View Full Version : Ac blower capacitors
gerbear07
Mar 31, 2012, 11:15 PM
I have an Ac repair man that came to my house to do an ac check. He said that I need to have my blower capacitors replaced because they were at a 9 instead of a 10 and that one of my ac units was losing freon. He showed me that one of my units was at 70 and the other one was at 55. He wants to add refrigerant sealant to the system, freon and replace the two blower capacitors for $834. Is that seem right?
hkstroud
Apr 1, 2012, 06:32 AM
Is your ac running and performing properly?
gerbear07
Apr 1, 2012, 11:00 AM
Yes, I would have never known there was a problem. We just did the check before summer. He just said that we will be paying more in our electric bill, up to $100 a month.
wmproop
Apr 1, 2012, 01:21 PM
Quote ((He just said that we will be paying more in our electric bill, up to $100 a month.)),, don`t know where he got his learning but that's not the way a capicitor works,, he just blowing smoke, when a capicitor stops working your motor stops working,, no over usage of electricity
hkstroud
Apr 1, 2012, 02:48 PM
I'm no HVAV tech but I agreed with wmpoop completely. I've never heard of a HVAC tech wanting to put any kind of sealant in an ac. He will never put anything like that in mine. How does he know its losing freon?
thermalmedics
Apr 1, 2012, 03:39 PM
The leak sealant he is referring too is not a solution. You are getting ripped off on the run capacitors. They cost about $7 - 15 each for a blower motor and if/when they pop you can swap them out in 5 minutes flat.
Sounds like the old tune up racket here is a vid on it (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyWfIj0kWWQ)
If your unit is leaking you will know it when the air temperature at the supply vents starts to creep up and no longer satisfys the thermostat.
The leak sealant is an option only after others are exhausted. Checking for the usual suspects is first and then if they cannot come up with anything or they are incompetent they dump a can of leak sealant. It is the equivalent of fix-a flat. I have used it but only on small pinhole leaks in the evaporator when the customer is strapped for cash. Id say they work 70% of the time on small leaks. If it's a big one forget it. I would wait to cross that bridge when you get to it.
hkstroud
Apr 1, 2012, 04:03 PM
Really like your video. In fact I think it is about the best I have ever seen where a knowledgeable person discusses a subject and the knowledge presented, not the presenter, is the star.
thermalmedics
Apr 1, 2012, 04:16 PM
Thanks my English teacher would probably have something to say about my grammar.
I just hear so many 'tune-up' stories and it makes me crazy when you have commission based (a lot of times) guys out there working in the field. I don't blame them so much, they are just trying to put food on the table but the companies that push them to sell or can them for not meeting quotas uhhhhh
If more people just got educated we can all clean up this business. I am also at ground zero (PHX) in this snake pit.