I have an 11 year old Heil heat pump for an addition I had built onto the
back of my house. This morning I go into this addition and the heat is
running and it's incredibly hot back there so I switch the unit off.
Several minutes later the unit is still running with no sign of stopping
so I go outside to the box that has the disconnect switch.

https://i.postimg.cc/3NGhZHkk/Disconnect.jpg

The switch looks just like the one in this picture (Topaz brand) and yes,
the switch was upside down like in this picture. I pull the switch out and
thankfully the unit stops running. Thinking it was installed incorrectly I
plugged it back in with the label reading correctly (Off/On), no power. I pulled out the switch again and plugged it in with it reading On/Off in the upside down position like in the picture, now the unit has power again.
Once again I pulled it out and plugged it in again as Off/On and of there is
no power to the unit when plugged in like this.

My question is do these disconnect plugs go bad or perhaps it's the whole
box that is on the blink?

In article ,
says...

https://i.postimg.cc/3NGhZHkk/Disconnect.jpg

The switch looks just like the one in this picture (Topaz brand) and yes,
the switch was upside down like in this picture. I pull the switch out and
thankfully the unit stops running. Thinking it was installed incorrectly I
plugged it back in with the label reading correctly (Off/On), no power. I pulled out the switch again and plugged it in with it reading On/Off in the upside down position like in the picture, now the unit has power again.
Once again I pulled it out and plugged it in again as Off/On and of there is
no power to the unit when plugged in like this.

My question is do these disconnect plugs go bad or perhaps it's the whole
box that is on the blink?




It looks like it is working correctly to me. When the word ON is
upright there is power out of the box. When you pull it out and turn it
so the OFF is upright, you will not have any power comming out of the
box.

The one in the picture is not upside down. The ON is upright and OFF is
upside down indicating power will come out of the box.

On Sunday, March 31, 2019 at 6:16:35 PM UTC-5, Ralph Mowery wrote:

In article ,
says...

My question is do these disconnect plugs go bad or perhaps it's the whole
box that is on the blink?




It looks like it is working correctly to me. When the word ON is
upright there is power out of the box. When you pull it out and turn it
so the OFF is upright, you will not have any power comming out of the
box.

The one in the picture is not upside down. The ON is upright and OFF is
upside down indicating power will come out of the box.

Well, the box must be bad then as removing the switch is the only to stop the
unit from running continuously.

On Sun, 31 Mar 2019 16:46:31 -0700 (PDT), ItsJoanNotJoann
wrote:

On Sunday, March 31, 2019 at 6:16:35 PM UTC-5, Ralph Mowery wrote:

In article ,
says...

My question is do these disconnect plugs go bad or perhaps it's the whole
box that is on the blink?




It looks like it is working correctly to me. When the word ON is
upright there is power out of the box. When you pull it out and turn it
so the OFF is upright, you will not have any power comming out of the
box.

The one in the picture is not upside down. The ON is upright and OFF is
upside down indicating power will come out of the box.

Well, the box must be bad then as removing the switch is the only to stop the
unit from running continuously.

That is not a switch. It is just a pull out disconnect. Flipping it
over so it says OFF NO is just where you store it when the power is
off.

On Sunday, March 31, 2019 at 8:59:21 PM UTC-5, wrote:

That is not a switch. It is just a pull out disconnect. Flipping it
over so it says OFF NO is just where you store it when the power is
off.

Well, when I look it up on the internet it's called a disconnect switch. There
is something definitely wrong somewhere when the unit will NOT shut off unless
I pull this switch out.

On Sun, 31 Mar 2019 19:15:16 -0700 (PDT), ItsJoanNotJoann
wrote:

On Sunday, March 31, 2019 at 8:59:21 PM UTC-5, wrote:

That is not a switch. It is just a pull out disconnect. Flipping it
over so it says OFF NO is just where you store it when the power is
off.

Well, when I look it up on the internet it's called a disconnect switch. There
is something definitely wrong somewhere when the unit will NOT shut off unless
I pull this switch out.

