Don’t Get Ripped Off! How To Avoid The AC Capacitor Scam And Save $500

On my last AC maintenance check I saw firsthand how some AC techs get homeowners to agree to replacing parts that don't need replaced. In this video I will share with you my experience and show how they tried to prove to me that the capacitor needed replaced. I will also show you what to look out for so you can know if you actually need to replace a capacitor or if it is still good.
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[@HowToHomeDIY]

Has this ever happened to you? If so, was it the capacitor or something else?

[@tgriebe]

Fan wouldn't run. It was the capacitor. A way to test is to hand spin the fan and see if it runs then.

[@ryanslats6764]

How much did he try to charge for Capacitor installation . How much should you expect to pay for Capacitor installation?

[@SBinVancouver]

It wasn't the $500 scam, only $350. I had a pretty good idea what the caps cost. Disputed part of the CC charge, allowing for 100% uplift on the cap and cold start kit and labor. They capitulated. I read them the riot act when they wanted me to renew a service contract with them. I've purchased a backup for the start cap and I'll swap it out when the inevitable happens.

[@amiatroll6347]

Why on earth would you accept the service if you were going to dispute the charge?

[@SBinVancouver]

@@amiatroll6347 I didn't have any idea what they'd charge me, until they gave me the bill. At that point, the Technician is like "I don't set the prices".

[@4drturbo85]

Had a guy come out last year and he said the microfarads were at like 50%. He didn't lie. I tested it and it was at like 50%. But they wanted $430!!! to replace it. Called another place up they wanted $410! WTF. The part was $20 and took me 15 minutes to swap out. First time doing it ever too.

[@stephen-ng]

Sites like KZbin, TikTok, and the internet are great for learning. The internet isn't all porn, gambling, and black market deals.

[@lvsluggo007]

Yup... I got screwed like that a couple of years ago. A well-known HVAC company here in Las Vegas advertised a $39 AC checkup. I'd normally have the company that installed my ac do the annual, but they were swamped and I needed to have the system checked immediately as I was going out of town. The guy from this other company comes out, goes up on the roof, comes down about 15 min later with one of those capacitors in his hand. He tells me its bad, amd it will cost $500 to replace. I snapped a picture of the info tag on the capacitor for future use. Since I needed my ac working normally, I grudgingly told him to go ahead. While he was replacing it, I did a google search for the capacitor part #. I found it from various sources, starting at TWENTY FIVE DOLLARS.. When the guy came down I confronted him about it, and he basically said "thats the price, take it or leave it".. I wrote a nastygram to the company and said they'd lost a customer (yeah I know, they don't care).. I'm in Las Vegas, so ac here is absolutely crucial for about 1/2 of the year. The vast majority of ac here are on the roof rather than on the ground. I'm 74 years old and there is NO way I could go up a ladder to the roof to swap out that capacitor, even though I'd do if my ac was on the ground.

[@dannydaw59]

Can you buy the capacitors at a home improvement store?

[@CynthiaWord-iq7in]

Oh yeah. I'm 72, not tech-y, afraid of electricity...turned off whole house breaker, ha, took off panel. The round bottle was held in a clamp with 3 pole /terminal? With matching color wires, snapped a photo, scrolled through Amazon, they had every size 35, 40,50, identical label . Un-hooked them all rusty. Used no meters. Re-hooked new single capacitator $11, put panel cover back on, turned on house electric, turned a/c to auto, fan started blowing. No loss if it weren't the capacitator--2 jobs I can do on a/c, clean coils, change capacitator.s@@dannydaw59

[@mark98115]

@dannydaw59, probably not. I ordered mine from the internet. It was just under $10. I have a rental houses in Vegas and was taken for over $400 a couple of years ago. This year, another company with whom I have an maintenance contact, told me I soon will be needing a "compressor start assist" something or other. I asked him "do you mean capacitor?". He emailed an estimate for about $340. These people are crooks. At my house it took me 30 minutes from start to finish to replace 2 capacitors and that included additional testing and going in and out of the house to turn on/off circuit breaker an, thermostat multiple times.

[@mhammer5]

Since I am familiar with the basics, capacitor start electric motors I replaced mine on the unit outdoors for $2.50. I had another capacitor fail later on with the blower motor that operates the squirrel-cage. It was winter and we needed the blower to work as I could not buy the capacitor right away. So what I did was take a screw driver and spun the squirrel-cage just enough so it would rev up to operating speed. It only took a gentle push. I then switched the thermostat control to fan so it would continuously run and not stop until I bought the capacitor and fixed it. Of course after it was fixed I switched the fan back to auto.

[@David_Poole]

This is a very common misconception, but a run capacitor doesn't start a PSC motor. The run capacitor is wired in series with L2/N. When the capacitor fails, it breaks the start windings connection to ground. When this happens, only the run winding draws current. The run winding is unable to shift the motor out of phase and spin up. When you flicked it with your hand, you acted as the start winding, allowing the motor to run. I'm an HVAC technician, and I've only met a handful of guys who actually understand it. I'm happy to hear you were able to figure out a way to get you by while you waited for the part to come in.

[@tankthebear]

so YEARs ago - maybe 30 - I had this cap go out on my AC .... I couldn't get an AC tech out right away a friend of mine said he had a guy who just fixed the heat pump on his POOL - and he likely could look at my AC ... SUPER nice guy ... he brought me out there WITH HIM and showed me the cap bulging ... and how to replace them. Charged me 100 bux plus HIS price on the cap ... since then for each house I have had I research the right size cap needed and keep one on hand. Plus I add hard start kits. AND ... I have had to use this TWICE! Within 15 min I was back up and runniing.

[@CP-mj8wd]

I use youtube a lot it has saved me a lot of money, it's videos like this that have worked for me. I've found out you need to watch several different ones just to be safe. You do excellent videos. Thanks

[@fraydnot]

I had a tech tell me mine was bad, then showed me the reading on his scanner. I tested the capacitor after I removed it getting the same results. I watched your other video on checking capacitor, just replaced one. I put in the Titan HD brand made in the USA. Thanks for your time/knowledge.

[@Benefits]

Just had an AC repair guy pull the capacitor scam on my 80 year old mother. The capacitor did actually go out on her unit and the guy replaced it, no big deal. But he charged her $700 for a $20 capacitor and less than 10 minutes of work to swap it out. I was livid when I found out. I happened to be long time friends with the owner of the company the guy worked for, so I called and told him what his employee was doing to people and showed him the proof. I got a call back the next day from the owner telling me I hadn't been the only person complaining of massive overcharging from that guy, and that his employment had been terminated. My mother was also refunded that $700 minus the price of the part itself.

[@choimdachoim9491]

As Handyman for a 24 unit building a tenant told me her HVAC Contractor son told her that a $300 part needed replacing in her unit's A/C and that's why it wasn't working. I went up on the roof with him and noticed that a double-contact switch was bent so only one contact would make contact. I straightened it out and never had another problem with that unit. I realized later that the son had done that because he was out of work and his mommy was helping him out. What I'm about to say doesn't apply to all Contractors but when one of my brothers got his General Contracting License he said to me that basically it was a license to steal. Many Contractors have this attitude. I dealt with 16 Contractors on one job for a couple years and I was disgusted with how little any of them could be trusted to tell the truth or to do their work correctly without oversight.

[@skimanfree1073]

I cringe when I need to hire someone these days. Most turn small jobs into big projects.

[@johnd5398]

what's worse is that people will believe those contractors over you because they are licensed and you're "just a handyman". I've been in multi-family maintenance for 18 years and people still treat me like an idiot because I don't drive a van with a fancy wrap on it.

[@Maria-m4e]

I am having issues with the unit as well. Stopped working. First mechanic said it was the fan motor. Second mechanic says it's the fan motor. HVAC company gives an estimate for $2150 to replace fan motor. We agree with since we are stuck with no working unit. Order the fan motor. Third mechanic comes to install the fan motor. Takes ten minutes on the roof, changes the capacitor and unit is working fine. My boss says, since we paid for the fan motor and new blades, might as well, have then installed it. New mechanic comes in, install the new motor and fan blades. Now unit won't turn on. What's the issue? Mechanic can't figure out. Worked all day on it and now blames on the electricity. Says the problem is electrical. Not only I feel we are being ripped off, they also don't have qualified mechanics. I am here at 4:00 AM watching your videos to solve a problem when I should have a working unit.

[@wisdomsquare28]

WORD of WARNING to those that PLAY those UNETHICAL and THIEVING games! KARMA is a BITCH and doesn't FORGET or FORGIVE! KARMA will RIP you a NEW one for STOOPING low and HURTING others! Best to ALWAYS do right! It will COME home to YOU!

