The A/C is not working. Last time this happened the neighborhood A/C
repair guy showed me how to replace the motor start capacitor. He
happened to have one in his truck. I'd just as soon not bother him
again. If I can pull the suspect capacitor and get the specs off it,
where would a guy get a replacement without going the mail order
route?

-Scott

SMcK wrote:
The A/C is not working. Last time this happened the neighborhood A/C
repair guy showed me how to replace the motor start capacitor. He
happened to have one in his truck. I'd just as soon not bother him
again. If I can pull the suspect capacitor and get the specs off it,
where would a guy get a replacement without going the mail order
route?

-Scott

Assuming lightening struck twice and the reason your A/C stopped working
this time is the same as it was the last time. (But don't bet on it...)

Look for an industrial electrical supply house, or an HVAC supply place.

Jeff

--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.8*10^12 furlongs per fortnight.

"SMcK" wrote in message
...

The A/C is not working. Last time this happened the neighborhood A/C
repair guy showed me how to replace the motor start capacitor. He
happened to have one in his truck. I'd just as soon not bother him
again. If I can pull the suspect capacitor and get the specs off it,
where would a guy get a replacement without going the mail order
route?

-Scott

Grainger, McMaster Carr, any good motor supply or repair house.

I get mine, at my local HVAC parts wholesale house. All you
have to do is get your EPA card, establish a business, get a
sales tax number, and go into the trade. No problem.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"SMcK" wrote in message
...

The A/C is not working. Last time this happened the
neighborhood A/C
repair guy showed me how to replace the motor start
capacitor. He
happened to have one in his truck. I'd just as soon not
bother him
again. If I can pull the suspect capacitor and get the
specs off it,
where would a guy get a replacement without going the mail
order
route?

-Scott

I curious on what he's going to do when the start cap doesn't fix the
problem. Here in St. Louis there is a no return policy on electrical parts.
lol

"Stormin Mormon" wrote in message
...
I get mine, at my local HVAC parts wholesale house. All you
have to do is get your EPA card, establish a business, get a
sales tax number, and go into the trade. No problem.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.


"SMcK" wrote in message
...

The A/C is not working. Last time this happened the
neighborhood A/C
repair guy showed me how to replace the motor start
capacitor. He
happened to have one in his truck. I'd just as soon not
bother him
again. If I can pull the suspect capacitor and get the
specs off it,
where would a guy get a replacement without going the mail
order
route?

-Scott

Well, you know how it is with AHR posters. He's already
replaced the thermostat three times, so it's got to be the
capacitor?

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..


"Big Bob" wrote in message
...
I curious on what he's going to do when the start cap
doesn't fix the
problem. Here in St. Louis there is a no return policy on
electrical parts.
lol

"Stormin Mormon" wrote
in message
...
I get mine, at my local HVAC parts wholesale house. All you
have to do is get your EPA card, establish a business, get
a
sales tax number, and go into the trade. No problem.

--
Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
.

SMcK wrote:
The A/C is not working. Last time this happened the neighborhood A/C
repair guy showed me how to replace the motor start capacitor. He
happened to have one in his truck. I'd just as soon not bother him
again. If I can pull the suspect capacitor and get the specs off it,
where would a guy get a replacement without going the mail order
route?

-Scott

That's funny, most AC condensing units don't have
start capacitors. It is usually an option though.
You may be referring to the oil filled "run" cap
that is connected to the start winding. A start
capacitor is going to be of the electrolytic type
along with a mechanical or solid state start relay.

TDD

That's funny, most AC condensing units don't have
start capacitors. It is usually an option though.
You may be referring to the oil filled "run" cap
that is connected to the start winding. A start
capacitor is going to be of the electrolytic type
along with a mechanical or solid state start relay.

TDD

No ****??
When did they start doing that?

Big Bob wrote:
That's funny, most AC condensing units don't have
start capacitors. It is usually an option though.
You may be referring to the oil filled "run" cap
that is connected to the start winding. A start
capacitor is going to be of the electrolytic type
along with a mechanical or solid state start relay.

TDD

No ****??
When did they start doing that?


Many years ago. Start capacitors are going to be a
high value electrolytic type in a black Bakelite
case along with a potential relay. You will see it
on commercial refrigeration equipment because the
compressor often has to start under a load. Under
ideal conditions, a home AC or refrigerator comp
is going to have time for the pressures to equalize
after shutdown before the thermostat calls for cold.
Last summer I had to remove the factory hard start
PTC thermistor from our office condensing unit after
it shorted. That particular setup did not use a
separate start capacitor. I replaced it with a "Kick
Start" device consisting of a potential relay and a
large electrolytic capacitor. A start capacitor and
relay costs the manufacturer a few dollars more per
unit and you may not think it's much money until you
realize that manufacturer has to purchase a million
of them. Here's a page that shows what I'm referring
to:

http://www.toad.net/~jsmeenen/boom.html

The guy has a good site with a lot of information.

http://www.toad.net/~jsmeenen/

TDD

wrote:
On Mon, 29 Jun 2009 14:55:19 -0700 (PDT), SMcK
wrote:

The A/C is not working. Last time this happened the neighborhood A/C
repair guy showed me how to replace the motor start capacitor. He
happened to have one in his truck. I'd just as soon not bother him
again. If I can pull the suspect capacitor and get the specs off it,
where would a guy get a replacement without going the mail order
route?

