lennox deals hate Carrier, Carrier dealers hate Trane. In reality, I think they are all built like crap now... nothing made to last, and WAY overpriced for what you are getting... What about Bosch?
I had to replace a fan blade on my AC which became unbalanced. The problem started when a service guy lost the correct sheet metal screw and replaced it with one from his scrap bag. The new screw was too long, and eventually contacted the fan blade when the ground surface settled just a bit during seasonal weather, causing the point of the too-long screw to cut a big nick in the blade, twisting one blade a bit and eventually unbalancing the entire blade assembly to the point it wobbled noisily at speed. It wobbled so bad it sounded like it was going to explode - all for the want of the correct length sheet metal screw.
Baby caps ain't bad but if you ever mess with the big 'uns a discharge stick is a very good idea. When I was at Keesler AFB in '81/82 a ground radar instructor got ahead of himself teaching and basically said "don't ever to this" then touched one and died on the spot. I was a Comm troop (aircraft radios) so I didn't see it but the whole base was suddenly VERY careful to disconnect power then dump residual charge! That incident was famous AF-wide. Even a modest shock can stop yer heart to take care. When I do industrial lockout/tagout any fuses go in my pocket
who puts a dryer vent near an A/C unit. Great work sire
When my grandmother sold her house, the heat pump was about 3 years old. The guy who bought it apparently forgot that it had a switch you have to flip (cooling mode in summer, heating mode in winter). Mid-autumn and it didn't automatically switch from cooling to heating, so what's he do? He didn't call first and ask "What's with this heat pump?". Nope, the first thing he did was call a local HVAC place, and they told him it was 20 years old and all rusted out inside; charged him a small fortune to replace the whole thing... and THEN he calls to complain.
I tend to replace the dual capacitors with two separate capacitors, one for the compressor and one for the fan. This makes them last longer as they fail from heat and using two diffuses the heat better. I will mount with steel plumbers tape on both to ensure they are rigidly and safely attached. Also, I never use an impact driver, or any type of drill, to put the covers back on the unit. It usually strips out the holes in the thin sheet metal, then the screws become loose and the covers start to rattle.
I like to write the numbers right there inside the cabinet and along with the date that the new capacitor was installed Ted. I wish you would make that a habit. Plus, if every tech did that you would not have to go on a Jacque Cruseau exploration to try to hunt it down. Other than that one little tidbit, always very appreciative of your videos! Keep up the excellent work.
Best regards; Edward in Connecticut, USA (and no, I am not a damn Yankee!“ :-)
Not only was the condenser in front of a dryer vent but it's practically sitting in their driveway
I clean the coils for free every time I’m servicing a unit.
I love the capacitor test across the terminals with your finger, why even do it lol.
I can always determine the quality of a technicians work just by the organization & neatness (or lack thereof) of the inside of his service truck.
Trainee was told, " you got to get 8 service calls per day" lol.
The compressor and fan quit last night. I grabbed my ohm meter and confirmed a bad capacitor. $22 later and I’m cool again. Thank you.
"The builder should be fired for that" Yeah after he moves the dryer vent around the corner of the house
My dryer vent is about 3 feet from the A/C but doesn't have lint hanging on it. My wife cleans the dryer every load she dries. The dryer is about 25 years old.
I like the 1/4” heads because it allows you to get closer to duct work when screwing a coil down during a changeout. Some of the cap straps the screw is close to the strap and the 5/16 makes for a tight fit sometimes
Interesting and informative video. As a homeowner I tried to buy a replacement cap for my AC, but the supply houses wouldn't sell to me, here in Texas. I ended up buying a Chinee knockoff off of (there's a good Jeopardy answer) Amazon. Tested good with my Fluke. It worked and I sold a couple years later, before it failed early. I don't know how it is allowed under the law to not sell to the public. Also, that green vine looked like poison ivy growing behind the units.
The poison ivy between the machines was a nice touch.
I’m ready to do the same job on my Carrier - spare dual cap and contactor in the garage ready to go!
“In a lot of cases, bigger is better…” Yeah, I’m leaving that one alone!
I like how you checked for cap shock
Why were there 2 capacitors instead of one ?
See way too many drier vents dumping right onto outdoor units around here too!
That dryer vent is a real fire hazard. My daughters apartment nearly burned down because the entire vent pipe was clogged and a static spark set it aflame
Testing the caps with your hand scared the crap out of me!
