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Learn from my mistake.
Check your AC systems to determine what model capacitors they use and pick up a spare at your local AC supply store. They run about $25 (at least mine did).
If you have one on hand they only take a few minutes to change out (watch a YouTube video for safety precautions if you haven't changed one before). If you don't have one and yours goes out at 7:00pm like mine did you are left with spending a warm night or calling out an AC guy (a lot more than $25). Fortunately we have two AC units and I was able to use fans to move cool air where I needed it.
I'll never be without a spare again.

Learned that lesson.

AC guy quoted $75/hr labor plus parts

Changed 2 capacitors. his cost for 2 guys 30 minutes each, $75 + 50=$125. Even with 100% markup of parts $150 max.

I was not home but my mother in law was and she called to let me know they were done.

She told me it cost $525.00 and had already paid them.

I called the AC guy and he gave me some blah blah blah. Wouldn't reduce the bill. Made a complaint to the BBB. Never got it resolved because he's now out of business.

He could be operating under a different name but a little knowledge goes a long way, now I now what to look for.

And I never leave anything to my mother in law to supervise, unless its the cleaning lady or yard guys. She speaks their lingo and gets a million times more out of them than I can.

Yep - I found an AC guy that would sell me the capacitor I needed that evening if I met him on the side of the road somewhere for a 300% markup. I passed.

It can be hard sometimes to tell if it is the capacitor or a seized fan. One neat trick is if you think that the capacitor is bad, have someone turn on the AC, then take a stick and push the fan blades. Doesn't always work but I have done it and started the AC. The tricky thing is that sometimes the symptom is starter cap when it is a start relay or seized fan.

Glockster wrote:It can be hard sometimes to tell if it is the capacitor or a seized fan. One neat trick is if you think that the capacitor is bad, have someone turn on the AC, then take a stick and push the fan blades. Doesn't always work but I have done it and started the AC. The tricky thing is that sometimes the symptom is starter cap when it is a start relay or seized fan.

Mine was pretty obvious - the top was swelled up.

jmra wrote:

Glockster wrote:It can be hard sometimes to tell if it is the capacitor or a seized fan. One neat trick is if you think that the capacitor is bad, have someone turn on the AC, then take a stick and push the fan blades. Doesn't always work but I have done it and started the AC. The tricky thing is that sometimes the symptom is starter cap when it is a start relay or seized fan.

Mine was pretty obvious - the top was swelled up.

Yeah, that's a pretty good sign. Or when they totally rupture. Or lots of rust also indicates time is short.

Had this problem a couple summers back. Always seems to happen after dark, doesn't it?

12 hour wait on an AC guy to watch him go straight for the capacitor, swap it out and have it blowing cold in less than 5 minutes.

The guy I use is probably the most honest repair man I have ever met. He's been to the house 3 times and its always the hottest or coldest day of the year. He met me on the side of the road one evening because he was too busy to come out and sold me a capacitor. Another he came out and told me I had a bad breaker but didn't have one. Didn't charge me for coming out, just told me what to get at Lowe's and I fixed it myself. Even called me last year when my goats were out, I was suprised he saved my number or remembered who I was.

Most of the repairs are easy. Its just having the right diagnostic tools to chabge the right part.

I will add that people need to change their air filters. Peoples units stop cooling and a simple filter change its to blame. Cleaning the coils also helps.

Glockster wrote:It can be hard sometimes to tell if it is the capacitor or a seized fan. One neat trick is if you think that the capacitor is bad, have someone turn on the AC, then take a stick and push the fan blades. Doesn't always work but I have done it and started the AC. The tricky thing is that sometimes the symptom is starter cap when it is a start relay or seized fan.

When my capacitor failed during the night last summer this is exactly what I did. Turned the thermostat down way low and let it run till morn. It was cold in the house but better than being hot.

I usually ask rpbrown before i go ahead with the quote. He's a member here and in hvac business.

Taypo wrote:Had this problem a couple summers back. Always seems to happen after dark, doesn't it?

12 hour wait on an AC guy to watch him go straight for the capacitor, swap it out and have it blowing cold in less than 5 minutes.

Probably shouldn't have said anything, dang thing blew out again today. Luckily I have an awesome property management company now that went from service call to blowing cold in under 2 hours.