[@richardsmith4187]

You have the best you tube channel regarding AC tips and what to watch out for. You explain in detail and show everything you mention. I just had a friend who had his ac go out a couple of days ago and he called the ac tech. They responded and put in a capacitor at a cost of $ 270.00 !!!!! He does have air now, but wish he would have watched your video and he would have saved a ton of money. Thank you for all your time and effort in making these very helpful videos !!!

[@HowToHomeDIY]

You are very welcome! Yeah that is more than I think they should be charging for something as easy and quick as this. And I know they can do it for less as my own Dad who is a DIYer, for some reason, had the AC company come out instead of trying to test and fix it himself. Luckily they only charged him $125. Which is very fair for a pro to come out and do it. I told him just have a spare cap on hand and next time call me and I will swap it out in 5 minutes. But if it makes your friend feel any better, while I think he overpaid it was not as bad as what it oftentimes is. I would say most people are getting charged $400-$600 for the same job. And I know of cases where it was much more. Thank you very much for your kind words. Really means a lot to me that you are getting so much value out of the channel! So thanks again for leaving that feedback Richard!

[@jayztoob]

As an electrician, I ALWAYS test my tester on a live circuit before testing the equipment. And OL doesn't mean, "open line". It often does mean, "over limit", though.

[@gunsnwater2668]

Cause if it was open the display wouldn't change.

[@vulcan6940]

This just happened this weekend to a friend of mine. Her AC stopped and she called to see if I could test; I was out of town but on my way back. She called a company called A-1 who came out and she calls me again panicked that the tech told her the "electronics" were fried and he was working on the unit. I told her to make sure he left the old parts so I could test. He replaced the capacitor and contact and added a hard start and surge protector and charged her $1600. When I got home I tested the capacitor and contact and both were good. This is so infuriating! Not sure what the next steps are going to be. Great videos and so educational!

[@christianlandry4499]

As an AC tech I hate to admit that there's a LOT of technicians out there that will try to sell you parts just to make money. Personally, I hate how much most companies upcharge on parts. I get that what you're technically paying for isn't the parts but our knowledge as technicians. Companies usually get a discount at supply houses, so say they pay about 5 - 10 bucks for a capacitor. They then turn around and sell it to the customer for $300 - $500. I worked for one company that sold capacitors for as much as $575. As a homeowner, the more you can learn how to check and fix yourself, the better. Having a shop vac and knowing how to test a capacitor will save you from just about 90% of service calls in the state of Florida.

[@iratedu2776]

As an ac tech you should know this video doesn't show anyone how to check a capacitor properly... you test capacitors under load not while the unit is off.

[@christianlandry4499]

@iratedu2776 If that's what you honestly believe then I hope to whatever greater power you might believe in that you don't do this for a living, or that you somehow have capacitor and contactor confused.

[@TobyD43]

Checking a capacitor under load is only one method and is not more accurate than doing it as the video shows. It’s a fact, look it up.

[@jbc1042]

Thank you for your post. It was very helpful. ❤

[@japhethwillmore725]

@@christianlandry4499in what? You absolutely check a capacitor under load using amps, volts and math.

[@steved9746]

This is such an important video for people who are even mildly inclined and able to do their own work. My AC tech came out to do our annual service and told us that our Cap is starting to go bad. $375 to replace it. Since it's still less than 5 years old the warranty covers part of it. So only $195. Ours is a 40/5 +/-6% and it's borderline. Our exact cap is a $15 part on Amazon. I'm more than happy to take care of it myself

[@johng753]

I just called for a company for a HVAC checkup. Technician was here for 15 minutes. He comes in and tells me my capacitor is going bad and will destroy the fan motor unless I replace it. Cost me $550 parts and labor. Wish I had seen your video a week earlier. I hate being ripped off!

[@rwbishop]

More: in addition to taking photos of the old cap wiring, write down which wire goes to what terminal... they might be laid out differently on the new cap. Be sure the connectors fit snug... and write the install date on the new cap with a Sharpie.

[@Mach141]

You could simply include this information in your photo

[@stevenhunt66]

@@Mach141 The point is, you are helping the next person who might be servicing this unit with the info written down on the capacitor. They won't have access to any pictures and even the person who took the pic can lose access to the picture by it being accidentally deleted, or phone lost, etc. Writing it down bypasses all those issues and helps whoever is servicing the unit next.

[@KY4K-10]

That is correct..... help the next guy out.

[@jbc1042]

Thanks for your information, it was very helpful! ❤

[@Mach141]

@@stevenhunt66 Are you for real? When it was installed last is worthless information, it works or it doesnt. If its under warranty then the same company that installed it will be called to fix it, and they have records of when it was last installed. And the wires are already connected before you remove it, so you take a picture EACH time before removal. No old pictures needed. Lmao. Hope that wasnt too mind blowing for you.

[@DeWinter79]

Thank you for this video!!! I followed your steps, and for $16 bucks I fixed my A/C today! Teach me more things! 🎉🎉🎉

[@anthonygiannotti759]

back in the day it was common knowledge that an a/c condenser fan not turning was a sure sign of a bad capacitor . an easy way to check is to take a long thin screwdriver and manually spin the fan in the proper direction and if it runs as always your capacitor is the issue and a easy fix , you can now leave a/c unit on and cool down house but if you shut unit down that condenser fan won't restart without going through the process as noted before. do not remove fan grate so your protected when doing this test . been doing it for years for neighbors with central ,window and refrigerators .saving them from being taken for a ride on a simple service call,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[@user-ty2uz4gb7v]

The hero we need 🫡

[@MichaelAlderson-f2f]

Digital multimeters are the cats meow compared to what I 1st calibrated as an Air Force 324X0 starting in 1969. But "God" tools they are not. The Klein MM400 is spec's at 3% +5 counts in the range of 400 nf (nanofarads) to 40 uf (microfarads). The total capacitance range is 40 nf to 200 uf so the accuracy at 70 uf is...unspecified. What this means to the user is that a capacitor spec's at 6% can show out of spec's when it's good and in spec's when it's in fact out. PMEL guys are anal about test equipment spec's cause...

[@knagl]

A number of years ago our A/C wouldn't work and just made a loud buzzing sound. Of course it was hot outside and we needed it fixed ASAP. Most local supply houses wouldn't sell to a DIYer, but my local Grainger store had what I needed and didn't have a problem with me buying it. I replaced the capacitor and we were back in cool business! I ordered a spare from Amazon and have it standing by if there's a next time.

[@miltonthecat2240]

Interesting video, thank you. When removing screws, I sometimes stick them to a small magnet that I stick to a metal part nearby. When removing screws that won't be reassembled right away, I like to put the screws back into their holes and tighten them enough so they don't wander away, even though this takes a bit of extra time. For the electrical measurements shown: 1) I like to measure large capacitors with a voltmeter in addition to discharging them, because sometimes the voltage creeps back up after discharging, and sometimes a seemingly conductive metal surface isn't actually very conductive, due to the use of certain plating methods, or just due to oxidation or surface contamination; 2) When making measurements with a meter, I usually make at least two measurements, one with the leads reversed - if the measurements don't match, this is a clue that an assumption being made isn't valid (as far as why two measurements wouldn't match, the devil is in the details, but it's a strong hint to stop until you figure it out); 3) The measurement method used in many handheld multimeters to measure capacitance is a bit of a kludge, to take advantage of the existing meter circuitry, which allows the feature of measuring capacitance to be added with minimal additional cost to the meter manufacturer. Because of this, the potential meter error of the capacitance measurement can be unexpectedly large, and needs to be added into the capacitor tolerance when determining whether the capacitor is withing tolerance. Also, because of the measurement method used, reversing the leads and remeasuring is particularly important.

[@thomaswarford2920]

If it's a run cap it will already be discharged through the motor windings, unless they are open. Start caps should always have a bleed resistor, but I look for voltage anyway, because resistors do sometimes go open.

[@larrydubill]

Perfect! Thanks so much. My fan stopped spinning, so I cleaned the fins, I replaced the flux capacitor, works great! Best $20 I ever spent. Saved hundreds! Thank you so much!

[@joeholland9593]

Since you put in a flux capacitor does it now travel through time when you go over 88 mph?

[@kevinc8811]

I’m an HVAC contractor in Florida with 47 years of experience, and have to say you did a great job explaining everything in this video. There’s more than a few KZbin videos on the subject that proclaim you can do the job for as little as $10 to $25, and it’s true those cheap ones will work but you get what you pay for. We only use parts made in the USA when available because they’re worth the extra price paid for a longer service life. Thank you for mentioning there is a difference in quality. The AmRad shown in the video is an excellent brand. Titan and Trade Pro also make American made capacitors but people should be aware some of the capacitors sold online under those brand names could be foreign knockoffs. Read the description and/or zoom in on the photo to see where it’s made if you’re looking for a better quality capacitor.

