Q: The technician said I might need a capac-i-tater, is that a tuber or a root?
A: Once again another relatively complex system befuddled by a simple lack of capacitance. Unlike some wiring bugaboos discussed previously, capacitors are not steeped in challenging diagnostics as to their function, working or not. Often, we don’t even need a meter, just looking at a smoked capacitor pretty much sums it up. That’s when the customer questions how much we charged to figure that one out. Like the majority of our industry we are flat rate so sometimes it’s five minutes, other times it’s two hours. As the story has been told, adapted for any particular industry or profession; it’s not pushing the button we are charging for, but knowing which button to push…
Capacitors are used throughout the electronics industry and are an important part of any control board on any given furnace or heat pump. Those diminutive components are not really field serviceable but there are much larger motor and compressor capacitors that certainly are. While all capacitors have two wires or terminals they do vary widely in size and application. ‘Alright now, what in the heck do they do?’ the one guy at the bar said to the other. ‘From what I have been told they store potential energy in tiny conductive plates that can be more or less numerous and of varying materials’ he replied. Wow, how do you know that and did you make that up?
As far as the historical significance, these components predate the more well know circuitry like transistors by a couple hundred years. In 1745 some German dude playing with his electrostatic generator (that’s what Germans did back then), some glass bottles, and a bundle of wire got himself shocked and probably said some German curse word like “sheisse“. He found it was possible to store energy, far beyond the ability of his generator to produce. This discovery was passed about, fine-tuned, and better understood with even Benjamin Franklin chiming in years later. He coined the term “battery” (like a battery of cannons) from increase in power from increasing the conductive layers inside the capacitor. I myself have been the receiver of a few capacitor discharges over the decades which may help explain away a few things.
For the majority of residential and light commercial equipment, you find capacitors that fit in the palm of your hand used on most indoor and outdoor blower motors, as well as at the compressor. If they are not visibly toasted then a special meter is used to check the “micro-farad” reading against the rating that it should be. Most capacitors work or don’t work, however serious damage is done when the component operates out of range which will cause motor overheating and compressor failures. Many $2,000.00 repairs were caused by this $50.00-part failure. That is why we constantly promote regular preventive maintenance at AirWorks as this sort of disaster can usually be avoided.
Please give us a call at (406) 630-4170 to schedule a visit by one of our friendly, qualified technicians. Of course, if your system has seen better days we can advise on replacement options. There are still healthy state tax credits thru the Great State of Montana and co-op rebates and low interest loans. Hope you all had a pleasant Labor Day!