It is just a pullout disconnect. The HP running all the time might be
the thermostat. That is what I would try first. Is it a solid state or
old school with a mercury bulb? If it is solid state try pulling the
batteries and see if it keeps running.

In article ,
says...

It looks like it is working correctly to me. When the word ON is
upright there is power out of the box. When you pull it out and turn it
so the OFF is upright, you will not have any power comming out of the
box.

The one in the picture is not upside down. The ON is upright and OFF is
upside down indicating power will come out of the box.

Well, the box must be bad then as removing the switch is the only to stop the
unit from running continuously.




That is not what you said to start with. Here is what you said :


In article ,
says...

https://i.postimg.cc/3NGhZHkk/Disconnect.jpg

The switch looks just like the one in this picture (Topaz brand) and yes,
the switch was upside down like in this picture. I pull the switch out and
thankfully the unit stops running. Thinking it was installed incorrectly I
plugged it back in with the label reading correctly (Off/On), no power. I pulled out the switch again and plugged it in with it reading On/Off in the upside down position like in the picture, now the unit has power again.
Once again I pulled it out and plugged it in again as Off/On and of there is
no power to the unit when plugged in like this.

My question is do these disconnect plugs go bad or perhaps it's the whole
box that is on the blink?



It is not really a switch, just a simple plug and when you pull it out
and flip it upside down,it is just a storage place for it.

On Sunday, March 31, 2019 at 9:37:52 PM UTC-5, wrote:

It is just a pullout disconnect. The HP running all the time might be
the thermostat. That is what I would try first. Is it a solid state or
old school with a mercury bulb? If it is solid state try pulling the
batteries and see if it keeps running.

It is a solid state thermostat and thanks for the tip! I'll pull the batteries
out and see what happens. Trying to sort out all possibilities before picking
up the phone and calling the AC/Heating man. Won't I jump for joy if it's
something as simple as installing new batteries!?!

On Sun, 31 Mar 2019 22:11:11 -0700 (PDT), ItsJoanNotJoann
wrote:

On Sunday, March 31, 2019 at 9:37:52 PM UTC-5, wrote:

It is just a pullout disconnect. The HP running all the time might be
the thermostat. That is what I would try first. Is it a solid state or
old school with a mercury bulb? If it is solid state try pulling the
batteries and see if it keeps running.

It is a solid state thermostat and thanks for the tip! I'll pull the batteries
out and see what happens. Trying to sort out all possibilities before picking
up the phone and calling the AC/Heating man. Won't I jump for joy if it's
something as simple as installing new batteries!?!

I went through an assortment of high tech thermostats and now I have a
round Honeywell T-87. It works every time.

On Monday, April 1, 2019 at 4:14:05 PM UTC-5, wrote:

I went through an assortment of high tech thermostats and now I have a
round Honeywell T-87. It works every time.

This thermostat is direct wired and no battery back up.

On Mon, 1 Apr 2019 15:51:27 -0700 (PDT), ItsJoanNotJoann
wrote:

On Monday, April 1, 2019 at 4:14:05 PM UTC-5, wrote:

I went through an assortment of high tech thermostats and now I have a
round Honeywell T-87. It works every time.

This thermostat is direct wired and no battery back up.

It still could be bad. The only way to tell is disconnect the "heat"
wire. (usually the white one) and plug the HVAC disconnect back in.
See if the outside unit is still running.
If it is just the inside fan that is running, try the green wire.
Yellow is for AC and the red is the 24v from the air handler.

On Monday, April 1, 2019 at 8:25:48 PM UTC-5, wrote:

On Mon, 1 Apr 2019 15:51:27 -0700 (PDT), ItsJoanNotJoann
wrote:

This thermostat is direct wired and no battery back up.

It still could be bad. The only way to tell is disconnect the "heat"
wire. (usually the white one) and plug the HVAC disconnect back in.
See if the outside unit is still running.
If it is just the inside fan that is running, try the green wire.
Yellow is for AC and the red is the 24v from the air handler.

That is a job for either the AC/Heat man or an electrician. There is no inside
fan that I know of; could be but I'm not going to try to locate it. All I can
say is I've had trouble with this heat pump from the first day it was installed.
I might have gotten a lemon but it has not improved my opinion of Heil.