[@MrLouisianaHayride]

Been in the AC biz for many years and let me let everyone in on a little secret. In order to stay in business most companies have to charge a minimum. It varies depending on where you live. So, you're not paying $300-400 for the part. You're paying the minimum a company can afford to run a call for and still pay the bills. Its astronomically expensive to be in business. And those costs get passed along to the customer. The required insurances alone for most companies are thousands of dollars a month for instance. That's why you see established credible companies bill that much for even simple repairs. That's not saying there are not shady people out there. There certainly are, everyone has probably experienced it. Some car mechanics come to mind. Educate yourself and be smart but also understand the realities of what it takes to run a profitable business in 2024.

[@HowToHomeDIY]

Then explain how one company can charge $150-200 and so many others charge $400- 1500 plus? There is too much disparity in the pricing

[@MrLouisianaHayride]

@@HowToHomeDIY Pretty simple. Small one man operations have practically no overhead vs larger companies. One company has a fleet of trucks, a full crew of techs, office space to rent ect. The fellow who can afford the $150 charge likely works form a home office. Speaking in general terms here. There are always outliers.

[@HowToHomeDIY]

I mean the company I have a service contract with is a larger operation with numerous service trucks and techs and they charged my dad $125 to change his capacitor. So I don’t know.

[@MrLouisianaHayride]

@@HowToHomeDIY Then you dad got a fantastic deal! I can only speak to my own experience. Only point I'm trying to make is that just because a bill might seem large you can't automatically assume your being cheated, Try calling Trane for instance. I had to use them for a unit on a commercial site that has Trane OEM controls that only they can work on due to OEM software. The fee just to have them show and troubleshoot was just shy of $1000 and that was pre pandemic. Would not be surprised if it was more now. Yes, I understand we are talking residential here not commercial. But Trane has huge overhead and pay techs better than anyone in the biz. Massive overhead = high price. Anyway, I appreciate what you do on your channel. Just providing a perspective from the other side of the equation is all. Keep up the good work!

[@jehuslay5238]

@@MrLouisianaHayride No sense in trying to explain the "other" side! It's a ripoff plain and simple. It's like trying to explain why CEO's make a trillion dollars...

[@Jim-DCE]

Is this kind of an UPDATE VIDEO from the last one, which also discussed the capacitor and not getting scammed. Very helpful video as it saved me a couple hundred when we moved in and had our AC checked. I've used your videos to help me install quite a few things in my home - thank you.

[@bigpebble]

Good video. One tip I'd add is to get your HVAC model number and go to a site like RepairClinc and buy a Capacitor and Fan Motor to have when needed. It'll save you money when they go out and the repair tech want to charge you outrageous amounts for generic parts instead OEM parts for less $$ (OEM Capacitor $20-25, vs $80-90, OEM Fan Motor $200-250 vs $450-600). Capacitors are easy to change, but getting the fan off of the motor can be a pain. Some companies won't use your parts (they want your $$), but better ones will and maybe have you notate that they used your parts.

[@phillipmeeks2391]

You have to watch HVAC companies. Not all will cheat you but a lot will. I'm a disabled HVACR technician with 40+ years experience. Companies have a lot of overhead. They have to pay for gas for the truck, insurance, technician's pay, tech's insurance, and other costs that the consumer is unaware of. They also have to have a business license for EVERY town and county they do work in. That's why repair costs are so high. Everything the video tells you is correct on checking a capacitor. There is one thing that a digital volt meter can't tell you is whether the capacitor is leaking between the plates at high voltage. I have had some test ok with the digital meter but I still had to replace them when tested on my 'old' 110 volt analyzer that I've had for years. I don't believe they make them anymore but it will test one under 110 volts of power and a load vs. 9 volts or less on the digitals battery. It has been invaluable to me in my career. If however, a digital tells you it's bad, then it's bad (if tested with the wires disconnected).

[@thecuss6817]

Decades ago, the tech broke my fuse disconnect holder, I was on the roof with him and saw this happen. I asked if he was going to take care of that and he replied "sure". I went to work and after work climbed on the roof and found he had "jumped" the fuse box to make it operational, with no fuses for safety. I called that company's owner and said if this wasn't fixed right at no charge the next day that this would be all over the TV news, and they fixed it.

[@thecuss6817]

SCAM attempt !!! My mom had a "free" home AC inspection done, and the "tech" tried to sell her a replacement system since hers "was 11 years old so beyond its normal life", and she said no. Within a couple of hours her house was hot and her vents were essentially pushing no air. I went over there, she said the "tech" had been on the roof taking off the AC cover, and I did similar and saw the evaporator coils were covered with a huge block of ice. I told her this was no coincidence, that the "tech" either accidentally or on purpose disconnected something, made her call them and the AC was fixed for free the next day.

[@archieosco3176]

In some rare instances, the cap can check good just sitting there, but not work properly in use. I wouldn't recommend someone unfamiliar with electrical work try it, but you can measure the amperage with wrap around ammeter and then check the voltage from the common to HERM. MFD = amps x 2652/voltage. I would do this if the capacitor checks good on the bench, but fan or condenser still behaves as if capacitor is bad. There are some good KZbin videos that show you how.

[@HowToHomeDIY]

@mr.fiero87 😂 yes it is.

[@HowToHomeDIY]

Completely unnecessary. The MFD levels are based on it NOT being under load. It should also be tested that way.

[@mr.fiero87]

Eww dude , I was a frequent watcher of your content .I criticize you and you act like a child . Unsubscribed.ill like this one too ,lol

[@HowToHomeDIY]

Yeah you’re right it was kinda petty. Like away!

[@archieosco3176]

@@HowToHomeDIY I was referring to a defective capacitor that shorts out under full voltage vs. the relatively low voltage a multimeter supplies to measure capacitance. Again, I would only check it under load if it measured good, but the fan or condenser unit would not run, but was getting power.

[@kd1366]

I have experience that my hvac contractor charge me for capacitor for $ 284.38 .i know on that week temp was 100 degrees. I paid money to him .we all family members with him. We all decided not to renew contract with him.Thank for video.

[@johnleo2668]

This will save people money as long as they know what they're doing, which this video shows you how to do it. You're a gentleman.

[@Bryan-Hensley]

Yeah, the meter costs more than a service call.

[@HowToHomeDIY]

@Bryan-Hensley you’re being an HVAC guy and saying things that can be true but don’t usually play out that that way. The meter I used in the video is $80-90. Service calls alone are either that much or more. That’s just for the service call. But then if you replace it, it’s much more money. And for that $80-90 I have an asset for the future when I need to check it for this or any other electrical projects. Where when I call someone out I’m basically just burning that money and hoping I got an honest AC tech. Because I had this meter and know how to use it, I saved myself from having my capacitor changed unnecessarily.

[@HowToHomeDIY]

@johnleo2668 really glad to hear you liked it! Thanks a lot for the feedback John!

[@anthonymiller4451]

​@Bryan-Hensley lol what? That might be true if you get a nice fluke, but besides that... where you get your meters? I'll sell you some used( and tested within the last year) ones for... cheap?, apparently lol?. Fluke, Klein, ideal , commercial electric. W.e. you'd like lol Edit. Shit I'll sell some new ones too lol.

[@Durwood71]

@@Bryan-Hensley You can buy a decent digital multimeter for $50.

[@TheKingOfInappropriateComments]

I've done a couple of these at my last house a long while back. Then a couple years ago it needed to be done here but I didn't test it. The AC crook charged me $500 for a new capacitor but most of that was due to the fact that he was the only AC repairman in town and he was well aware of it. It used to be that I had to go to the supply house a ways away to get a replacement but now they seem to sell them at HD and AMZ of course. Thanks, I saved this vid for the next time.

[@be_reel]

Yes, the service tech told my ex-wife that it needed to be replaced and quoted $500. I went to Grainger got the replacement for less than $15, needless to say I started using another company for our tune-ups.

[@gregmgm06]

This is so helpful....great video! My wife and I just purchased a new house, so im bookmarking your video for obvious reasons.

[@HowToHomeDIY]

That's is awesome! Congrats to you both on the new home! Really glad to hear you liked. Thanks a ton for the feedback Greg! Enjoy getting settled in.

[@Michaelebills]

Every year in the beginning of the summer... I take my outside unit covers off... clean and wash out the evaporator coils... oil evaporator fan motor... and replace the start run capacitor (a $15 part off Amazon) even when it is not. By replacing the capacitor and cleaning the coils, you put less stress on the compressor. I have the cheapest AC unit that the builder installed in my house, and it is still running 22 yeas still!

[@dariusgoodman2295]

Man you're awesome! I saw your video on cleaning the coils too and I did that as well as replaced the capacitor and this was perfect! I appreciate you for showing these skills, summers not so bad anymore lol

[@thisisyourcaptainspeaking2259]

I stopped here to say make sure the spade terminals are clean and tight because if not, the terminals will burn up and the compressor or fan will fail to start and run. Also, keep a spare capacitor of the correct values on hand, they typically fail between 3~5 years, better capacitors last longer but failure is pretty common.

