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Introduction
Air Conditioners might go out of order for many reasons. One of the prime suspects is a bad capacitor.
But what if you have changed the capacitor, and your AC is still not working?
Well, if it’s not the capacitor that is causing the trouble in an AC, check all the internal wiring and make sure there is no bypass or short. Next, make sure your fuse is not blown up. Finally, your power source might also be the reason in this case.
First Thing First: What It’s A Bad Capacitor?
Let’s be real, you may not fully understand what’s wrong with your AC instantly. So, start by observing a few facts about your AC to make sure it’s the capacitor that’s causing issues for your AC-
- If you notice a rise in your energy bill, it’s mainly because of a bad capacitor. The bad capacitor uses more energy than the system needs.
- Are you hearing a humming noise from your AC? Yes, you got that right, bad capacitor. Your AC will also hesitate to start because of it.
- It’s annoying if your AC keeps turning on and off on its own. But it’s indicating your capacitor is in a bad state.
- Because of a bad capacitor, you might notice your AC is only working during the daytime but not at night.
If you still have any confusion, use a multimeter. You can test your capacitor with a multimeter to conclude.
4 Other Reasons An AC May Stop Working
If none of the symptoms are found in the case of your AC, it’s not the capacitor that needs replacement. Find what other reasons there might be in the next part-
Reason 1 of 4: Bad Internal Functions of The AC
You might have missed the wiring functions when you installed your old capacitor.
To check the wiring inside, you need to turn off the AC. Now you have to pull out the panel of your air conditioner.
Source: goblueox
Now pull out your old capacitor and check all the wirings. You have to put the wirings in the correct terminal. To understand which capacitor wire goes into what terminal, read the capacitor’s manual or the printed guide on the body.
To see the result, you need to turn on your AC.
Solution 2 of 4: Faulty Fuse in the AC
Sometimes, a faulty or oversized/undersized fuse can blow up and create an issue for your capacitor.
If you’re curious about why an AC fuse blowing up can be caused by putting too much pressure on your AC. And that can be done by two ways-
- Clogged air filter.
- Dirty coil.
To avoid the first issue, check your air filter regularly, and keep the inside and air filter of the AC clean.
For dirty motors, use one of these motor cleaners after every 2-3 months of use-
Product | Features | Buy Now |
Nu-Calgon Evap Foam No Rinse Evaporator Coil Cleaner | Liquefies dirt, oil, and grease very quickly in the system | Check Latest Price |
K&N HVAC Filter Cleaner | Removes filter clogging to prevent low pressure lockout | Check Latest Price |
Frost King ACF19 Foam Coil Cleaner | Cleans fiter, coil, and fan blades | Check Latest Price |
Klima-Cleaner Air Conditioner Cleaner | Improves the cooling efficiency | Check Latest Price |
Solution 3 of 4: Resolve Any Power Issues
This is the simplest and most complex issue for your air conditioner. If the power source of your AC is faulty, it will not work correctly.
Power issues can be caused by overheating or high pressure on your AC. The circuit breaker will flip out if your AC overheats.
Power issues will also burn out the motor of your AC. Your AC unit will make noise because of a power issue.
Replacing it will be expensive so it’s better to fix it yourself. Check the power source and if it’s faulty replace it with a new one.
Turn off your AC unit and change/replace the power source. Ensure you turn the AC off when it’s not being used.
Reason 4 of 4: Replacing the Capacitor
We know it’s annoying as you have already changed it. But you need to understand that the replaced capacitor is also defective.
The first thing you need to do is turn off the whole AC unit. Now remove the access panel.
Do you see your old capacitor? Don’t throw it out yet. You need to read the capacitance and voltage ratings.
You need this information for your newly replaced capacitor.
Now dismount the old capacitor. You should label the wires to connect the new capacitor to the perfect terminal.
Now it’s time to install the new capacitor. You just need to attach the wire you already labeled.
Now, turn on the AC and test it out.
If your AC is still not working, you need to call A1 or any nearby technicians to check the air conditioner out.
You need to maintain your AC regularly to prevent such situations from occurring.
How to Maintain Your Air Conditioner?
Trust me when I say this, you don’t want your AC to go wrong in the summer. So before the summer heat arrives, keep these tips in mind for your AC to function better.
- Firstly, you need to clean the air filter of your AC regularly.
- The most important part of your AC is the coils. As time passes, the coils insulate dirt and it reduces heat absorption. So clean the coils once in a while.
- You should schedule a professional air conditioning service once in a while. Look, we are not professionals so we need to let them check this even if it costs you a few bucks.
- Don’t forget to clean and find the vents regularly.
- Finally, for safety reasons, you should not use any products which are not recommended.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Can I run my AC without a capacitor?
No you can’t run AC without a capacitor because the motors of your air conditioner need a good capacitor to run. Your AC will not be able to give you cold air if there is no capacitor. Without a capacitor, the fan of your AC will also not run.
What can I do when my AC is not blowing cold air?
Your air conditioner sometimes does not blow cold air because of the condition of your air filter. Your air filter needs to be thoroughly cleaned regularly. You also should check if there is an ice buildup. After cleaning or removing the ice buildup, turn on your AC fan.
How can I rest my AC unit?
To reset your AC unit, you must first turn off the whole unit. Then all you need to do is shut down the circuit breaker and wait for a few minutes. After waiting, turn your AC back on. Keep in mind that all the data will be erased. So, set the temperature and mode again.
Conclusion
Well, now you don’t need to worry about a changed capacitor, but AC is still not working anymore. Because by now, you have already learned how to fix it yourself!
One last tip. Before buying a new capacitor, make sure you are buying an authentic product.
Have a good summer!
HVAC tech with over 30 years of experience. Retired and doing repair work on the side around Madison County, AL.