Blower motor or capacitor?
Hi. Yesterday the blower motor for my central air did not initially come on when tripped by the thermostat. It did come on in a subdued fashion a few minutes later. When I turned it off after a minute or so, the motor shaft was quite hot and there was an electrical smell near the unit.
The appliance parts store found that the capacitor attached to the blower unit was faulty and suggested that I just try changing it instead of putting in a new motor. I replaced the capacitor and the blower now seems fine; it turns off and on each time and after running for an hour the motor shaft stayed cool. I was happy as the capacitor costs a lot less than a new blower motor.
However, a friend, the local handyman who works on air conditioners, said that I still need to replace the motor because the capacitor I replaced is a run capacitor, not a start capacitor, so it could not have caused the motor problem I had observed. Further, he said the blower motor will probably fail again soon and this could result in damage to the central air unit (outside the house).
Does anyone know who's right? Can I keep the old motor or does it have to be replaced? The blower is part of the electric heating unit. Thanks!