I went through an assortment of high tech thermostats and now I have a
round Honeywell T-87. It works every time.

+1

On Mon, 1 Apr 2019 20:55:25 -0700 (PDT), ItsJoanNotJoann
wrote:

On Monday, April 1, 2019 at 8:25:48 PM UTC-5, wrote:

On Mon, 1 Apr 2019 15:51:27 -0700 (PDT), ItsJoanNotJoann
wrote:

This thermostat is direct wired and no battery back up.

It still could be bad. The only way to tell is disconnect the "heat"
wire. (usually the white one) and plug the HVAC disconnect back in.
See if the outside unit is still running.
If it is just the inside fan that is running, try the green wire.
Yellow is for AC and the red is the 24v from the air handler.

That is a job for either the AC/Heat man or an electrician. There is no inside
fan that I know of; could be but I'm not going to try to locate it. All I can
say is I've had trouble with this heat pump from the first day it was installed.
I might have gotten a lemon but it has not improved my opinion of Heil.

This is a package unit? All in one piece, outside.
You still either have a bad thermostat, shorted wire or a relay stuck
closed on the unit. If you can't investigate beyond being sure the
thermostat settings are right, you are calling the tech.

On Tuesday, April 2, 2019 at 12:45:36 PM UTC-4, wrote:
That is a job for either the AC/Heat man or an electrician. There is no inside
fan that I know of; could be but I'm not going to try to locate it. All I can
say is I've had trouble with this heat pump from the first day it was installed.
I might have gotten a lemon but it has not improved my opinion of Heil.

This is a package unit? All in one piece, outside.

I would think there is still something inside blowing air, either an air handler blowing through ducts or if a split system, a through the wall fan. If the OP can't spot where the warm or cold air is coming from, I have little faith she can change a thermostat. I'm actually a little surprised she pulled the disconnect without getting hurt. I don't like pulling those under load myself. That may be overcautious but I try to turn things off first when I can.

On Tuesday, April 2, 2019 at 2:42:56 PM UTC-4, TimR wrote:
On Tuesday, April 2, 2019 at 12:45:36 PM UTC-4, wrote:
That is a job for either the AC/Heat man or an electrician. There is no inside
fan that I know of; could be but I'm not going to try to locate it. All I can
say is I've had trouble with this heat pump from the first day it was installed.
I might have gotten a lemon but it has not improved my opinion of Heil..

This is a package unit? All in one piece, outside.

I would think there is still something inside blowing air, either an air handler blowing through ducts or if a split system, a through the wall fan. If the OP can't spot where the warm or cold air is coming from, I have little faith she can change a thermostat. I'm actually a little surprised she pulled the disconnect without getting hurt. I don't like pulling those under load myself. That may be overcautious but I try to turn things off first when I can.


Could be as simple as a short in the thermostat wires, maybe from some rodent.

In article ,
says...

Could be as simple as a short in the thermostat wires, maybe from some rodent.
Whatever it is, if you have reasonable DIY skills you can probably fix it
for not much, maybe $25 for a relay, worst case I guess it could be a
control board. With a HVAC tech, you're pretty much at their mercy
and they can hose you right proper if they want to.




Yea, thay can really hose you.

A couple of years ago on a Saturday the AC quit. Called the man and was
told it would be a minimum of $ 100 for him to come out. Ok with that.

He got here and replaced a bad motor capacitor in about 15 minuits. I
was tlaking with him, and he was open and frindly. Gave me osme
pointers about it. He then asked me what I though the capacitor would
cost. I told him they paid less than probably $ 25 for it and the
markup was about double , so $ 50. He said the company had a fixed rate
of $ 300 for the capacitor repair.

Later I ordered a capacitor and a relay he pointed out that often goes
bad off ebay for about $ 30 total. Good thing I did as about 3 years
later the capacitor went bad and I put in the one I ordered, then
ordered another.

On Tuesday, April 2, 2019 at 5:03:15 PM UTC-4, Ralph Mowery wrote:
In article ,
says...