[@thomaswarford2920]

I don't know why everyone wants to call those spade connectors. They are faston connectors. Spade connectors are the fork looking ones. Even on google you will find some faston connectors mislabeled, but go to the definitions and you will see.

[@thisisyourcaptainspeaking2259]

@@thomaswarford2920 I've always referred to the types as ring, fork and spade. Maybe we can agree on ring. I'll remember faston receptacle and faston tab if someone ever uses that terminology. I see they're available in "high temp" as well. Is this because FASTON is a trademarked name?

[@thisisyourcaptainspeaking2259]

@@thomaswarford2920 Is FASTON a trademarked name?

[@michaellee6868]

Thanks for the video. This may be obvious to most, but let me point out to beginners that you have to correctly select AC or DC on the multimeter. Most will not warn of dangerous AC voltages in DC mode, and vice-versa.

[@michaelhale2594]

I wish I had seen this video before my HVAC service provider told me during a routine check-up that I should have hard start capacitors (secondary capacitors) installed on each of my two AC units. He said one of my units was pulling 280 Amps during start-up so was at risk of imminent failure, and, if it failed, would likely require replacing the entire unit. Another HVAC technician later said their company recommends installing hard start capacitors on all HVAC units once they have been in service for 5 years. Not knowing any better, I agreed, and was given a $1,000+ bill for what took less than 30 minutes of effort. As you point out in this video, the two replacement capacitors actually costs less than $25 each.

[@thomaswarford2920]

I'm not sure what number you should be expecting but compressors do have very high inrush amps. The compressor label will have run amps and locked rotor amps.

[@a.h.s.1441]

Thank you for the video. Your instructions worked! With the help of my Fluke 325 multi-meter and a new $19.23 MARS (Made in the U.S.A.) 45/5 440v Capacitor my A/C is back up and running. I appreciate you! That was too easy.

[@areizman]

Following my annual 'inspection' my service tech tried to sell me a new cap and relay for my AC. Said the relay was making a noise and that usually means the capacitor is failing. Said I could replace both for $450. Such a deal. Since my ac was running fine I declined. After he left I turned it back on and listened for the 'noise'. Sounded normal to me. Now that I've seen this video I'm confident I can fix this myself if it ever fails.

[@SuperS05]

1:11 you should check continuity of your probes before checking for voltage. It's an important safety check especially if you haven't used the meter extremely recently. When confirming power off, I'll check continuity before AND after confirming no power.

[@thomaswarford2920]

What you are actually supposed to do is check your meter on known power source, use your meter to check what you are trying to confirm has zero voltage and if it does, check the meter on the known source again. Of course OSHA rules are optional at home, but this one makes sense.

[@38Maelstorm]

If you test hot to hot and it reads less than 1 volt AC, there is no reason to test between each hot and ground. To get 240V, each hot is 120V which are 180° out of phase with each other. So if one hot is dead, it will still read 120V. Then you check each one to ground to find out which one it is. But hey, if you want to be extra careful and in the name of extreme safety, by all means. Extra checks won't hurt. As for discharging the capacitor the way that you are doing it is wrong. Granted, the capacitor is low value, but the current pulse can damage it when you short the terminals. The proper way to discharge a cap is to connect 1K ohm resistor between the terminals and let it sit for a for a minute or two. For those that don't know, capacitors are energy storage devices. They store energy in an electric field between two plates. Because of this, caps will not pass DC, but will pass AC. If you have a multi-meter without a cap tester, then you use use RC charge and discharge to determine the value, or use a signal generator to measure the voltage across the cap and measure the current through it. Capacitors are reactive components meaning that the resistance to AC (impedance) depends on frequency according to the formula 1 / (2 * pi * F * C). I was trained in electrical and electronics almost 40 years ago then I earned my engineering degree.

[@thomaswarford2920]

If one leg is open (it happens) you may very well show no voltage and have one leg still 120V. When testing for personal safety one should always check each legs to ground. What you said will almost always be true, but that one time can get you. Been both an industrial maintenance electrician and a stationeer for a very long time. You'd be amazed at what happens that shouldn't be able to. Be even more careful if on a ladder or a roff. A shock that would have been merely unpleasant can cause you to fall off and die.

[@stevengabalis4986]

@@thomaswarford2920 Yep, check leg to leg, then one leg to ground, then other leg to ground. Takes less than six seconds. Takes longer to get your meter out of the case than to check voltage all 3 ways.

[@Harry1s]

Hvac tech here - a couple things worth noting when testing/changing a capacitor - They normally come in 370 or 440 VAC. The rule of thumb is this - You can always go higher but never go lower. Meaning that if it is a 440 VAC capacitor never use a 370 VAC, but you can use a 440 on a 370 VAC replacement. The last thing is that if you change a older cap and the fluid is leaking out make sure you wash your hands real good.

[@SixTwoHemi]

So please tell me where you can pull 370v or 440v on a single phase panel that generates 208/250v😵‍💫

[@jimmyaber5920]

​@SixTwoHemi fudge factor for voltage spikes that can occur from line or when contactor opens. There are lots of power board circuits on LED TVs and other appliances where the caps fail and the fix is new caps with same capacitance but higher voltage. The higher V caps are usually a wee bit bigger.

[@Harry1s]

@@SixTwoHemi the 370 and 440V rating doesn't have anything to do with the incoming power of the unit. It's only the power the capacitor provides.

[@MacGyverS2000]

@Harry1s @SixTwoHemi @jimmyaber5920 Capacitors are rated for a specific working voltage... anything over this will stress the cap, and go too high and the energy will arc between two plates (reducing the capacitance for sure, and possibly shorting the cap to boot). Assuming a 240VAC system (most home systems), the peak voltage seen is ~340V (though this can go a bit higher if your local distribution system isn't properly cared for). A 370V cap is adequate for such a setup, regardless of what was in there before (e.g., a 440V cap). Inserting a higher-voltage cap doesn't really gain you anything other than piece of mind (and for smaller caps, like on a PCB, it will gain you a net increase in cap size, a jimmy pointed out... this is due to increased distance between plates to prevent arcing at the higher voltage). For PCBs, a higher-voltage cap is often used because the repairman either can't find a lower-voltage version anymore or that's what they have in their stockbox... once in a rare while a design can benefit from a higher-voltage cap because the original designer didn't provide enough margin, but most of the DIYers online do it because "all of the videos say to do it" (a wive's tale that won't die). Voltage spikes due to motor coil inductance are an entirely different story, but you're fine with the 370V caps... Electrical engineer here (hardware design engineer)...

[@DavidSimmerman-s8d]

@@SixTwoHemi The 370 or 440 is the back EMF (electromagnetic field) that the compressor and fan motor can generate. Keep in mind that every motor requires voltage to function, but they also generate voltage by the rotor spinning in the stator which creates a magnetic field The starter winding on the compressor and fan requires but can only handle a certain amount of voltage without damaging the wires.

[@elangomattab]

I didn't give any HVAC professional a chance to try to scam me a few weeks ago when my condenser fan wouldn't come on. Watched a few videos on KZbin and then checked the capacitor. Mine was obviously failed since the top was building badly. Got a new one, hooked it up, and it's working again. I did find out that my multimeter doesn't have the right mode to test the capacitor though. 🙁

[@stevencole7331]

Most of the basic multimeters don't do farads

[@General-Eclectic]

That Klein meter he's using is pretty nice. Not Fluke level, but much better than the junk you'd buy on Amazon.

[@Matthew.Morycinski]

Most caps fail either open or short. You could just use a continuity tester. If it beeps continuously, it's short. If it never beeps, it's open. If it beeps for a time then stops, it's OK (the higher the capacitance the longer the beep - you could see how long on a known good replacement.)

[@redbaron6805]

@@stevencole7331 You can get a Fluke 101 which is like $44 which tests capacitors also.

[@tookeno]

I repaired my A/C unit today following your video guidance. Thank You. Cost me a little over $23 dollars.

[@philosothink]

25yr hvac experience here. I've had exactly one capacitor that held charge after being disconnected from power. That's one out of several thousand capacitors. It hit about as hard as you'd expect out of 240v. I found it so incredulous I touched it for a second shock. It was still holding nearly 140v after socond shock. I did not check it with my fingers a 3rd shock. If a used capacitor wobbles when sat upon a flat surface it's swollen and will be out of spec.

[@TheGhettoLobster]

Ive only seen it a few times in 10 years and the only reason they held a charge because either a wire broke or a winding was damaged, hence, it wasn't able to discharge. If your capacitor can't discharge that is a clue that there is a bigger issue in my experience.

[@philosothink]

@@TheGhettoLobster this cap would shock you, uninstalled, in your hand. I could walk up to you, and poke you with it and it'd shock you!

