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  #1   Report Post  
toller
 
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Default Questions about a Motor Starting Capacitor

My garage door opener stopped working; it just hummed for about 2 seconds.
For no particular reason I touched the starting capacitor and fixed it. It
ran okay for a couple days, then stopped. I touched it again and it ran
twice before breaking. Now my magic touch fails completely. (I can't find
any loose wires)
The manufacturer's best guess is that the capacitor is bad.

It takes a 53-64 mfd 220vac 30b0363 Fujitsu Towa no. gk-86

1) Any way to varify the capacitor is bad before replacing it? I put an ohm
meter across it, and it shows an open circuit, but since I have never tested
a good capacitor I don't know how much that proves.
2) The manufacturer wants $20 for a replacement. Am I likely to find one
cheaper locally? Where, an electrical distributor?
3) There are two red wires going to one contact and two blues going to the
other. Is a capacitor symetrical, so if I got my contacts backwards it
would be okay?

Thanks


  #2   Report Post  
Travis Jordan
 
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Default

Travis Jordan wrote:
toller wrote:
3) There are two red wires going to one contact and two blues going
to the other. Is a capacitor symetrical, so if I got my contacts
backwards it would be okay?


No, it would NOT be OK. The capacitor is polarized.


I should have said "IF the capacitor is polarized". Some motor start
capacitors are non polarized. Check to see if the contacts are labeled
+ and -. If the capacitor is NON polarized, then it won't matter how
the wires are connected.


  #3   Report Post  
Travis Jordan
 
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Default

toller wrote:
It takes a 53-64 mfd 220vac 30b0363 Fujitsu Towa no. gk-86

1) Any way to varify the capacitor is bad before replacing it? I put
an ohm meter across it, and it shows an open circuit, but since I
have never tested a good capacitor I don't know how much that proves.


Capacitor tester.

2) The manufacturer wants $20 for a replacement. Am I likely to find
one cheaper locally? Where, an electrical distributor?


Don't know about where you are, but you could buy one online.
http://www.surpluscenter.com/item.as...tname=electric

3) There are two red wires going to one contact and two blues going
to the other. Is a capacitor symetrical, so if I got my contacts
backwards it would be okay?


No, it would NOT be OK. The capacitor is polarized.


  #4   Report Post  
toller
 
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Default


"Travis Jordan" wrote in message
...
Travis Jordan wrote:
toller wrote:
3) There are two red wires going to one contact and two blues going
to the other. Is a capacitor symetrical, so if I got my contacts
backwards it would be okay?


No, it would NOT be OK. The capacitor is polarized.


I should have said "IF the capacitor is polarized". Some motor start
capacitors are non polarized. Check to see if the contacts are labeled
+ and -. If the capacitor is NON polarized, then it won't matter how
the wires are connected.

Thanks, $129 is a bit better than $20. For that price I can gamble.
This capacitor has no markings on it, so I guess it is non-polarized. On a
polarized capacitor, do the red or black wires go to +?


  #5   Report Post  
Travis Jordan
 
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Default

toller wrote:
This capacitor has no markings on it, so I guess it is non-polarized.
On a polarized capacitor, do the red or black wires go to +?


By convention, the red wires would connect to +.




  #6   Report Post  
Steve Rush
 
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Default

On Sun, 06 Feb 2005 19:13:19 +0000, Travis Jordan wrote:

toller wrote:
It takes a 53-64 mfd 220vac 30b0363 Fujitsu Towa no. gk-86

1) Any way to varify the capacitor is bad before replacing it? I put
an ohm meter across it, and it shows an open circuit, but since I have
never tested a good capacitor I don't know how much that proves.


Capacitor tester.

2) The manufacturer wants $20 for a replacement. Am I likely to find
one cheaper locally? Where, an electrical distributor?


Don't know about where you are, but you could buy one online.
http://www.surpluscenter.com/item.as...tname=electric

3) There are two red wires going to one contact and two blues going to
the other. Is a capacitor symetrical, so if I got my contacts
backwards it would be okay?


No, it would NOT be OK. The capacitor is polarized.


A polarized motor-starting capacitor?
  #7   Report Post  
PrecisionMachinisT
 
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Default


"Steve Rush" wrote in message
news

A polarized motor-starting capacitor?


Thanks, I needed that.

G

===

Use an ohm meter......with the zero set to the center of the scale, the
needle will swing one way, then it return to center. On reversing the
leads, it will swing the other way twice as far, before coming back to
center.

