How To Replace Carrier AC Capacitor?

Carrier Air Conditioners are one of the best in the market. They come with premium features and enticing prices. Though they are made very effectively they may get to be repaired at times as is any electrical appliance. Capacitor is one of the parts of an air conditioner that gets into trouble often as it handles a bit more voltage than other parts. Hence we wrote down this blog on How to replace Carrier AC capacitor? in a few simple steps.

How to replace Carrier AC capacitor?

Step 1: Turn the Power Off

Turn off the air conditioner's electricity. A block fuse or local circuit breaker is usually installed in a box near the outdoor air conditioner unit; to turn off the electricity, you must take out the block fuse or turn off the circuit breaker.

If there is no outdoor shut-off box, turn off the electricity at the main service panel by turning off the circuit breaker that controls the air conditioner. This should be a 240-volt double-bar breaker designated as the air conditioner breaker. Also, switch your home's thermostat to the OFF position. As you operate, this will prevent short pulses of low-voltage current from being supplied to the capacitor.

Step 2: Take Out the Access Panel

Remove the mounting screws from your air conditioner unit by opening the access panel. This panel is often found in an upper corner of the air conditioner casing. Keep the lid and the screws in a secure location.

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Step 3: Purchase a New Capacitor

Inside the panel, look for the capacitor. It is usually formed like a can with a sticker on the side. Take note of the technical information on the label, such as the load voltage, capacitance, and tolerance. Replace the capacitor with another that meets the same specifications. The replacement capacitor may have a slightly different form, but this is not an issue as long as it can be installed in the current area.

Step 4:  Discharge the Capacitor and Label the Wires

Even after the power is switched off, the capacitor may be storing stored electricity, and this current must be discharged before you can safely operate on it.

Hold the blade of an insulated screwdriver across the two metal terminals that protrude from the capacitor body to discharge it. This essentially "short circuits" the capacitor and discharges any remaining power.

Examine the old capacitor and take note of where each of the three wires — fan, common, and  compressor is connected. The original capacitor's top should have marks indicating where each wire goes: "Fan" for fan, "C" for common, and "Herm" for the compressor. Tape little tabs of tape to each wire, identifying them with a marker to indicate which terminal they are connected to. It is now safe to remove the old capacitor's spade wire connections and wires. Unscrew the mounting strap and take the capacitor out of the device to remove it.

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Step 5: Replace the Capacitor

Place the new capacitor in the same location as the old one. To secure it in place, use a mounting strap, either the old one or a new one, if necessary. Slide the spade wire connector ends onto the new capacitor's proper posts, making that the connections are correct: fan wire to "Fan" post; common wire to "C" post; compressor wire to "Herm" post.

Step 6: Turn On the Power and Test it

Switch on the air conditioner unit's electricity by flipping the circuit breaker or reinserting the block fuse at the power box.

Return the thermostat to the ON position, then adjust the temperature to a low level to activate the air conditioner. If it does not work properly, the most likely problem is that the wire leads on the capacitor were connected improperly. Turn off the power, discharge the capacitor, and double-check the wire connections. Replace the access cover once you've confirmed that the unit is operational.

Final Word

As we said earlier, It doesn’t matter which brand of appliance it is, cause most probably it will have to be get repaired one time or another as every appliance runs with the collaboration of many parts and that may get disturbed due to various factors. We need to have the patience to go through the process of troubleshooting and making it work again.

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1. Carrier Heat Pump Troubleshooting        2. Carrier Infinity Air Purifier Installation

3. Carrier Furnace Troubleshooting            4. Carrier AC troubleshooting