To the defense of the Builder, the unit being worked on was made back in 2007. Nice to see somebody doing their due diligence with something as simple as a run capacitor. Callbacks suck.
I love my Trane system. Had the XV18 with the TAM9 installed over a year ago. Awesome combination though it is more than my 1200+ square foot home requires.
I can't say enough good things about it! And not to mention the HUGE savings it has provided in electric usage.
if you mounted that capacitor the other way round
the dish won't fill up with condensation and short it out
Cool job but u tempted Murphy by buttoning up before testing haha.
A nice tidy up job Ted.. What you need is a small hand brush like Curtis has to sweep out the dust and spider webs, behind the cover. 😉 Au
GREAT WORK!!
As a contractor myself. I am proud to see we still have legit servicemen out there. OOrah!
Dryer vent on my house is on the West side, AC is on the East side. Problem solved when built.
Piggybacking two capacitors is a perfectly valid repair. It’s not my preferred way, but I’ve done it when I didn’t have the correct one.
looks like those caps have been there for a good while, must have been some good tape. scotch super 33 or 88? lol
Lennox leaker - love it. I can confirm this. Had a 5 TON Lennox same design as those in the video. 3 leaks in the outside core and to many to count in the inside core. Killed the compressor with complete lock up. System was a total loss after less than 8 years.
I had that on 2 ac units of a home I bought. The inspector didn't check the AC units apparently.
You know I’m not a A/C tech I was a lineman by trade but even I would’ve known better than to do that with the capacitor.
Any tech that uses his fingers to check for a charged capisitor needs to keep the camera rolling so when he shakes and turns blue the homeowner will find him curreled up dead behind their unit. His insurance company (if he has any) can then deny a claim by his family and OSHA can use the video for training.
You mean capacitor ?? I am in my 35th year of business…. It is barely a little tingle if anything.
Lennox Merit 13ACXN, 13ACXN042-230, 3.5 Ton, Up to 15.50 SEER, 208-230 VAC 1 Ph 60Hz Single-Stage Air Conditioner
Curious, given how inexpensive these capacitors are, would it make sense to change out the 2nd unit?
Great video ! Thanks for posting that strap #. i took a note of it. might pick up one of those.
i'd recommend to the home owner to have that dryer vent extended 6' down the wall.
You could even do it with 4" Metal one piece line set cover.
screw it to the wall and your done. channelled away.
Plumbers tape all day. I would've never closed the panel until i ran the unit and checked amps.
Caps are on Amazon, dirt cheap. Work paid $480 for a 5 amp fuse and a cap. Nothing is a ripoff like HVAC. I'm a long time mechanic and I am jealous. Replaced my landlord's control board for $130 ebay, it was brand new, oem part. That's a grand with some Freezone added. PS for you loudspeaker builders I have boxes of those caps. Paper in oil. Sound awesome. Thanks to the world's greatest dumpsters in your local office park. PPS a good cap will have a drain resister across the terminals for safety.
Yikes 07 lennox but luckily for the customer it's R22 and not 410a. Less chance it's leaking. 😂
Big props for the reference to ARS. Cool (pun intended).
Interesting & informative, as usual. Curious if any customers ever stumble across a post of service call to their house or neighborhood?
I always thought you leave the cover off while testing so the machine knows you won't waste your time taking it back off and it works the first time. Put the cover on before testing and the machine knows it can waste more of your time by making you take it back off again.
I would like to know how you stay so clean as a service tech.
I hope you talked to the owner about that vent, and tell them to re-route it at least a bit.
Even the vent need a good clean ! And sure some pipe to divert the dust from the AC !
My choice for "The builder should be..." was shot. Firing him allows him to go elsewhere and perform the same shenanigans. Then again, is it the builder's fault if s/ he's just following the architect's plans? Unless you mean " builder" as in the cookie cutter McMansion production company that put in that subdivision.
Why are there 2 heat pumps right next to each other? Wouldn't it be better to have one on each side of the house?
If you're concerned with good connections to the capacitor you might want to give the contacts a squiz of contact cleaner(I like DeoxIT D100L) and a wire brush. A small dab will do you.
Thanks, I learning from you to keep my air ac running the qay it suppose to runs.