[@tonym6920]

Great vid, thanks. I knew most of that already but it’s nice to go over it again just to refresh my memory. I think most HVAC technicians know how to test a capacitor, but with the shortage of workers these days, anything goes. 👍👍

[@starhopper457]

We were taught in RV school to use the multimeter to discharge the capacitor. Set on max VAC and use your probes.

[@amiatroll6347]

Even if the meter is designed to withstand the short, why risk it when a screwdriver will do the job without putting your electronics at risk?

[@sprockkets]

​@@amiatroll6347Because 1. A multimeter has to have high resistance to correctly measure voltage and 2. It's a non issue to begin with - the windings in the motor discharge it already. I've never found a cap with a charge on it in the field. 😅

[@amiatroll6347]

@@sprockkets I agree it's rare, I just don't see the point in insisting it be discharged with the meter. Maybe I am dumb :D

[@starhopper457]

@@amiatroll6347 My CL900 tops at 1000VAC. Even if charged, that cap might be in the low 400's. This is what we learned just in case there are sparks.

[@starhopper457]

@@sprockkets Me neither, but was just relaying what we were taught when dealing with RV A/Cs.

[@TobyCostaRica]

Always have a capacitor on hand. I bought one after seeing how quickly it’s done from my $500 service call last year. Saved me today. It’s 106 degrees and took me 20 mins.

[@enigmawyoming5201]

I own an appliance repair company. I also just bought a second home in Aspen, Colorado. Thanks to you, I’ll probably have to sell that second home before ski season next year.

[@diegomontoya796]

Just air b and b it. Maybe you can use it between 9 to 2:30 monday or thursday the week after next.

[@myfakeguuglaccount8307]

😂

[@enigmawyoming5201]

@@diegomontoya796 Great idea!! I will set my property up as an Air bnb, then rent it to myself for lengthy periods I want to be there, at $10/day.. and sell it with the reservation that all Air bnb reservations are in contract. Brilliant!!!

[@enigmawyoming5201]

@@davidh.8513 realistically.. I want to say I’m a sarcastic humorist and not everybody gets it..

[@enigmawyoming5201]

@@diegomontoya796 Excellent idea! I’ll just rent it out to myself!

[@qapla]

Good video and explanations. One addition would have been to also show/explain how to test the capacitor with the Ohm setting on the multimeter since everyone does not have a multimeter that reads MFD's.

[@AndyFletcherX31]

Inverter aircon systems control the motor speed electronically and don't normally have motor capacitors. They are also more power efficient so if you have an old aircon it may be worth replacing it an inverter unit to save money on power. When I was working in the Middle East the outdoor unit capacitors seemed to fail after about 3 years so I got into the habit during the annual maintenance/cleaning of giving the maintenance guy $20 and getting him to change the capacitors every two years. Saved on callouts and I had the most reliable aircon in the compound. Didn't help that they always installed the units on the flat roof without a sunshade - I'm sure it reduced the efficiency by a third!

[@Robnord1]

You want some sticker shock? Just look at the prices of those fancy high efficiency furnace variable speed motors. It makes changing caps and/or conventional motors look cheap.

[@AndyFletcherX31]

@@Robnord1 over in Europe almost all A/C and all heat pumps are variable speed. Sounds like the US is behind the curve on all this sort of stuff.

[@scottsluggosrule4670]

Old AC tech told me tune ups are a racket....He said corrosion causes leads to have higher resistance and causes the most problems. Just turn off the power..remove every wire / connector you can get to and clean the contact area. Also clean out debris and clean coils. Been doing that every spring and my 27 year old unit is still going strong.

[@Jzzonem]

Corrosion is usually caused by a loose connection more than anything else like environment so instead of cleaning them, they should be replaced if corroded. Waste of time to "clean" them every spring" because of corrosion. Just my two cents.

[@scottsluggosrule4670]

@@BlondieHappyGuy I have never seen severe corrosion..just minor..a little emery cloth then contact spray and reconnect. I am sure folks in more severe climates such as near the ocean could get some severe corrosion.

[@jackspencer8290]

You know, I've seen this same idea posited on other YT channels, and I have to say that - with the exception of an actual scam, where they are telling you to replace a part that is not bad - it is not unreasonable to be charged several hundred dollars for this fix. Let's assume that this part being worn out really is the problem. Well, opening up your A/C unit and diagnosing that problem is part of what you're paying for. The labor involved is part of what you're paying for. The part is part of what you're paying for (and yes, it's an inexpensive part). Another thing you're paying for is making sure it's done right, and hopefully checking out the whole unit (Is your freon full? Is your insulation in good shape? Connections?). Pointing out that this part is inexpensive reminds me of when I was in junior high, and kids started realizing that "the store" pays a lot less for merchandise than what they sell things for at the register, and then railing about it. Yes, they do indeed. And they have overhead, and employees, and this, and that, and the other thing. As I said - if you're being scammed, that's another matter, and another conversation. But if the part is actually worn out - and it DOES wear out - then there is nothing outrageous about paying a pro some good bread to replace it. It's how it works.

[@HowToHomeDIY]

I am assuming you are an HVAC tech yourself?

[@jackspencer8290]

@@HowToHomeDIY No, I'm not. I'm just a homeowner, and a relatively serious DIYer who has done all sorts of projects in a lot of disciplines. Last summer I had this exact fix (replacement of the AC capacitor) done by a pro HVAC guy on my 30 year old unit. I paid about 400 bucks for the service, and I don't regret it. In my case, this guy was the fourth HVAC guy to come through my house, and the only one to - I felt, and still feel - shoot straight with me. One tried to sell me a furnace/AC based on a lie, another tried to sell me a furnace/AC based on a different lie. The furnace and AC were original to the house, and when the AC went out in the middle of last summer, if he would've said I need to replace the AC unit, I would've believed him. Instead, he showed me the capacitor, which had the telltale domed top, and said it was all that was needed. He checked the freon. As I said, this is a 30 year old unit, and uses the old type of freon that is now banned, and expensive to get. He said the freon is full. He felt that the unit would last a few more years, probably. I know there is no guarantee of that. For this he charged me about 400. Now you might say, don't put 400 bucks into this old thing. Put that 400 bucks into a new unit. But for me, it's about understanding what is what, and I might get an estimate from two different HVAC guys that have a difference of a $1000 or more. After multiple HVAC b.s.-ers, it was a relief to feel like at least I know what is going on, and yes, $400 is a gamble, but it's one I was willing to take. As a DIYer, there are certain things I think you have to be careful about. I'm not saying a DIYer shouldn't swap out a capacitor - it's clearly easy to do, as you have shown. It's the DIAGNOSING that is the issue, and getting the overall picture of what the status of the unit is. Putting all this stuff on a DIYers todo list - basically doing a diagnosis and clean & check of an AC unit - sorry, but I think it's outside of what's reasonable for most DIYers. $400 for a health check, expert opinion, and part replacement for an AC unit is expensive, but not unreasonable, in my opinion. The ONLY question is this: Is the person providing that service trustworthy.

[@MKrushna_01]

Thank You So much for the Video. Was able to change the AC capacitor without any issues. Was initially going to call a technician . Was just doing a casual KZbin search and came across your video. You explained very nicely Thank you so much 👍👍

[@P.Galore]

I was quoted $450 labor plus part to replace the capacitor. I replaced it myself for $25; turns out the one I replaced was just fine - the unit had tripped a circuit breaker.

[@stownplayer]

yep there are so many people getting screwed on this. I replaced mine for 20 bucks.. and got two for 20 so i have an extra. The only issue i came across was the new capacitor was a more slim design and would not fit in the original bracket holder. So i just gave the new cap about 8-10 wraps with some Gorilla tape to thicken up the middle. Then i was able to secure it with the original bracket.

[@rwbishop]

Caps are really failure prone... usually going bad at the first heat wave of the season. They're like a $20 item... I replace mine as preventive maintenance every 2 years no matter what, and keep a spare. Even have a repeating calendar event set up as a reminder. Life's too short for baking a few days over a bad cap, and paying $100 or more for one off some HVAC guy. I also keep a spare contactor... they fail now & again as well. Also a low dollar item.

[@wightboy12345]

As an HVAC guy, a good chunk of my summer service calls are just walking up and replacing capacitors. I’ve had them fail inside a month from a factory new condenser. It’s a good thing they’re a cheap part.

[@sunshine3914]

Dang boys, my unit’s 33 yrs old & only two service calls; one was freon & the other was a tripped breaker. Upper 90s - 114°F is common… already hit 100° 2x this year.

[@wightboy12345]

@@sunshine3914 Why did you have a Freon call? Leaking valve?

[@toddshook1765]

Thank you for showing us this. Great info. I always take pictures. I once rebuilt a 2 barrel carb and took pictures every step of process. Help me put back.

[@ElvenGoddess86]

I had a company do the annual check. They told me I needed a new capacitor. I asked them "you mean the one that your company replaced 2 years ago?" ...he backed up a bit after seeing that in my file.