Could be as simple as a short in the thermostat wires, maybe from some rodent.
Whatever it is, if you have reasonable DIY skills you can probably fix it
for not much, maybe $25 for a relay, worst case I guess it could be a
control board. With a HVAC tech, you're pretty much at their mercy
and they can hose you right proper if they want to.




Yea, thay can really hose you.

A couple of years ago on a Saturday the AC quit. Called the man and was
told it would be a minimum of $ 100 for him to come out. Ok with that.

He got here and replaced a bad motor capacitor in about 15 minuits. I
was tlaking with him, and he was open and frindly. Gave me osme
pointers about it. He then asked me what I though the capacitor would
cost. I told him they paid less than probably $ 25 for it and the
markup was about double , so $ 50. He said the company had a fixed rate
of $ 300 for the capacitor repair.

Yeah. The local (but highly rated) HVAC repair charged me 85 to show up, and $250 for the cap. It was $12 at the local supply, but they wouldn't sell to me as I'm not a contractor.

On the other hand, some years back the other company in town, who'd put my heat pump in in that house, did sell me a special breaker for my air handler. It was the middle of a cold snap, they were swamped and couldn't get to me for days, and they'd had a bunch of bad breakers on that unit so they were pretty sure what it was, and they gave it to me at cost. It was one of the easiest repairs I've done, in terms of taking the old one out and reconnecting the new. But it was also one of the most physically difficult, because I had to half squat in my attic threaded between wires, tubes, etc., with no room to move and every muscle cramping. I'd have called these guys first but they've since gone under.

On Tuesday, April 2, 2019 at 9:42:09 PM UTC-4, TimR wrote:
On Tuesday, April 2, 2019 at 5:03:15 PM UTC-4, Ralph Mowery wrote:
In article ,
says...

Could be as simple as a short in the thermostat wires, maybe from some rodent.
Whatever it is, if you have reasonable DIY skills you can probably fix it
for not much, maybe $25 for a relay, worst case I guess it could be a
control board. With a HVAC tech, you're pretty much at their mercy
and they can hose you right proper if they want to.




Yea, thay can really hose you.

A couple of years ago on a Saturday the AC quit. Called the man and was
told it would be a minimum of $ 100 for him to come out. Ok with that.

He got here and replaced a bad motor capacitor in about 15 minuits. I
was tlaking with him, and he was open and frindly. Gave me osme
pointers about it. He then asked me what I though the capacitor would
cost. I told him they paid less than probably $ 25 for it and the
markup was about double , so $ 50. He said the company had a fixed rate
of $ 300 for the capacitor repair.

Yeah. The local (but highly rated) HVAC repair charged me 85 to show up, and $250 for the cap. It was $12 at the local supply, but they wouldn't sell to me as I'm not a contractor.

Amazon and priority shipping? That's where I got a new condenser fan.
$90 and it was here in two days. It would have been ~$350 for the fancy
ECM one that was in it. I opted for a regular one. It would have to
save a whole lot of electric to pay off that difference. The original
one only lasted maybe 4 years, wasn't going to do that again.

On Tue, 2 Apr 2019 18:42:05 -0700 (PDT), TimR
wrote:

On Tuesday, April 2, 2019 at 5:03:15 PM UTC-4, Ralph Mowery wrote:
In article ,
says...

Could be as simple as a short in the thermostat wires, maybe from some rodent.
Whatever it is, if you have reasonable DIY skills you can probably fix it
for not much, maybe $25 for a relay, worst case I guess it could be a
control board. With a HVAC tech, you're pretty much at their mercy
and they can hose you right proper if they want to.




Yea, thay can really hose you.

A couple of years ago on a Saturday the AC quit. Called the man and was
told it would be a minimum of $ 100 for him to come out. Ok with that.

He got here and replaced a bad motor capacitor in about 15 minuits. I
was tlaking with him, and he was open and frindly. Gave me osme
pointers about it. He then asked me what I though the capacitor would
cost. I told him they paid less than probably $ 25 for it and the
markup was about double , so $ 50. He said the company had a fixed rate
of $ 300 for the capacitor repair.

