{"id":3468,"date":"2023-04-10T07:00:25","date_gmt":"2023-04-10T07:00:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/getworldclassservice.com\/?p=3468"},"modified":"2023-04-10T07:00:25","modified_gmt":"2023-04-10T07:00:25","slug":"how-long-do-ac-capacitors-last","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.calltropicool.com\/blog\/air-conditioning\/how-long-do-ac-capacitors-last\/","title":{"rendered":"How Long Do AC Capacitors Last: A Brief Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An air conditioner\u2019s capacitor is one of the most important parts of the unit. These complicated pieces are hard to replace. Because of its importance, you\u2019re probably wondering, \u201cHow long do AC capacitors last?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this guide, we explain how to know when your AC capacitor is about to fail. However, don\u2019t take care of the issue yourself. When you\u2019re ready for capacitor replacement, call World Class Services,&nbsp;<\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/getworldclassservice.com\/air-conditioning-repair-westerville\/\">Westerville&#8217;s reliable AC repair<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&nbsp;company, at <strong><a href=\"tel:6147398670\">614-739-8670<\/a><\/strong>.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What Does the AC Capacitor Do?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Many homes have air conditioners, but <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.energy.gov\/energysaver\/air-conditioning\">how do air conditioners work<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">? The capacitor is the&nbsp;air conditioner&#8217;s&nbsp;internal on-and-off switch. It stores power until the thermostat tells it to turn on. Then, the capacitor uses a power surge to activate the compressor in your AC unit.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The capacitor is about the same size as a battery, so it&#8217;s difficult to handle if you&#8217;re not experienced. When you look at a capacitor, you&#8217;ll see different bands around it that indicate its voltage rating.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You might not notice a broken capacitor. But if your energy bills increase, it may be a silent indication of the problem.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How Long Do AC Capacitors Last?<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Capacitors are designed to last as long as your AC unit, which is about 10 to 15 years. They don&#8217;t often suffer wear and tear. However, there are three main factors that can shorten the life of your capacitor:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><b>Heat Exposure:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Extreme heat it can cause your capacitor to fail. The heat damages it from efficiently storing energy, which prevents it from having enough power to start the compressor. This is more likely after an extended period of hot weather.<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><b>Wrong Voltage:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> If an inexperienced person replaces the capacitor, your unit might have one with the wrong voltage. It&#8217;s important not to cut costs when installing a capacitor. Using the wrong one causes repeated failure and replacement.<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><b>Age:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> When an air conditioner lasts longer than expected or you use it more frequently than it can handle, the capacitor can die before the unit.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">5 Warning Signs Your Capacitor is Failing<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are five common signs you have a faulty capacitor. If you have only one of these problems, you might have a broken capacitor, but you could also have a different problem with your unit. If you notice two or more of these signs, you almost certainly have a capacitor issue.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">1. Smoke or Burning Smells&nbsp;<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Your air conditioner should never produce smoke. A burning smell is always a bad sign. Turn off and unplug the air conditioner immediately, and do not use it until you replace the capacitor.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is one sure sign that you have a bad capacitor. No need to wait for confirmation; call a World Class Services expert to replace it.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">2. Lack of Cold Air&nbsp;<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If your air conditioner is on but not blowing cold air, something is broken. Can you hear the fan running, but the motor never kicks in? The capacitor isn&#8217;t providing the power surge the compressor motor needs.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Try turning it off and on again. If it still doesn&#8217;t work, you need an expert to check the capacitor.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">3. Slowed Cooling&nbsp;<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you notice the air conditioner takes longer than normal to cool your home, the capacitor could be to blame. Another sign is if the air is cold, but the air conditioner doesn&#8217;t blow it into the room.&nbsp;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is one of the most difficult symptoms to recognize. If you find yourself running the AC more even though the temperature hasn&#8217;t increased, or you find yourself warmer despite not changing the thermostat settings, you should pay attention to how long your AC takes to cool.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">4. Weird Noises<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You&#8217;re probably already familiar with the low buzz sound an air conditioner makes. When the capacitor kicks in, the buzz is louder and there&#8217;s a moment that sounds like a switch has been flicked.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you hear unusual noises from the AC, like a clicking or an unusual hum, it&#8217;s like the capacitor.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">5. Power Issues<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A capacitor can cause two types of power issues:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The motor doesn&#8217;t turn on at all.<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The motor starts but stops quickly or before it reaches the right temperature.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While several other parts can cause these issues, you should still have an expert check the capacitor.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Call World Class Services When Your Capacitor Breaks<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We\u2019ve answered the question, \u201cHow long do AC capacitors last?\u201d When you need to replace your capacitor or need an <\/span><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/getworldclassservice.com\/ac-installation-westerville\/\">AC installation<\/a><\/strong><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, call us. No matter the problem, World Class Services is here to help.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For speedy and expert air conditioner services, call <strong><a href=\"tel:6147398670\">614-739-8670<\/a><\/strong>. We deliver WOW through service.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>An air conditioner\u2019s capacitor is one of the most important parts of the unit. These complicated pieces are hard to replace. Because of its importance, you\u2019re probably wondering, \u201cHow long do AC capacitors last?\u201d In this guide, we explain how to know when your AC capacitor is about to fail. However, don\u2019t take care of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3443,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[88],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.calltropicool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3468"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.calltropicool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.calltropicool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.calltropicool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.calltropicool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3468"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.calltropicool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3468\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.calltropicool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3443"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.calltropicool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3468"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.calltropicool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3468"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.calltropicool.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3468"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}