[@HowToHomeDIY]

🤣 Weird how that happens huh? Thanks a lot for leaving that experience!

[@AaronPaluzzi]

Possible new video for you. My AC died this summer. Turns out it was a blocked drain that killed it (attic mounted unico). While inspecting my compressor the tech told me the fan was showing signs it needed to be replaced, that the bearings were leaking lubricant. He gave me a nearly $2,000 quote. Now I maintain my compressor thanks to your channel (replaced the cap, cleaned the coils, etc) and know the fan is only a few wires, bolts, and a swappable part. The new part is $350. However, electric motors are maintainable. Is there a good reason not to strip this in the off season and just replace the bearings? The repair should cost at most $20 for two good quality bearings.

[@Mark-c4u9g]

Wow! Just this morning my neighbor was knocking on my door saying that his outside compressor unit was not running. I said 90% it's the run cap, let's go look. Opened it up and saw the tell tale, ever so slight, bulge on the top of the cap. Felt the bottom of the can, slight bulge there too! I said 99% it's the cap, let's take it out and test it. Set it on the bench and it's not sitting flat, wobbling around. Both "fan" and "herm" measure about 2 nF. Now I'm 100% sure. Quick online search and found a replacement in stock locally - took the first one we found to get him running so not particular about the mfgr. Unit is now running for a cost of $24. And he let me drive his new Tesla Y to the electrical supply store. So a fun time was had by all!

[@johnwest7993]

A capacitor is essentially 2 large-surface plates that are close together but don't touch. Trying to measure its DC continuity (resistance) is useless since the plates don't touch. In fact, if you do get DC continuity, it's bad. The plates are touching. In practice there is a thin insulator (dielectric) between the plates that keeps them from touching, and the plates themselves are made of metal foil. Everything is rolled up into a jelly-roll shaped cylinder in that metal can. The way to test a capacitor is with a capacitance meter or a multi-meter with a capacitance measuring range, as the tester sends an alternating, (+/-/+/-) voltage between the plates and measures the interaction.

[@pjackson8322]

AC Contractor here: This is going to be a fair and honest but lengthy response to your video. As a start, this video is focused to homeowners. As a huge warning for any homeowner, if you aren't 100% fully aware of what you are doing, DO NOT ATTEMPT!! Pros: First pulling the disconnect and leaving it on top of the box, good practice. I do like how you explained how to check for live voltage and short a capacitor after power is off. Testing the capacitor is correct with no load but the true way to test it is with a load on it. I have personally tested capacitors that test fine without a load and then test far below its tolerance under a load. I can't, in good conscience, recommend this for anyone other than a professional that has been trained on how to do that, as it is very dangerous if you don't know what your are doing, so I won't explain how. Taking pictures before any wire is removed is an excellent practice and I teach that to my guys on everything we do. Its good record keeping and is a good backup for out of the ordinary wiring. Cons: When taking off the band for the contactor you have to be very careful to not touch the side wires of the contactor while you are touching any other metal. In your case those connectors had plastic covers on them which saved you from shorting out the low voltage side. Plastic covers on those connectors are much less common than just a open metal connector which most people have. If the homeowners shorts out the low voltage and doesn't know how to trace that down and replace the fuse if that's all that popped, then its a service call. If they blow something, its another repair. Also, in my experience most people don't have meters so that would be a tool they would have to buy to start this repair. Notes: 1. If I found out that my tech tested a capacitor like that and showed you that, they would be fired on the spot. We train how to test properly and don't believe in just selling parts to make a buck. There are bad companies out there, but there are good honest ones too. If you don't have a good feeling about the explanation or the vibe you are getting from the tech, its ok to call another company to go out. Trust me, if you feel like you're getting scammed it's 100% worth it to spend another dispatch fee to have another company confirm it or suggest the right repair. 2. USA made capacitors are much better quality capacitors and usually come with a 5 year warranty. They do cost more but your get what you pay for. 3. The price for a repair may seem high when you just look at the cost of the part. But what almost everyone doesn't look at is the cost for company to have a qualified tech out there to repair the capacitor correctly without causing injury to the homeowner trying to do it themselves or break something else that is much more expensive by not wiring the capacitor correctly. *One caveat is there is a price that is too high and anything over $300 for this repair is too high. Below that will vary from company to company. 4. Also why a qualified tech is also important is sometimes, although thankfully uncommon, a previous repair person will put the wrong capacitor on as a temporary fix or not wire it right all. So I can speak for my company, every time we double check the specs of the unit to make sure we put on the correct capacitor and don't just trust what's currently on there. 5. The cap on your unit looked new and is different than the dead one you tested that looked older with a rusty fan terminal (which is also the same one in your hand at the beginning of your video). You can also tell the difference by which the old one had a sticker below the label and the label was slightly different from the new one. Its a little suspicious personally, and in just my opinion, I think what could have happened is you could have had a tech go out find that dead capacitor, replace it with a new one, and you didn't like the price and made a story and a video about it. I could be wrong but that's opinion. Anyway. There's some good things and some things that will cause a service call in this video. This is why I said at the start, if your aren't 100% sure you know what you're doing, leave it to the pros.

[@MaverickFischer]

He made it look easy, but I wouldn't attempt this myself. Thank you for bringing good sense to this video!

[@Avalanche_Ride_92]

I am going to leave it to the pros I am not a expert in this field at all I just learned to put up a ceiling fans and replace the outlets 2 years ago in a row and I don't want to mess with a capacitor at all

[@Avalanche_Ride_92]

Ours went out Friday night and we went ahead and shut it down and waited on a guy to call us back Monday morning and it's been hot here inside the house but you go outside it's cool out there even the sun is out and it's hot outside

[@Dwnsowth]

Sorry, but I don't believe you. The capacitor is good if the uf reading is proper wether it's in the circuit or not. O.l. reading on the meter means you're not on the right scale. And you're reason for overcharging is ridiculous

[@Robnord1]

@@Dwnsowth Sorry Jerry. Everything you just stated is completely false. 'Lectricity has been my thing for many years. Good luck in your DIY electrical endeavors.

[@BurrPulch]

My furnace motor stopped working. The first thing I did was test the capacitor with a voltmeter that can also measure capacitance. The capacitor was bad. I replaced it myself, and the furnace has been working fine since for years. The price of a Fluke or any brand multimeter that can measure capacitance is a lot cheaper than a service call. Even if you find the capacitor is good and the motor has died, you'll still likely find the multimeter to be useful at other times.

[@TimDyb]

Before it got hot, I checked my ac capacitor and it was right on the edge of tolerance. Replaced it with a "MADE IN USA" cap and all is good!

[@globalthesource2756]

Thank you for supporting our AmRad products!

[@calvinbarnes7664]

Good job explaining that😂 I have a carrier two and a half ton unit

[@RC-nq7mg]

You can leave the common conneted. you only need to isolate one leg of each capacitor segment from the circuit.

[@diyhvacguy]

Very informative. Thanks bro! 👊🏼

[@HowToHomeDIY]

Appreciate it bro!

[@charlespeck886]

I fixed one years ago by checking uf and determining the part was bad, replaced with new USA Cap and all worked fine! Cap was about $35.

[@HowToHomeDIY]

Yup. Easy Peasy! Glad you were able to get it back up and running! Thanks for the feedback!

[@myfakeguuglaccount8307]

When my first one went out, I wanted to be sure even though I had researched my symptoms. The A/C guy wanted $350. I said "Dude, you're out here, so I'm willing to pay you $150, but you know that's a $20 part, and it'll take you five more minutes to install it." He held firm, so I over-nighted one from Amazon. $30.

[@sprockkets]

Caps are gravy train for a/c techs. It helps balance out the times they have to spend hours figuring out a problem and they don't charge extra for it.

[@Bryan-Hensley]

Did you diagnose why it failed? There's a couple of things that can kill the compressor. Low Freon will cause a capacitor to fail because low Freon will overheat your compressor, for one example..

[@Bryan-Hensley]

​@@sprockketsnot really unless the reason it failed is obvious. They seldom fail for no reason.

[@Mach141]

@@Bryan-Hensley ive had two fail for no reason, in 5 years, other than they are cheaply made garbage, like everything else these days

[@Bryan-Hensley]

@@Mach141 if you use the kind that has the solder looking spot on top (like in this video), they are junk.

[@boboharperoldbobostillhere7588]

Had a 26-year-old A/C unit that died, breaker would trip every time compressor tried to turn on. Looked for troubleshooting tips online and found info that the capacitor might be bad. Luckily, I already had a DMM with capacitance setting (a lot don't have it), pulled the cap out, measured the two sides, and it was in fact dead. Ordered a new one, measured it before installing (it was good), installed it, same problem, breaker trip. So, not the cap and after more troubleshooting it wound up being a seized compressor, so the unit did have to be replaced. Luckily, I was able to return the good cap for a refund. Moral of the story, even if the cap is bad don't rush to replace it (if you can't return the new one for a refund).

