Air Conditioning Repair: Is It A Capacitor?

South Florida gets more than 320 days of sunshine each year, with highs averaging above 80 degrees from mid-April through October. It’s no wonder that air conditioning is an important concern for those who live and work in the city. While the climate is a great benefit of living in the Nevada desert, if your air conditioning is on the blink, the arid summers are barely tolerable.

Unfortunately, sometimes air conditioning units do malfunction. When they do, it’s important to call an experienced and trustworthy air conditioning repair company. Because of the vast number of moving parts and the complex nature of air conditioners, it takes training and expertise to work on the units. Many reputable repair companies offer full service; they provide air conditioning installation, repair and maintenance.

One part of an air conditioning unit that can fail is a capacitor. Capacitors are very important for the correct functioning of your unit. In fact, without them the unit’s fans will not even turn on. Understanding the role they play and why they are so important is key in understanding how your unit works. You can also better diagnose an issue with a capacitor when you fully understand what they do.

The Role of the Capacitors
Each air conditioning unit requires three motors. One runs the compressor, one runs the fan in the outdoor unit and one runs the indoor fan. Each of these motors requires a capacitor to run. The capacitor, which is about the size of a 12 ounce soda can, starts the motor and ensures it keeps running as long as necessary. The primary job of the capacitor is to store energy until the unit needs to kick on, when it sends the energy to the motor.

Is It the Capacitor?
Diagnosing a capacitor issue is fairly straightforward. While you will still need to call a professional to perform the repairs, knowing the problem ahead of time can make it easier, both on you and on the repairman. There are two ways to determine if a capacitor issue may be the cause of your unit’s failure.

First, turn the unit on. If there is a capacitor issue, the motor will try to work but will not be receiving enough power to turn the fan. In most cases, this creates an easily identifiable buzzing noise.

Another way to spot a failing capacitor is to determine which components are functioning and which aren’t. Typically only one capacitor will fail at a time. This means that if your indoor fan is running but your outdoor fan is not, it may be the outdoor capacitor. The indoor fan capacitor could fail, but the outdoor fan would have power. All three motors are needed to cool your home, though. To check which components are working, turn the unit on and then listen for each fan. If the indoor fan isn’t working, you won’t feel any air blowing through your home. You may have to go outside to hear the outdoor fan.

Repairing the Capacitor
While the climate of South Florida bolsters the local economy, it can quickly become a boon to your family if your air conditioning unit fails during the summer months. If this happens, you will want to quickly find a reputable air conditioning repair company. While it may cause a bit of stress, having a blown capacitor is actually one of the easiest repairs for a qualified professional. A knowledgeable repairman can replace a capacitor in just a few minutes, and have your unit up and running again. In addition, this repair is much easier on your pocketbook than many other air conditioning repairs.

Call Today for a Free estimate.

Air Conditioning Coral Springs will see to it that your AC runs flawlessly all year round.  Summer is quickly approaching and if you’re not careful you may be stuck in Florida’s heat. Air Conditioning Coral Springs wants you to be prepared.  Call us for a free estimate.estimate.