A/C Compressor: No Start

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Last night I turned down the t-stat from 82 to 79F and after a bit noticed it wasn't blowing cold air. Went outside to discover the condensor fan running & blowing cool air. Not good! Too late to do anything about it. Fortunately inside is quite dry so I slept under a ceiling fan.

Today I checked the start cap with a capacitance meter: 95uF. The ESR meas. 40 mOhms. The cap is about 20yrs old now. The start kit is a Lennox LB-34803BAL. Spec'd as: 88 - 108uF @ 330VAC. So despite its age, it's within the range.

Next I Ohm'd the compressor: No open windings. Run is .8 Ohm, Start is 3.1 Ohm. That's OK. Therefore the compressor isn't Tango Uniform.

Next I have a look at the fan/cmprsr cap I replaced a few years back. Top is a bit rusty....and badly bulged! Labeled as a 40 + 5uF, but the cap meter shows 0uF. ESR meter reads infinite. It's cooked....trying to burst out of its aluminum can. Odd the cndsnr motor would run....

I'd gone to an electric motor shop hoping to get a good cap. This is a Proline PB400Z050T440CA made in Mexico in GE's old cap. plant. I'm guessing 1134 is the date code. 34th week of 2011.

I think I found why the A/C quit.....
 
Try to Amrad Capacitor or Genteq Capacitor.
I had one of those Amrad failed but it was under 5 years so they sent me a new one.

Both are on ebay or Amazon from Airstar out of Florida.

Test them and then keep them as spare.

I always try to test the capacitor every Spring before turning the AC for the first time of the season before it gets really hot.
 
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I did find an Amrad at the motor shop. About $45. They quit carrying the "Proline". Evidently the shop had numerous complaints.

Now to install, get her buttoned up and cool down the house. Currently it's 88F indoors and 103F out.
 
Back to cold casa air!

I'm misting the cndnsr to give it a boost. The evprtr is sweating. Suction line warmer than usual where it exits the evap. so the TXV must be wide open.
 
Good work, you're a trooper for dealing with no a/c overnight. I would have been staying at family's house for the night or in a hotel. Too hot!
 
I'm starting to wonder if it is worth proactively replacing caps every 5 years or so.
 
Originally Posted By: dishdude
I'm starting to wonder if it is worth proactively replacing caps every 5 years or so.


THAT and the contactor relay too every 5 yrs = maximize life of compressor in these HOT climate areas!

Cheap to order them online BEFORE they fail rather than scrambling to replace ASAP when fail in middle of summer. . .
 
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