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Our 20 year old HVAC (we dubbed as “Mater”) bit the dust last night. Mater made it through the visit from hell last weekend, and as the temperatures where finally dropping, it gave out. Everyone says it’s time to retire Mater. When I say everyone, I mean everyone who wants to charge me $5k for a new one. Even though we have never had a single problem with Mater.
So... tech came by this morning. Yes, sir, it has finally died. Time for TAPS, dig the hole, and here is a new Lennox that can email you updates. So what killed Mater I asked? I don’t know sir, not worth the cost to perform an autopsy.
What killed Mater?
This....
And for $25 and an impromptu trip to Grainger this morning... Mater rides again, like a friggin’ champ!! We ride or die with Mater now. Damn thing is practically burying itself as the pad has tilted and settled into the ground..
This is a capacitor. And I’d say 90% of the reason why hvacs stop working. They last about 3-5 years and about as easy to replace as the batteries in my son’s Xbox controller...
Look at the top of the old compared to the new, you can see where the old popped..
I've done that several times. But, two things come out of your post: 20 year old HVAC and capacitors that are failing.
It's probably time to get a new HVAC anyway. Your HVAC is probably a 10 SEER or less - very inefficient.
I've seen the same thing with $5 thermocouples failing on water heaters. It's a five minute job but some people will actually have Sears come out and replace the whole water heater for $800.
I love YouTube. Found the cheap way to replace the speed sensor on my wife's 1999 Durango. Ten minute job.
while a home capacitor for a home ac unit is relatively easy to replace, I also wouldn't recommend it to someone who doesn't actually know what they are doing or have a little bit of know-how.
Ha! I hear ya K’, I’m also too cheap! But jokes aside, I wish I could trust them, and certainly acknowledge when I’m in over my head and have no choice. I’m mostly curious about stuff too. I’m the type who’s more impressed with what you can do and create, then what someone can buy. Seems like today, and it might be this neighborhood we’re in, as it’s one of just a couple in all of DC that is gated for some reason (remember, I bought the fixer-upper, I’m in no way financially viable enough to be here under any other circumstances, that’s for sure), but everything seems to cost 25% more here, and the go-to advice always seems to be to replace with new instead of fix what I’ve got. Like those floors last year - all the advice I got was to replace with new, it’s a waste and can’t be done to refinish. When asked to refinish not replace, somehow the cost difference suddenly wasn’t that wide of a gap anymore. So, I did it with advice from you all instead for about 10% of those quotes, and now getting compliments like crazy from the neighbors!
My car - take it to dealer for oil change, come out with another problem they need to fix.
My iPhone - buy new at $1,000 for something that doesn’t fit in my pocket, or $40 for a new battery installed.
Or maybe I’m just getting old and crabby and stingy!
Our 20 year old HVAC (we dubbed as “Mater”) bit the dust last night. Mater made it through the visit from hell last weekend, and as the temperatures where finally dropping, it gave out. Everyone says it’s time to retire Mater. When I say everyone, I mean everyone who wants to charge me $5k for a new one. Even though we have never had a single problem with Mater.
So... tech came by this morning. Yes, sir, it has finally died. Time for TAPS, dig the hole, and here is a new Lennox that can email you updates. So what killed Mater I asked? I don’t know sir, not worth the cost to perform an autopsy.
What killed Mater?
This....
And for $25 and an impromptu trip to Grainger this morning... Mater rides again, like a friggin’ champ!! We ride or die with Mater now. Damn thing is practically burying itself as the pad has tilted and settled into the ground..
This is a capacitor. And I’d say 90% of the reason why hvacs stop working. They last about 3-5 years and about as easy to replace as the batteries in my son’s Xbox controller...
Look at the top of the old compared to the new, you can see where the old popped..
HVAC techs routinely replace capacitors. Yes they charge an absurd amount for an inexpensive easy-to-replace part, but most people have no idea how to do it. I’m surprised that a qualified tech would not have known the problem. That’s really weird.
That said, a 20 year old system is probably best replaced.
"Why I DIY"-
Because you're capable, have an understanding of the mechanical/electrical process, and have the time to diagnosis.
Your title should have read- "Why I Don't Trust Technicians- and Fix It Myself"!
You don’t have to be a technician...just know how to ask the right questions. If an AC unit isn’t leaking and the compressor isn’t shot it’s probably reparable.
HVAC techs routinely replace capacitors. Yes they charge an absurd amount for an inexpensive easy-to-replace part, but most people have no idea how to do it. I’m surprised that a qualified tech would not have known the problem. That’s really weird.
That said, a 20 year old system is probably best replaced.
Totally agree, and I’m not trying to bag on and be mean to all of the honest techs out there. I don’t work for free and I don’t expect anyone else too, especially for me!
But your question also illustrates my point around where I live. I’m sure he knew what it was and was hoping I didn’t and didn’t ask any questions. He appeared very trustworthy, but was putting on the sales pitch instead of trying to fix an old HVAC unit that only needed a very common and cheap part replaced.
Last night I probably sent out 15 emails to HVAC shops around here to see who could come today. I’ve never actually replaced a capacitor myself before. Knew about it, have had one replaced before ($400) before I learned about what it is. Of the emails I sent where I said I needed a new capacitor for my old York unit, one 1 of the 9 emails like that sparked a response. On the other emails, I said my old York HVAC stopped working tonight and needed a repair call - nearly all responded by 2pm today.
The night I realized it was not blowing cold anymore, I went outside to look the the compressor first. I have an Ecobee thermostat, so I was able to turn the ac on/off via my phone while standing there. First thing I noticed is the fan was spinning. I shut off the unit via the phone, I heard a click. I turned it back on, and heard the click again. I then found a loose stick and checked to see if the fan blades could move freely, which they could. I then shut it down for good.
Two conclusions I came to. (1) I could hear the compressor coming on/off (that click), (2) the fan motor was not seized up (blades could spin easily). So that led me to believe either the fan motor shorted out (doubtful), loose connection to the fan motor (maybe), or the capacitor had crapped out after 3 days of heat indexes of 110 and knowing the capacitor was at least 4 years old (how long we’ve owned the house), possibly even older than that.
The very day we signed the offer on our old house to sell it, one of our units did this exact same thing. They were only 4 years old (house was built in 2011, we sold in 2015). Called a guy who was working on a new build nearby, he came out and sure enough it was the capacitor and that’s when I learned about them. I recalled him saying that 90% of the time when you can hear the compressor kicking on and the blades can be moved freely with a stick, it’s the capacitor.
It wasn’t terribly hot that night, I couldn’t see well enough, too tired to mess with it. Went to bed and was out there at sunrise to take the panel off. Instantly knew it was the capacitor when I saw it. The top was buldged out. At close inspection, there are 3 connectors each labeled. The one that said “fan” was the high point of the blowout.
Was easy after that. And took the time to rinse the fins with a evap foaming cleaner and the hose (they were dirty). Put the new capacitor in, put the panel back on, put the breaker fuse back in, grabbed the phone and turned it on. Fired right up and running like clockwork again.
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