[@JamesBaker-g1w]

I don't think most AC places are ripping you off when they charge $350 to replace a capacitor that costs $20. The tech that shows up rolls up in a $50K van filled with another $5 to 10K in tools and inventory. HVAC tools, HVAC software, insurance, licenses and permits, insurance, HVAC technician salaries, website creation, and advertising and marketing all cost money. I did HVAC for a couple of years, replacing a capacitor is a quick and easy job, but we show up in the same van as for a much bigger and harder job. Swap out your own blower motor after it gets sucked into the fan because you didn't change the filter for 6 years. Its easy, a couple wires and a few screws. Main boards are an easy swap, just a hand full of wires and some jumper wires. Do people really expect a company to send a tech to your house to repair your AC system for $50-100 bucks? The tech wants to live indoors in a decent house, send his kids to school in decent clothes, eat the same quality food as everyone else. He is a skilled blue collar worker and deserves to live as good as any other person who has a skilled trade. Replacing a capacitor can be a quick and easy job, it can also get you killed if you don't know what you are doing. The 220-240 Volt 40-60 Amp breaker hooked to your AC system is lethal voltage and current. I'm a mechanic in a large factory now and I work around people that don't know how to accomplish basic mechanical tasks. I can't imagine one of them playing with electricity.

[@dm7097]

100% agree IF it is a needed repair/replacement. Cheating anyone out of their hard earned money simply for the sake of profit, is a shameful thing.

[@mark98115]

It is a rip off. It's a 15 minute job. Add travel time and call it 1 hour. Is an AC tech worth over $300 per hour?

[@josephfarrow2685]

Damn right they are! Let's see, secretary has to paid who took your call. Workman comp insurance, auto insurance, liability insurance, medical insurance, $50,000.00 van to get to job, mortgage on shop, building insurance, retirement plans, electric, water bills, software, computers and laptops, training for techs, $20,000 in tools per van, $5000.00 in parts per truck, accountant on retainer, and I'm sure there are other overhead costs I haven't listed. I have been in the business for over 38 years. If you aren't charging $300.00 an hour in today's market you will go bankrupt.

[@JamesBaker-g1w]

@@mark98115 Depends, how much is heating and cooling worth to you in the middle of the summer or dead of winter? What should it cost? Base your answer on the current economy. Remember your rolling in a $80K van and tool setup. I worked commercial HVAC/R and a service call was over $300 ten years ago. Let me know what it should cost. $25-100.

[@Martinez4256]

@@mark9811515 mins at your home. It probably took the tech 15-30min to drive to your house after a dispatcher(that probably doesn’t want to work for free either) had to answer your phone call and dispatch the tech using an expensive software. Also for the company to even keep the Tech on the company, they more than likely have to offer him competitive pay, a cell phone, probably an iPad, uniform, matched 401K, paid time off, paid vacation etc. that’s the cost of running a business in the great USA now days.

[@b2major9th]

Basic electronics. Cannot generally measure component values while in the circuit because other components connected affect the values you measure, leading to confusing results

[@BadPhD777]

A couple years ago my heat pump quit working and it was the same cap you're working with. It was bulging out, and the service tech showed me that, so I had him replce it. But $300?!? I didn't know any better at the time. A few weeks ago my heat pump quit working and the start relay was fried. There were two caps in close proximity (my unit has three caps) that I didn't know the condition of (my multi-meter didn't read capacitance) so I just ordered them along with a relay and a new multi-meter. Total bill $100 and the unit is running fine now!

[@cbob1]

Excellent video. Sadly most techs sell those $20 caps for $100+ then lump $150 - $200 in labor on top. For the fan side in an emergency a homeowner can get the spin started with a long screwdriver. Once spinning it will keep going until the t'stat reaches temp and shuts off.

[@motor8654]

Thanks, this cost me $400, never again.

[@HowToHomeDIY]

You are very welcome! Sorry to hear that. Glad you liked the video though. Thanks a lot for the feedback!

[@frankdallegro1898]

I want to thank you so much for your details especially to safety. I was told for the past 5 months (starting in feb) to have a spare capacitor on hand as they are known as a common point of fairlure. Well mine went and because of you and your detail to the uF (micro farads for sizing ) I was able to install the capacitor. Of course this happend in the middle of the heat wave

[@richseahag4980]

I charge $180 for the first half hour $90 each additional half hour plus parts with a mark up of actual price of part plus 8.625 % for stocking hundreds of different capacitors on my truck plus sales tax. Don’t care if it’s a boat-ac-refrigeration unit-ice machine if you’re rich or poor. That’s what I charge to feed my family.

[@otm646]

You're a liar or you're a poor HVAC businessman. The Turbo 200 was designed specifically, so you don't need to carry multiple capacitors on the truck.

[@jon6969]

@@otm646you’re kind of throwing money away if you’re buying the turbo 200 at best. At worst your overcharging your customer by using them every time. installing them on every cap service call is goofy. There are a few common capacitors that cost 10-20$. The turbo costs 80$. Sure I have a couple but I would rather not use them if I don’t have to.

[@bertellijustin6376]

@otm646……..you carry only 80 dollar caps on your truck?!? Why? Seems like your ripping off your customers for your own ease. Where I work we keep a mess of caps in our temp controlled warehouse and carry a couple of various sizes on our vans. (Caps that stay in the van have a shelf life, heat is the enemy of caps). If the yen dollar cap I install goes bad the next day, I replace it with a fresher cap from the warehouse. Eating a twenty dollar mistake is cheaper than eating a 100 dollar mistake.

[@ReadTheBible33]

You must live up North or you're what those other 2 said....

[@otm646]

@@jon6969 You're being an idiot. You use the turbo 200 so that you don't have to stock dozens of options on the truck. I'm not suggesting you don't stock a few of the commons. So many trades people don't have the background to understand the true cost of inventory. Occasionally having to use one is a cost SAVE. Get outside your own industry. Go get a business degree. Be amazed ow much you'll be amazed how much more money you make.

[@Trainman0401]

Learned a great deal from watching your videos. Thank you. Question…What are some of the symptoms of a cooling system that would indicate a faulty capacitor?

[@CrabtreeBob]

I needed my gall bladder removed and the surgeon wanted like $35,000 to do it so I went on KZbin and found a DIY video and saved a ton of money.

[@redbaron6805]

I feel you brother. I needed a Colonoscopy, but they wanted $2,750 to do it. I bought a Endoscope for $40 with a 16ft camera probe, and did it myself. Saved myself $2,700 in the process....

[@nelsonherrera1038]

​@redbaron6805, you saved your @$$ a ton of money.

[@lisahumphries3898]

But did you change your capacitor, too?

[@redbaron6805]

@@lisahumphries3898 Couldn't find it, but will check again next time...

[@GodfatherRockyTop]

You can see where the HVAC people get upset. Funny thing is when you buy your “endoscope” to shove up your arse…..you don’t know what you’re looking at. This is different. Just saved the money myself. Thanks for the video to not only show what tools I needed but what I needed to fix it.

[@rnoid]

If your capacitor is fully charged, a good way to damage it is to use the screwdriver to discharge it. You had a multimeter in your hand - switch it to DC and measure the 2 voltages. If there is a high voltage, use a 20k OHM 5w with two alligator clips (well insulated) to discharge.

[@AF-O6]

This type of fraud will only get worse as men are no longer interested in learning basic mechanics and electronics. For example, my area charges $2,000 labor to change a 40 gallon water heater.

[@balint133]

that's wild considering I can just drive to the nearest home cheapo and get the cheapest water heater for like ~600 dollars... even if I have to buy solder/torch/piping it is well below 800 dollars :D I bet they not just charge 2k for labor but upselling the same cheap azz unit to be at least 1.2k + sales tax so you end up paying what? 3.5k for a simple water heater? joke...

[@AF-O6]

@@balint133 Absolutely. I live in a suburb of D.C., and the entire area is inhabited by government office weenies, who literally can’t change the plug in a lawn mower. Mega plumbing and electrical con-artists…I mean companies…like Michael & Sons prey on people’s ignorance.

[@redbaron6805]

Not sure what your "area" is, but everywhere I have checked, a 40 gallon water heater installed is like $1000 or so.

[@AF-O6]

@@redbaron6805 Washington D.C. region.