My mom in Florida paid a "professional" her fan cap which was part of a double cap died, he jumpered in the one side for the fan, within a month the other side of the cap went bad. He charged her $400 and didn't even clean the leaves out. didn't put all the screws back on the cover , wires dangeling.
I never touched an AC unit in my life, I got the model number of the cap, called around, bought one from a local place for $24 put it in , cleaned the coils and such (I do this every year) and it ran for the next 6 years when she sold the house.
God I'm glad I don't do that anymore. Standing over a condenser blowing hot air in the summer and cold air in the winter
must have changed the fan. That model has 45 +5 from the factory
Nice repair. Like your sense of humor too.
Can someone please explain what's going on when he says "Run Cap Bandit"?
The reason why I'm asking is I'm curious and just don't know and trying to learn. My A/C recently went out a few weeks ago and it really got my curious about how A/Cs work and how they're troubleshooted and repaired.
What is a run cap bandit?
Lennox used to be a quality product. I have a 1999 Trane system and do maintenance on it yearly and techs always say do not get a new one, and I have absolutely no intentions of getting a new one. Our home is about 1600 sq ft and it's just me and my wife and we keep the blinds closed all day (we live in Florida) and the thermostat 82 daytime and 84 at bedtime.
Pro-DIY HVAC comment for the Anti DIY HVAC guy: Why didn't you grab a paint brush or your vacuum and clean what you saw while you were there? It would have taken you 2 minutes. A DIY guy would have cleaned it. Ignoring things like that are why I do things myself; I want them done right. By the way; the capacitor hack was also probably done by a pro. If you want it done right, DIY it.
Since 2nd unit sitting right there, why not look at the capacitor size on it. Chances are it may have not been changed out yet.
what is your opinion on those quiet start systems?
Thank you, great job, and explanation!
Lol... "Run Cap Bandit" 😂 new one for me. God bless & stay safe.
So you aren't supposed to put dielectric grease on the contacts? I figured since it was outdoor it would be a good protector unless it just collects more junk/debris than it helps.
You can take a down spout and an elbow and move that dryer vent 8 feet to the side
Cap'n'go mamma! Cha-ching!
That's why I swapped out my old oil furnace with a new oil funace.
My condenser sits about 18 " above grade to keep grass etc. out of it . I have cement blocks , then the condenser slab on it .
Bold of you to test the capacitor with your fingers!
Add a duct section extending the dryer vent output to another location a short distance away from the A/C units.
As much as the EPA cracks on auto manufacturers for emissions I’ll never understand why they don’t put the same press on the AC manufacturers especially if they leak the super terrible for the environment “allegedly” refrigerant. BTW this is a completely rhetorical statement 😂
now i would have shorted the cap before anything else...
who is the hack again?
Excellent camera work, too. Wouldn't expect any less.
Turbo caps work just fine. And you don't have to carry 30 different brands of capacitors either.
For some reason, builders LOVE to place dryer vents close to outside units....
The Minecraft villager says: HERRRM
Is that poison ivy growing in your work area?
is Daikin a good a/c to go with? asking for a friend.
Nice job. Quick and easy. I also like to test the new capacitor before installing it.
That dryer vent should be rerouted. Unless the customer knows how and wants to spend the rest of his life cleaning condenser coils.
I believe it was a Lenox unit years ago I got a call on and EVERY wire on it was the same color yellow.
Hey thanks for making these great videos!
What camera do you use?
Who was the builder?
Can the ac unit be moved from its problematic position from the dryer vent,,,,,the tether lengthened ?
Found a few of these this past week. Do you add hardstarts on your capacitors. If not, why and what do you think of them. I always do.
Guys take them Carrier mounted cap straps out all the time and throw them away if new cap is smaller usually. I save the if need for other units but never seen anyone buy 1 👍 I save a few and send then to you if you like 😂
Enjoyed the video as I have been having similar problems with my ac unit. Any ideas why my 2006 Goodman is eating caps? Had my 5th service cal in 2 years for a bad cap yesterday. Have had no other problems and unit serviced annually.
The industry getting around "The Right to Repair" by making parts unavailable.
I love all the keys on his belt!
Zipties cost more than tape so they use tape.
Brain surgeon moonlighting as the Run Cap Bandit................ gotta pay off those student loans!
Suggestion: Cable Tie Gun...thanks for posting these videos. Love them.