Yeah. The local (but highly rated) HVAC repair charged me 85 to show up, and $250 for the cap. It was $12 at the local supply, but they wouldn't sell to me as I'm not a contractor.

HVAC suppliers are real pricks when it comes to homeowners but they
are not the only place that sells motor capacitors.

On Tue, 02 Apr 2019 21:52:22 -0400, wrote:

On Tue, 2 Apr 2019 18:42:05 -0700 (PDT), TimR
wrote:

On Tuesday, April 2, 2019 at 5:03:15 PM UTC-4, Ralph Mowery wrote:
In article ,
says...

Could be as simple as a short in the thermostat wires, maybe from some rodent.
Whatever it is, if you have reasonable DIY skills you can probably fix it
for not much, maybe $25 for a relay, worst case I guess it could be a
control board. With a HVAC tech, you're pretty much at their mercy
and they can hose you right proper if they want to.




Yea, thay can really hose you.

A couple of years ago on a Saturday the AC quit. Called the man and was
told it would be a minimum of $ 100 for him to come out. Ok with that.

He got here and replaced a bad motor capacitor in about 15 minuits. I
was tlaking with him, and he was open and frindly. Gave me osme
pointers about it. He then asked me what I though the capacitor would
cost. I told him they paid less than probably $ 25 for it and the
markup was about double , so $ 50. He said the company had a fixed rate
of $ 300 for the capacitor repair.

Yeah. The local (but highly rated) HVAC repair charged me 85 to show up, and $250 for the cap. It was $12 at the local supply, but they wouldn't sell to me as I'm not a contractor.

HVAC suppliers are real pricks when it comes to homeowners but they
are not the only place that sells motor capacitors.
As long as it's not gas related or refrigerant I've been able to buy
anything I need under my cpmpany name

In article ,
says...
As long as it's not gas related or refrigerant I've been able to buy
anything I need under my cpmpany name



I lucked up. Where I worked as an electrician and instrument person,
the company put us through the refrigerent requeriments and got
certified. I Showed up at the local HVAC supply company tossed out my
card and walked away with a 20 or 30 pound can of refregerent.

On Tue, 2 Apr 2019 23:56:02 -0400, Ralph Mowery
wrote:

In article ,
says...
As long as it's not gas related or refrigerant I've been able to buy
anything I need under my cpmpany name



I lucked up. Where I worked as an electrician and instrument person,
the company put us through the refrigerent requeriments and got
certified. I Showed up at the local HVAC supply company tossed out my
card and walked away with a 20 or 30 pound can of refregerent.


These days they use R410a or 134 (cars) and anyone can buy that. I
still have a jug of R22 in case the "legacy" system I have in the
addition ever fails. (Heluva a deal for a "new old stock" machine).

These days they use R410a or 134 (cars) and anyone can buy that. I
still have a jug of R22 in case the "legacy" system I have in the
addition ever fails. (Heluva a deal for a "new old stock" machine).

The other thing to stock up on for a dark and stormy night is the HOT SURFACE IGNITER used in many gas furnaces these days. They are basically a glow plug and will fail with no warning leaving you with no heat. Its a good idea to have a spare on hand and know the symptoms and how to replace it.


mark

On 3/31/2019 10:11 PM, ItsJoanNotJoann wrote:
On Sunday, March 31, 2019 at 9:37:52 PM UTC-5, wrote:

It is just a pullout disconnect. The HP running all the time might be
the thermostat. That is what I would try first. Is it a solid state or
old school with a mercury bulb? If it is solid state try pulling the
batteries and see if it keeps running.

It is a solid state thermostat and thanks for the tip! I'll pull the batteries
out and see what happens. Trying to sort out all possibilities before picking
up the phone and calling the AC/Heating man. Won't I jump for joy if it's
something as simple as installing new batteries!?!


Your problem could be a sticking relay in the (inside?) unit. Sometimes,
tapping on the relay with the handle of a screwdriver will knock it
loose as a temporary fix. You would have to remove the cover to find the
relays. (And know what a relay looks like)

On 4/2/19 8:52 PM, wrote:

[snip]

HVAC suppliers are real pricks when it comes to homeowners but they
are not the only place that sells motor capacitors.