[@kathyortiz8774]

I purchased a meter to measure capacitance and inductance (somewhat like yours) specifically to test our air conditioning capacitor, and purchased a couple of new capacitors. Both were inexpensive enough to purchase just to solve our failed air conditioner. Sure enough, our capacitor was bad. I replaced the capacitor, and solved our air conditioning failure. I have also purchased and replaced the AC contactor (relay) to fix our A/C, and saved a lot of money by purchasing the contactor from a surplus parts company. Joe

[@bitemyram2729]

I’m new to your channel. I have now watched a bunch of your videos and I have to say you sir are awesome. Than you so much for all your help with so many things. Kudos to you. ⭐️⭐️🏆⭐️⭐️

[@arthouston7361]

I don't do residential AC work. I don't have a problem with a competent person checking and replacing their own run cap. I DO have a problem with people getting the idea that they can safely do this when they are not actually capable. All they need to do is to make one screwup and they can receive a minor shock from the cap, or worse. For the majority of people, it is best to call in someone who IS capable of doing the work, and paying that person the market rate for the work being done. That is not "ripping people off." It is having the insurance, paying the taxes, employing the workers, and supporting the families in the industry. There is a HUGE difference between buying a run cap on line, and stocking the run cap on a truck or trucks, a truck with the liability coverage, the workman's comp, the experience, and the ability to tell you that the problem is something other than what you saw in a video. If you want to focus on someone ripping you off, then get mad at the EPA and the DOE. They are the reason that equipment and repairs keep going higher and higher. Fun fact: soon, your new AC system will have a combustible refrigerant, in the name of saving the planet. Yep, according to the government, the planet is more important than you and your family. HTH.

[@sprockkets]

FYI the new refrigerant is classified as mildly flammable. You'll have a very hard time getting it on fire. It just goes to show you, you don't have any clue what you are talking about. Because if you think R22 doesn't combust, go ahead, take a flame up to it and then tell me what happens when you get a whiff of what results.

[@Carl55_jc]

Another hvac/plumber/electrician guy who can't stand it when people do their own work. You know what? If hvac guys weren't regularly lying to customers, this may not be an issue. When you combine the lying with the outrageous mark ups, hiring an hvac guy becomes a roll of the dice at best. When I go to a restaurant, i pay more for a steak (that I could cook myself at home) because of the convenience. But the restaurant doesn't charge me for a steak and give me a bologna sandwich. So I KNOW exactly what I'm paying for. With hvac, you guys lie about what the problem is, THEN charge way too much to fix it. So don't cry to me about how you need to make a living; if more of you guys were honest and weren't ripping people off, you'd have an argument. Lying to a customer is stealing. Personally, I've been around long enough to have fallen victim to lying "professionals", but also long enough to have learned how to do most of my own electrical, plumbing, and most other maintenance/repair work. And thank GOD. Bottom line, KZbin and videos like this are necessary and valuable. And if most hvac companies stopped stealing and overcharging, there would be a lot less people interested in such videos. I'm not saying that just anybody should go run a table saw or attempt to install new electrical service to their home. But saying that people shouldn't replace a capacitor because some hvac guy needs to feed his family is ludicrous.

[@Sctronic209]

diy screw ups, I see it all the time. There are other things that should be checked. That’s why I’m licensed and the home owner isn’t. A little KZbin knowledge can kill you but you go for it.

[@arthouston7361]

@@Carl55_jc I guess it's ludicrous to you. I hope you don't need a professional at some point and find out that that person was laid off. As I said, I don't do any residential work. If you can do this without hurting yourself or having a fatal accident, then I say go for it. The fact is that most people don't fall into that category of competence and safety. Just remember....if you drive out the good technicians by not using them, all you're going to be left with is the bad guys.

[@Carl55_jc]

@@arthouston7361 Converesly, if hvac and plumbing professionals stopped ripping people off and lying, maybe they'd be trusted more; which may have the same effect. You think used car salesmen have bad reputations by accident? You think hvac guys do? Sorry, but I know better. Having a license does not mean you are honest or that you charge fair prices. Lawyers have licenses. If I test a capacitor, find it to be faulty and replace it - leading to my AC working again, what's wrong with that? If you say "nothing", then why are you commenting on this guy's video negatively? If you simply stated that even "simple" jobs can be dangerous, I would have agreed and moved on. But that's not what you said. You went on about families of hvac techs, making a living, etc. Its like the car mechanic who doesn't want to see me charging my own battery. Could something go wrong? Sure. Does jumping a battery require a professional? No. Sorry, but dishonest techs are a reality and all over the place - and no comment here will change that or move the DIYer that came here for advice or guidance. Especially if it's a comment critical of the guy who's trying to help that DIYer escape the clutches of the "pros" who rob people every day.

[@bonedaddy996]

Great video. Curious as to what the AC problem turned out to be when you had the tech there, and how you fixed it.

[@frankyvee1]

I keep a backup CAP on hand. Helps if it goes bad after normal business hours or on weekends I can replace it myself.

[@rickyward3600]

Not sure why my phone sent me a notification of this video but I'm happy to have discovered your channel over the matter lol subscribing.

[@HowToHomeDIY]

Really glad to have you on board! Look forward to seeing you around the channel Ricky!

[@billl3936]

You can test for capacitance while it is still in the circuit and running if you just want to see if it’s close to the Microfarad printed on the capacitor. Read the voltage across common and herm and also read the current going through the wire labeled herm. Take these two values and plug them into the formula. C= 2652* I/V. That’s the current (I) multiplied by 2652 all divided by the voltage (V) will give you the capacitance in microfarad. Of course you can do the same thing for the run capacitor for the fan motor.

[@mvm932]

If a DIY person knows how to measure current, they typically will have a meter that reads capacitance.

[@billl3936]

@@mvm932 For a DIY person a clamp meter makes more sense than a multimeter. In about a tenth of the time it takes you to remove all the leads off of the capacitor, making sure you can remember how to put them back, you could’ve taken two measurements and determined whether the capacitor was still within specifications. If the DIY person is not comfortable working on the unit with the power on then they should probably do it as the video demonstrates. It does seem a waste to buy a meter that is multifunctional and only use it for reading capacitance. Whatever you do, take your time and be safe!

[@Iceman4287]

Nice video very informative. Keep in mind though that "OL" can also mean over the limit that the meter can read. Not just open line.

[@bruerR8757]

Thank you. Another great video and I too fell for the A/C scam but it cost me $600 for a $45 part.

[@keithp115]

Last week my A/C unit was not cooling. Found that a rodent had made a nest around the capacitor and chewed through a hot wire. However, it is recommended that the capacitor should should be changed every five years. Excellent post!!

[@HowToHomeDIY]

Wow that would definitely do it! That is pretty wild. Thanks a lot for taking the time to share that experience and input Keith!

[@geoffschulz]

OL does not mean "Open Line", it means "Over Load". When taking a measurement of a capacitance when there is still a motor coil attached, the discharge test will fail and indicate "Over Load".

[@Aspen5.7]

When my capacitor went out, I called around to all the AC repair places and they all said they would need to send out a tech to look. I even told them which capacitor I had and even though it was a very common capacitor, they said they would have to order it. I went on Amazon and ordered it for about $15 and had it in 2 days. Bought a few extras too. Luckily we have multiple AC units so we just used the one that worked and fanned the cool air to the rest of the house. They get the average homeowner because when these go out, it is hot and they need it fixed right away. My neighbor paid over $400 to have his fixed.

[@Mike_The_Hog_A_Nator]

Great info... Most all of the time you your compressor will not kick on is because of that Capacitor. I bought 2 off Amazon cheap just to keep around the house for when mine goes out. My local A/C Repair charged my Dad $1200 for is very cheap part that takes 5min to install. I'd go outside & get the number's off your's & buy 1 or 2 off Amazon. My local HVAC place sells these for $300 + , Amazon > less than $20!!

[@condor5635]

Great job. Great video. What does the circuit board do in this case? I only have the contactor and capacitor. Is yours a heat pump? Why is there a circuit board in the condenser unit?

[@carbonarrow7]

Some AC units also have a run cap too, so do not get those mixed up between the Start CAP and the run CAP.

[@sf6657]

Great video. I was recently told that the +/- 5% was the manufacturers spec for a new cap and that a used cap could be as low as -20% and still working. -10% could still last for a few more years. I'd be curious to hear anyone else's opinion on that. Also, the bad cap that you were testing was coming in ABOVE the rated value. I always thought a cap goes down in value over time.

[@jerrywilhelm2634]

You can tell by feel if they are going bad, but still shows good. They will become very hard, a new one you can squeeze it a little bit and one that is fixing to quit will have no give in the outside shell, but if you haven’t replaced many you might not be able to feel it.

[@MetalMiIIs]

Had one replaced for $495. Five hundred fuqing dollars! Took him less than 10 minutes. The unit was only 4 years old too. Got the bill reduced by $95 by removing the service call fee but still. I was in utter shock. Had a nail pulled out of one of my 35" the next day and patched which took the tech about 40 minutes or so and I was charged $24 lol. He did probably 3 times the work. HVAC is in a league of their own with corrupt markets. Can't even do it myself next time either because that voids the parts warranty and *definitely* not taking that chance. What a disappointment. 😒