-Scott

Take the capacitor apart and rebuild it. You will need tinfoil, an
insulation material and a chemical electrolyte. Then you need to
carefully roll the materials together tightly so they fit back in the
container, and will need to seal the base of the capacitor container
with a rubber material.

Or, just go to your local (large) hardware store and buy a new one.

Tin foil is very expensive, I always us aluminum foil.
It works just as well even though it's cheaper. I have
a friend who swears that beer is the best electrolyte.

TDD

I have
a friend who swears that beer is the best electrolyte.

Close...its by-product is!

The Daring Dufas wrote:

wrote:

On Mon, 29 Jun 2009 14:55:19 -0700 (PDT), SMcK
wrote:

The A/C is not working. Last time this happened the neighborhood A/C
repair guy showed me how to replace the motor start capacitor. He
happened to have one in his truck. I'd just as soon not bother him
again. If I can pull the suspect capacitor and get the specs off it,
where would a guy get a replacement without going the mail order
route?

-Scott


Take the capacitor apart and rebuild it. You will need tinfoil, an
insulation material and a chemical electrolyte. Then you need to
carefully roll the materials together tightly so they fit back in the
container, and will need to seal the base of the capacitor container
with a rubber material.

Or, just go to your local (large) hardware store and buy a new one.


Tin foil is very expensive, I always us aluminum foil.
It works just as well even though it's cheaper. I have
a friend who swears that beer is the best electrolyte.

TDD

I had a doctor friend tell me that beer is an excellent electrolyte
replacer for your body when you've been sweating a lot working outside
on a hot day. As long as you don't overdo itby drinking more than one
every few of hours.

Jeff (6 beers before 12 and 12 beers before 6)

--
Jeffry Wisnia
(W1BSV + Brass Rat '57 EE)
The speed of light is 1.8*10^12 furlongs per fortnight.

jeff_wisnia wrote:
The Daring Dufas wrote:

wrote:

On Mon, 29 Jun 2009 14:55:19 -0700 (PDT), SMcK
wrote:

The A/C is not working. Last time this happened the neighborhood A/C
repair guy showed me how to replace the motor start capacitor. He
happened to have one in his truck. I'd just as soon not bother him
again. If I can pull the suspect capacitor and get the specs off it,
where would a guy get a replacement without going the mail order
route?

-Scott


Take the capacitor apart and rebuild it. You will need tinfoil, an
insulation material and a chemical electrolyte. Then you need to
carefully roll the materials together tightly so they fit back in the
container, and will need to seal the base of the capacitor container
with a rubber material.

Or, just go to your local (large) hardware store and buy a new one.


Tin foil is very expensive, I always us aluminum foil.
It works just as well even though it's cheaper. I have
a friend who swears that beer is the best electrolyte.

TDD

I had a doctor friend tell me that beer is an excellent electrolyte
replacer for your body when you've been sweating a lot working outside
on a hot day. As long as you don't overdo itby drinking more than one
every few of hours.

Jeff (6 beers before 12 and 12 beers before 6)


When I worked out on a Pacific island in the 1980's
I had the first kidney stone that ever put me in the
hospital. I've never consumed an alcoholic beverage
in my life but the other guys I worked with consumed
it by the keg and none of them suffered any kidney
stones. They may have had them but never felt them.

TDD

On Mon, 29 Jun 2009 18:45:45 -0500, The Daring Dufas
wrote:

SMcK wrote:
The A/C is not working. Last time this happened the neighborhood A/C
repair guy showed me how to replace the motor start capacitor. He
happened to have one in his truck. I'd just as soon not bother him
again. If I can pull the suspect capacitor and get the specs off it,
where would a guy get a replacement without going the mail order
route?

-Scott

That's funny, most AC condensing units don't have
start capacitors. It is usually an option though.
You may be referring to the oil filled "run" cap
that is connected to the start winding. A start
capacitor is going to be of the electrolytic type
along with a mechanical or solid state start relay.

TDD
Which was very common on older compressor units.

SMcK wrote:
The A/C is not working. *Last time this happened the neighborhood A/C
repair guy showed me how to replace the motor start capacitor. *He
happened to have one in his truck. *I'd just as soon not bother him
again. *If I can pull the suspect capacitor and get the specs off it,
where would a guy get a replacement without going the mail order
route?

