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Project story

Warm air on a July afternoon in Alamo Heights

A failed run capacitor stopped the outdoor fan and compressor; cooling was back once it was replaced.

  1. The problem

    On a hot July afternoon the system was running, but the air from the vents was warm. Earlier that week the homeowner had heard a humming sound from the outdoor unit.

  2. What we found

    The outdoor unit was humming, but neither the fan nor the compressor was starting. The run capacitor tested well below its rated value and its top had started to bulge. The contactor and wiring were in good condition.

  3. The options

    Replace the failed capacitor and check the whole system once it was running. Because the system was about twelve years old, we also offered to talk through its general condition, with no other work needed to get cooling back.

  4. What was done

    With the homeowner’s approval, the capacitor was replaced with one of the correct rating, the connections were tightened, and the system was run and checked: fan, compressor, pressures and the air at the vents.

  5. The outcome

    The system cooled normally again. The homeowner kept the old capacitor to see what had failed, and made a note of the system’s age for planning ahead.

Photos from the job

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