Otherwise, the capacitor has most definately failed.

--

SVL




  #8   Report Post  
Andy Hill
 
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Default

"Travis Jordan" wrote:
toller wrote:
It takes a 53-64 mfd 220vac 30b0363 Fujitsu Towa no. gk-86

1) Any way to varify the capacitor is bad before replacing it? I put
an ohm meter across it, and it shows an open circuit, but since I
have never tested a good capacitor I don't know how much that proves.


Capacitor tester.

2) The manufacturer wants $20 for a replacement. Am I likely to find
one cheaper locally? Where, an electrical distributor?


Don't know about where you are, but you could buy one online.
http://www.surpluscenter.com/item.as...tname=electric

3) There are two red wires going to one contact and two blues going
to the other. Is a capacitor symetrical, so if I got my contacts
backwards it would be okay?


No, it would NOT be OK. The capacitor is polarized.

A cap rated for AC use (as that one is) ain't gonna be polarized.
  #9   Report Post  
Stormin Mormon
 
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Default

More inserted.

--

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
www.mormons.com


"toller" wrote in message
...
My garage door opener stopped working; it just hummed for about 2 seconds.
For no particular reason I touched the starting capacitor and fixed it. It
ran okay for a couple days, then stopped. I touched it again and it ran
twice before breaking. Now my magic touch fails completely. (I can't find
any loose wires)
The manufacturer's best guess is that the capacitor is bad.
CY: Good fix, and good guess.


It takes a 53-64 mfd 220vac 30b0363 Fujitsu Towa no. gk-86

1) Any way to varify the capacitor is bad before replacing it? I put an ohm
meter across it, and it shows an open circuit, but since I have never tested
a good capacitor I don't know how much that proves.
CY: Take a VOM that has a meter needle that swings. Physically take the cap
out of the machine. Unwire it. Put the VOM to ohms, and put the leads on the
cap. Needle should jump a little. Reverse the leads, and needle should jump
a bit more than the first time. No jump? That's an "open". Pegs all the way
over and stays? That's a "short".


2) The manufacturer wants $20 for a replacement. Am I likely to find one
cheaper locally? Where, an electrical distributor?
CY: Maybe, I've not checked my catalogs. I get them through my HVAC parts
house, and I think they are cheaper.


3) There are two red wires going to one contact and two blues going to the
other. Is a capacitor symetrical, so if I got my contacts backwards it
would be okay?
CY: I suspect it's symmetrical, and doesn't matter. Sounds like a mylar foil
cap, not electrolytic.

Thanks



  #10   Report Post  
Stormin Mormon
 
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Default

My parts house had start caps,a nd run caps. Start caps were about $5, and
run caps are about $20. I'd suggest the one from the fan company. More
likely a run cap. Start caps are used on compressors like in refrigerators.

--

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
www.mormons.com


"toller" wrote in message
...
My garage door opener stopped working; it just hummed for about 2 seconds.
For no particular reason I touched the starting capacitor and fixed it. It
ran okay for a couple days, then stopped. I touched it again and it ran
twice before breaking. Now my magic touch fails completely. (I can't find
any loose wires)
The manufacturer's best guess is that the capacitor is bad.

It takes a 53-64 mfd 220vac 30b0363 Fujitsu Towa no. gk-86

1) Any way to varify the capacitor is bad before replacing it? I put an ohm
meter across it, and it shows an open circuit, but since I have never tested
a good capacitor I don't know how much that proves.
2) The manufacturer wants $20 for a replacement. Am I likely to find one
cheaper locally? Where, an electrical distributor?
3) There are two red wires going to one contact and two blues going to the
other. Is a capacitor symetrical, so if I got my contacts backwards it
would be okay?

Thanks





  #11   Report Post  
HvacTech2
 
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Default



Hi Stormin, hope you are having a nice day

On 09-Feb-05 At About 22:18:58, Stormin Mormon wrote to All
Subject: Questions about a Motor Starting Capacitor

SM From: "Stormin Mormon"

SM My parts house had start caps,a nd run caps. Start caps were about
SM $5, and run caps are about $20. I'd suggest the one from the fan
SM company. More likely a run cap. Start caps are used on compressors
SM like in refrigerators.

You really should get more training. start capacitors are also used on
quite a few motors.


-= HvacTech2 =-


... URA Redneck if you hold a frog and _it_ worries about getting warts.

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