Once someone needed a start capacitor, and asked me if I thought he
could get one at Radio Shack. They are likely to have one with the right
capacitance, but it's probably 25V rather than the 340V (240V peak
voltage) needed.

--
"This message was composed entirely from recycled words and phrases
using only renewable, caffeinated energy sources. No trees or whales
died in the process."

On Wednesday, April 3, 2019 at 11:28:45 AM UTC-4, Sam E wrote:
On 4/2/19 8:52 PM, wrote:

[snip]

HVAC suppliers are real pricks when it comes to homeowners but they
are not the only place that sells motor capacitors.

Once someone needed a start capacitor, and asked me if I thought he
could get one at Radio Shack. They are likely to have one with the right
capacitance, but it's probably 25V rather than the 340V (240V peak
voltage) needed.

--
"This message was composed entirely from recycled words and phrases
using only renewable, caffeinated energy sources. No trees or whales
died in the process."

Another problem is that the local Radio Shack stores are gone, at
least here in NJ. And for many years the supply of things like
electronic parts had been whittled down in favor of cell phones
and kid's toys. If you have to order online, there are many sources.
Another example of the internet finishing off local stores. But
it has mostly worked better for me. Much greater selection, better
prices, it's just that you can't drive over and pick it up.

On Wed, 3 Apr 2019 10:28:40 -0500, Sam E
wrote:

On 4/2/19 8:52 PM, wrote:

[snip]

HVAC suppliers are real pricks when it comes to homeowners but they
are not the only place that sells motor capacitors.

Once someone needed a start capacitor, and asked me if I thought he
could get one at Radio Shack. They are likely to have one with the right
capacitance, but it's probably 25V rather than the 340V (240V peak
voltage) needed.

.... and electrolytic like "Kaboom" when you turn the power on.

"Sam E" wrote in message
...
On 4/2/19 8:52 PM, wrote:

[snip]

HVAC suppliers are real pricks when it comes to homeowners but they
are not the only place that sells motor capacitors.

Once someone needed a start capacitor, and asked me if I thought he could
get one at Radio Shack. They are likely to have one with the right
capacitance, but it's probably 25V rather than the 340V (240V peak
voltage) needed.

But there are plenty of other places that sell the 340V versions online.

On Wed, 3 Apr 2019 08:53:11 -0700 (PDT), trader_4
wrote:

On Wednesday, April 3, 2019 at 11:28:45 AM UTC-4, Sam E wrote:
On 4/2/19 8:52 PM, wrote:

[snip]

HVAC suppliers are real pricks when it comes to homeowners but they
are not the only place that sells motor capacitors.

Once someone needed a start capacitor, and asked me if I thought he
could get one at Radio Shack. They are likely to have one with the right
capacitance, but it's probably 25V rather than the 340V (240V peak
voltage) needed.

--
"This message was composed entirely from recycled words and phrases
using only renewable, caffeinated energy sources. No trees or whales
died in the process."

Another problem is that the local Radio Shack stores are gone, at
least here in NJ. And for many years the supply of things like
electronic parts had been whittled down in favor of cell phones
and kid's toys. If you have to order online, there are many sources.
Another example of the internet finishing off local stores. But
it has mostly worked better for me. Much greater selection, better
prices, it's just that you can't drive over and pick it up.


That is why we have Grainger. If you don't have a volume account, they
are expensive but they usually have things like this. With the right
account you get 40% or more off of their list price tho.
For a motor cap, I would go to a motor shop if Ace didn't have it.
They do have some motor parts like caps and brushes if the associate
can find them. At mine, they are in the power tool area in a little
cabinet

On Thu, 4 Apr 2019 03:38:53 +1100, cantankerous trolling geezer Rot Speed,
the auto-contradicting senile sociopath, blabbered, again:


Once someone needed a start capacitor, and asked me if I thought he could
get one at Radio Shack. They are likely to have one with the right
capacitance, but it's probably 25V rather than the 340V (240V peak
voltage) needed.

But there are plenty of other places that sell the 340V versions online.

Online shops weren't mentioned, senile idiot from Oz!