-Scott

OK, just to tie up the loose ends on this one:

1. It turned out the capacitor was fine. I thought it migh be the cap
because the last time that's what it was and the guy that replaced it
told me that it's often the problem. The replacement was one he had
already and I don't know how old it was when we installed it. I
figured if I could get one and install it myself it would be a cheap
enough experiment that it was worth it if I could avoid having to pay
a pro.

2. I assumed it was a "motor run capacitor" when I went looking for a
replacement and saw references to them. Maybe it wasn't. It's a
capacitor with two sides, one labeled "fan" and the other "therm" with
a common in the center.

3. In the end I ended up calling in my neighbor again. This guy has
been doing heating, A/C, electric and plumbing in the neighborhood for
about 50 years. Nice guy and very helpful and I hate bugging him. He
determined it was low on freon, and charged it. He also checked for
leaks and cleaned out the grill(?) with a hose. I paid him a little
more than what he asked (still a bargain) and gave him a framed photo
of his house with the sunset behind it.

4. I don't know how old the unit is. It was there when we moved in in
'98. I'm going to guess it's about 15 years old.

-Scott

No Comment

SMcK wrote:
SMcK wrote:
The A/C is not working. Last time this happened the neighborhood A/C
repair guy showed me how to replace the motor start capacitor. He
happened to have one in his truck. I'd just as soon not bother him
again. If I can pull the suspect capacitor and get the specs off it,
where would a guy get a replacement without going the mail order
route?
-Scott

OK, just to tie up the loose ends on this one:

1. It turned out the capacitor was fine. I thought it migh be the cap
because the last time that's what it was and the guy that replaced it
told me that it's often the problem. The replacement was one he had
already and I don't know how old it was when we installed it. I
figured if I could get one and install it myself it would be a cheap
enough experiment that it was worth it if I could avoid having to pay
a pro.

2. I assumed it was a "motor run capacitor" when I went looking for a
replacement and saw references to them. Maybe it wasn't. It's a
capacitor with two sides, one labeled "fan" and the other "therm" with
a common in the center.

3. In the end I ended up calling in my neighbor again. This guy has
been doing heating, A/C, electric and plumbing in the neighborhood for
about 50 years. Nice guy and very helpful and I hate bugging him. He
determined it was low on freon, and charged it. He also checked for
leaks and cleaned out the grill(?) with a hose. I paid him a little
more than what he asked (still a bargain) and gave him a framed photo
of his house with the sunset behind it.

4. I don't know how old the unit is. It was there when we moved in in
'98. I'm going to guess it's about 15 years old.

-Scott


Just so you know, the terminal marked "herm" means hermetic which
refers to the hermetically sealed welded can compressor. I bet the
wire was yellow for the "herm" and brown for the "fan". The common
terminal could have been just about any color except green.

TDD

On Jul 1, 6:14*pm, The Daring Dufas
wrote:
SMcK wrote:
SMcK wrote:
The A/C is not working. *Last time this happened the neighborhood A/C
repair guy showed me how to replace the motor start capacitor. *He
happened to have one in his truck. *I'd just as soon not bother him
again. *If I can pull the suspect capacitor and get the specs off it,
where would a guy get a replacement without going the mail order
route?
-Scott

OK, just to tie up the loose ends on this one:

1. It turned out the capacitor was fine. *I thought it migh be the cap
because the last time that's what it was and the guy that replaced it
told me that it's often the problem. *The replacement was one he had
already and I don't know how old it was when we installed it. *I
figured if I could get one and install it myself it would be a cheap
enough experiment that it was worth it if I could avoid having to pay
a pro.

2. I assumed it was a "motor run capacitor" when I went looking for a
replacement and saw references to them. *Maybe it wasn't. It's a
capacitor with two sides, one labeled "fan" and the other "therm" with
a common in the center.

3. In the end I ended up calling in my neighbor again. *This guy has
been doing heating, A/C, electric and plumbing in the neighborhood for
about 50 years. *Nice guy and very helpful and I hate bugging him. *He
determined it was low on freon, and charged it. *He also checked for
leaks and cleaned out the grill(?) with a hose. *I paid him a little
more than what he asked (still a bargain) and gave him a framed photo
of his house with the sunset behind it.

4. I don't know how old the unit is. *It was there when we moved in in
'98. *I'm going to guess it's about 15 years old.

-Scott

Just so you know, the terminal marked "herm" means hermetic which
refers to the hermetically sealed welded can compressor. I bet the
wire was yellow for the "herm" and brown for the "fan". The common
terminal could have been just about any color except green.

TDD- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

IIRC it was yellow for common, reddish brown for fan and blue for
herm. I'm pretty certain about the yellow.

