Air conditioning season never really ends here in Casselberry, FL, but this is the time of the year when we see the most problems with local systems. Summer has been going for months and with plenty of hot weather still to come, your system is likely under a great deal of strain. Older components may begin to buckle, and if a breakdown occurs, you need to get the problem resolved quickly. In particular, your air conditioner’s capacitors are vulnerable to breakdowns, and when they run into trouble, your whole system may be affected.
How They Work
The capacitors provide an electrical charge to your system, running important components like the fan motor and the compressor. Most centralized air conditioning systems have two capacitors: a start capacitor that helps fire the system up and a run capacitor that provides a smaller charge to keep those components running until you decide to turn the system off. They’re built to last, but they undergo a great deal of wear and tear during the cooling season, and as they get older, breakdowns become far more likely.
How to Look for Trouble
When a capacitor breaks down completely, your system may simply refuse to turn on, which obviously will alert you to the problem. Less severe signs of trouble include air flow that is lower than normal, air that isn’t as cool as it needs to be, and a phenomenon know as short cycling: when your air conditioner turns on and off again very rapidly without cooling your home in the interim. All of these issues can have a cascading effect, increasing strain on other systems and raising the likelihood of a serious breakdown. If you detect any signs of capacitor trouble, turn off your system and call in a repair team immediately.
Downtown Air and Heat is your source for air conditioning repairs!