--
Bill Wright to Rot Speed:
"That confirms my opinion that you are a despicable little ****."
MID:

On Wed, 03 Apr 2019 00:26:29 -0400, wrote:

On Tue, 2 Apr 2019 23:56:02 -0400, Ralph Mowery
wrote:

In article ,
says...
As long as it's not gas related or refrigerant I've been able to buy
anything I need under my cpmpany name



I lucked up. Where I worked as an electrician and instrument person,
the company put us through the refrigerent requeriments and got
certified. I Showed up at the local HVAC supply company tossed out my
card and walked away with a 20 or 30 pound can of refregerent.


These days they use R410a or 134 (cars) and anyone can buy that. I
still have a jug of R22 in case the "legacy" system I have in the
addition ever fails. (Heluva a deal for a "new old stock" machine).
I have to buy my cans of 134 in Michigan or New York and bring them
home to Ontario.

On 4/2/2019 8:52 PM, wrote:
On Tue, 2 Apr 2019 18:42:05 -0700 (PDT), TimR
wrote:
....

Yeah. The local (but highly rated) HVAC repair charged me 85 to show up, and $250 for the cap. It was $12 at the local supply, but they wouldn't sell to me as I'm not a contractor.

HVAC suppliers are real pricks when it comes to homeowners but they
are not the only place that sells motor capacitors.

Fortunately, we still have a place that will sell OTC at reasonable, if
not the best, markup rates.

--

On 4/2/2019 9:52 PM, wrote:
On Tue, 2 Apr 2019 18:42:05 -0700 (PDT), TimR
wrote:

On Tuesday, April 2, 2019 at 5:03:15 PM UTC-4, Ralph Mowery wrote:
In article ,
says...
Could be as simple as a short in the thermostat wires, maybe from some rodent.
Whatever it is, if you have reasonable DIY skills you can probably fix it
for not much, maybe $25 for a relay, worst case I guess it could be a
control board. With a HVAC tech, you're pretty much at their mercy
and they can hose you right proper if they want to.



Yea, thay can really hose you.

A couple of years ago on a Saturday the AC quit. Called the man and was
told it would be a minimum of $ 100 for him to come out. Ok with that.

He got here and replaced a bad motor capacitor in about 15 minuits. I
was tlaking with him, and he was open and frindly. Gave me osme
pointers about it. He then asked me what I though the capacitor would
cost. I told him they paid less than probably $ 25 for it and the
markup was about double , so $ 50. He said the company had a fixed rate
of $ 300 for the capacitor repair.
Yeah. The local (but highly rated) HVAC repair charged me 85 to show up, and $250 for the cap. It was $12 at the local supply, but they wouldn't sell to me as I'm not a contractor.

HVAC suppliers are real pricks when it comes to homeowners but they
are not the only place that sells motor capacitors.


LOL, our local HVAC supplier won't sell to homeowners either...but Amazon does.

--
Get off my lawn!

On 4/3/19 10:53 AM, trader_4 wrote:

[snip]

Another problem is that the local Radio Shack stores are gone, at
least here in NJ.

I've looked at the radio Shack website. Apparently, there are now no
stores anywhere. However, there are a few dealers (who probably carry
limited items). The nearest one to me is about 80 miles away.

And for many years the supply of things like
electronic parts had been whittled down in favor of cell phones
and kid's toys.

Yes. The availability of electronic parts locally was very important to
me in the eighties, when I didn't have access to the internet (or a
credit card).

If you have to order online, there are many sources.
Another example of the internet finishing off local stores.

Yes, there are the places you can order from. I liked to be able to go
to a local store.

But
it has mostly worked better for me. Much greater selection, better
prices, it's just that you can't drive over and pick it up.

--
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.us/

"I believe I have acted rightly in steadily following and devoting my
life to science." -- Charles Darwin

On 4/3/19 12:45 PM, wrote:

[snip]

For a motor cap, I would go to a motor shop if Ace didn't have it.
They do have some motor parts like caps and brushes if the associate
can find them. At mine, they are in the power tool area in a little
cabinet

It would be nice if there was still an Ace here. It didn't last very
long after Lowe's came to town (the other local hardware store is gone too).