-Scott

SMcK wrote:
On Jul 1, 6:14 pm, The Daring Dufas
wrote:
SMcK wrote:
SMcK wrote:
The A/C is not working. Last time this happened the neighborhood A/C
repair guy showed me how to replace the motor start capacitor. He
happened to have one in his truck. I'd just as soon not bother him
again. If I can pull the suspect capacitor and get the specs off it,
where would a guy get a replacement without going the mail order
route?
-Scott
OK, just to tie up the loose ends on this one:
1. It turned out the capacitor was fine. I thought it migh be the cap
because the last time that's what it was and the guy that replaced it
told me that it's often the problem. The replacement was one he had
already and I don't know how old it was when we installed it. I
figured if I could get one and install it myself it would be a cheap
enough experiment that it was worth it if I could avoid having to pay
a pro.
2. I assumed it was a "motor run capacitor" when I went looking for a
replacement and saw references to them. Maybe it wasn't. It's a
capacitor with two sides, one labeled "fan" and the other "therm" with
a common in the center.
3. In the end I ended up calling in my neighbor again. This guy has
been doing heating, A/C, electric and plumbing in the neighborhood for
about 50 years. Nice guy and very helpful and I hate bugging him. He
determined it was low on freon, and charged it. He also checked for
leaks and cleaned out the grill(?) with a hose. I paid him a little
more than what he asked (still a bargain) and gave him a framed photo
of his house with the sunset behind it.
4. I don't know how old the unit is. It was there when we moved in in
'98. I'm going to guess it's about 15 years old.
-Scott
Just so you know, the terminal marked "herm" means hermetic which
refers to the hermetically sealed welded can compressor. I bet the
wire was yellow for the "herm" and brown for the "fan". The common
terminal could have been just about any color except green.

TDD- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

IIRC it was yellow for common, reddish brown for fan and blue for
herm. I'm pretty certain about the yellow.

-Scott


You may be right, I've been putting in so many hours
lately that everything is running together. My hair
hurts, my toenails itch and my eyeballs are squeaking.
Last service call was over at 8:00pm.

TDD

In article , Bubba wrote:
On Wed, 1 Jul 2009 10:24:45 -0700 (PDT), SMcK wrote:

EDITED FOR SPACE

3. In the end I ended up calling in my neighbor again. This guy has
been doing heating, A/C, electric and plumbing in the neighborhood for
about 50 years. Nice guy and very helpful and I hate bugging him. He
determined it was low on freon, and charged it. He also checked for
leaks and cleaned out the grill(?) with a hose. I paid him a little
more than what he asked (still a bargain) and gave him a framed photo
of his house with the sunset behind it.

4. I don't know how old the unit is. It was there when we moved in in
'98. I'm going to guess it's about 15 years old.

What a shame to hear that the guy has been doing this for 50yrs and
cant find a simple refrigerant leak.
Refrigerant doesnt wear out or go bad. It leaks out. You have a leak.
It will continue to leak

How small a leak is one supposed to find? One that leaks out not quite
all the refrigerant in 15 years?

Just a few years ago, I was told (IIRC) that A/C techs are finding and
repairing leaks of 4 ounces of refrigerant per year, and that ones
around or less than 2 ounces per year are often too small to find and are
often tolerated.

- Don Klipstein )

Don Klipstein wrote:
In article , Bubba wrote:
On Wed, 1 Jul 2009 10:24:45 -0700 (PDT), SMcK wrote:

EDITED FOR SPACE

3. In the end I ended up calling in my neighbor again. This guy has
been doing heating, A/C, electric and plumbing in the neighborhood for
about 50 years. Nice guy and very helpful and I hate bugging him. He
determined it was low on freon, and charged it. He also checked for
leaks and cleaned out the grill(?) with a hose. I paid him a little
more than what he asked (still a bargain) and gave him a framed photo
of his house with the sunset behind it.

4. I don't know how old the unit is. It was there when we moved in in
'98. I'm going to guess it's about 15 years old.
What a shame to hear that the guy has been doing this for 50yrs and
cant find a simple refrigerant leak.
Refrigerant doesnt wear out or go bad. It leaks out. You have a leak.
It will continue to leak

How small a leak is one supposed to find? One that leaks out not quite
all the refrigerant in 15 years?

Just a few years ago, I was told (IIRC) that A/C techs are finding and
repairing leaks of 4 ounces of refrigerant per year, and that ones
around or less than 2 ounces per year are often too small to find and are
often tolerated.

- Don Klipstein )

I've been using a stop leak made by Cliplight Manufacturing Company
for several years and have had very good luck with it. The stuff is
great for those tiny inaccessible leaks in evaporators.

http://tinyurl.com/lby8fz

TDD