AC capacitor replacement in Phoenix.
The part most likely to quit on the hottest day. One flat price, set by where the unit sits.
A run capacitor is the soda-can sized part that gives the compressor and fan the shove they need to start. Heat is what wears it out, so in a Phoenix summer it is the single most common thing that stops a working system.
The giveaways are a unit that hums and will not start, a fan that sits still on top, or a system that runs fine in the morning and quits in the afternoon. A capacitor that is going fails under heat first.
It gets tested with a meter before anything is swapped, because the same symptoms can come from a contactor or a fan motor. You hear what it is and the flat price, then it gets done.
There are two capacitors in most systems, one indoors for the blower and one outdoors for the compressor and fan. The list prices each, by where the unit sits.
When to call.
- Outdoor unit hums but will not start
- Fan on top sits still while the unit runs
- Works in the morning, quits by three
- Breaker trips in the afternoon heat
- Domed or leaking top on the can
- Indoor blower will not come on
What you get.
- Capacitor tested with a meter before anything is replaced
- Replacement matched to the rating the system calls for
- Compressor and fan amp draw checked after
- Readings written down, yours to keep
Common questions.
Can I change a capacitor myself?
Please do not open the panel. A capacitor holds its charge after the power is off, and discharging one across your hand is a genuine injury.
Why does the price change with where the unit is?
An attic or roof unit is a different job to get to. The list prices each location up front, so the number never changes on the invoice.
Someone said it needs a new fan motor. Could it be the capacitor?
Often, yes. A fan that hums or needs a nudge is far more often a capacitor than a motor, and the capacitor is a fraction of the price. That is what a second opinion is for.
Worth reading first.
A capacitor is the cheapest thing that stops an AC.
Humming, a fan that will not start, a unit that trips on the hottest afternoon of the year. Usually a part the size of a soda can.
Read itThe vents are blowing warm air.
Air is moving. It is simply not cold. Start with the setting that costs nothing to fix.
Read itThe lights dim every time the AC kicks on.
A brief dip is physics. A deep dip, or one that got worse, is worth attention.
Read itWhere it's done.
North Phoenix
No trip fee.
Central Phoenix
No trip fee.
Paradise Valley
No trip fee.
Scottsdale
No trip fee.
Further out, same prices with a $150 job minimum. Service areas.
Other work on the list.
Contactor replacement
The switch that turns the outdoor unit on and off. One of the cheaper real repairs on a system.
See itDrain and float switch
The most common reason a Valley system quietly stops: a plugged drain and the switch that shut it down.
See itCondenser fan motor
A universal outdoor fan motor with the matching capacitor, at one price. Tested first, because it often is not the motor.
See it