--
Mark Lloyd
http://notstupid.us/

"I believe I have acted rightly in steadily following and devoting my
life to science." -- Charles Darwin

On Thu, 4 Apr 2019 09:37:05 -0500, Mark Lloyd
wrote:

On 4/3/19 12:45 PM, wrote:

[snip]

For a motor cap, I would go to a motor shop if Ace didn't have it.
They do have some motor parts like caps and brushes if the associate
can find them. At mine, they are in the power tool area in a little
cabinet

It would be nice if there was still an Ace here. It didn't last very
long after Lowe's came to town (the other local hardware store is gone too).

Ace is giving Blowes and Home Despot a run here, simply by providing
old time hardware store service and a better product line.
When my wife was running a gated community and country club she used
Ace all the time because you could walk in holding something and the
Ace guy would take you to the place where they had what you need,
explain what you needed and even give you a tip or two about
installing it. At the big boxes you are lucky to even find a person
who works there and they might not even know what you were holding.
If I want building materials I go to HD, If I am looking for home
decor, it is Lowes and Ace is the place for hardware.

On 4/4/2019 11:57 AM, wrote:

It would be nice if there was still an Ace here. It didn't last very
long after Lowe's came to town (the other local hardware store is gone too).

Ace is giving Blowes and Home Despot a run here, simply by providing
old time hardware store service and a better product line.
When my wife was running a gated community and country club she used
Ace all the time because you could walk in holding something and the
Ace guy would take you to the place where they had what you need,
explain what you needed and even give you a tip or two about
installing it. At the big boxes you are lucky to even find a person
who works there and they might not even know what you were holding.
If I want building materials I go to HD, If I am looking for home
decor, it is Lowes and Ace is the place for hardware.


When I moved here a few months ago the Ace is 4 miles, Lowes and HD are
about 12. I forget what I wanted but since they were close I gave them
a try. I was amazed. They have everything I needed, they have pleasant
helpful people and plenty of them.

With a new house there were plenty of little things i needed and made
many trips. Great place. I may never set foot in the big boxes again.

On Thursday, April 4, 2019 at 11:57:48 AM UTC-4, wrote:
On Thu, 4 Apr 2019 09:37:05 -0500, Mark Lloyd
wrote:

On 4/3/19 12:45 PM, wrote:

[snip]

For a motor cap, I would go to a motor shop if Ace didn't have it.
They do have some motor parts like caps and brushes if the associate
can find them. At mine, they are in the power tool area in a little
cabinet

It would be nice if there was still an Ace here. It didn't last very
long after Lowe's came to town (the other local hardware store is gone too).

Ace is giving Blowes and Home Despot a run here, simply by providing
old time hardware store service and a better product line.
When my wife was running a gated community and country club she used
Ace all the time because you could walk in holding something and the
Ace guy would take you to the place where they had what you need,
explain what you needed and even give you a tip or two about
installing it.

That's what they do here and it's why I prefer Lowes or HD instead.
You come in, don't need help, but the village idiot comes running
right over and asks if he can help you. So, you say that you need
a round head wood screw. He then starts asking what you're doing,
why you need it, yadda, yadda, yadda. Meanwhile, he's a moron.
I came in one day asking if they had a simple pressure gauge for
a water pump system. The village idiot starts telling me how normal
water pressure in a water system is just a few lbs and he knows, because
he works on the water works at the schools. I go to HD they have
the gauge, without the village idiot.



At the big boxes you are lucky to even find a person
who works there and they might not even know what you were holding.
If I want building materials I go to HD, If I am looking for home
decor, it is Lowes and Ace is the place for hardware.

And then there are the idiot customers who show up at HD on the rare
occasion that I need help. They have the store guy tied up, with
nonsense. Husband standing there with a bathroom sink faucet handle
in his hand, wanting a washer. Store guy keeps saying, if you have
the stem, which you need to take out anyway, then I could match it.
After 5 mins of who's on first with that BS, just when you think it's
over, then the wife starts in all over again saying they have an
outside faucet that is leaking, can that be fixed?