3 Things HVAC Contractors Don't Want You To Know About.
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- čas přidán 19. 05. 2024
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0:00 Intro
1:02 Tip #1 Dirty filter or condenser
3:25 Tip #2 Condensate drain
6:03 Tip #3 Capacitor
#hvacsecrets #hvaccontractors #airconditionersecrets
Thanks for another good, informative video! Like the discussion on the "one fits all" cap! Don't get too much talk about those.
Yea they are a life saver! Thanks for your support!
Love your videos! We have a 15yr old system with r34 with a leak. Should we just replace the whole system?
@@keepthinking2666 what is 410?
MOST IMPORTANT: You should always turn off the unit at the power disconnect before opening any panels or poking around inside. This video is carelessly done and you are going to get someone hurt or killed. You may think it is okay to work on a live unit but you are teaching novices how to work on their own units and they might not understand about how electricity works. Please be more responsible on future videos.
@@terrymoore9185 Never heard of R34 refrigerant. There is R134a Refrigerant but that's only for automobile applications. If your unit is 15 yrs. old, then it likely has R22. In 2010 in the U.S. A/C' with R-410a were available for install in resident's homes. The replacement for R-410a is likely going to be R32. If you have a leak in your A/C what is the cost of the repair? What is the cost of a new unit? There are many variables that it would be difficult for anyone to answer your question. I'm shocked by all the misinformation on CZcams. I'm no expert and know nothing. If you would like to get the best information about A/C's I can recommend the WORD OF ADVICE channel on CZcams.
There are some safety things you need to cover for the capacitor part... 1) Discharge the bad cap before removing it.... 2) Turn power off at the service panel 3)Test for live voltage before beginning.
Hey thanks for the comment. I need to do an update video but there are still good points in this one. This was one of my first videos and it doesn’t state as many safety things for DIYers but I guess i take for granted that it should be obvious. Thank you so much for your feedback I really appreciate it!
thanks dad, im sure if we are facing with this shit, we know to do all that, asshat
Please update this video. People can shock themselves! "A capacitor is a device that stores electrical energy" and you didn't even mention turning off the power to the unit. People can be really clueless and blindly trust CZcams videos. What may be common sense for you and I, another person will have no idea what can potentially happen. Next thing you know they are suing you and your video instructions because they hurt themselves. I love the tips you gave but just fix the safety issues. 👍
@@AnimeTriviaQuest how do you discharge the energy out of something that stores power turning the breaker of isn't enough?
@@AnimeTriviaQuest Uh, he doesn't owe you or anyone else anything. If people don't know the basics of what they're doing, then they shouldn't be doing it. He clearly mentions there is live current throughout that area.
I am a HVAC service tech and I tell and explain all of these things to my customers. I try my best to explain the refrigerant cycle to my customers. The way I see it is that if I am transparent and straight forward and I feel better as a person and my customers love me for this. I get asked for by my company's customers all the time.
Awesome, thanks so much for sharing :)
Kyle someone raised you right......that's how you treat people and customers.
Integrity - you have it
That ethic will keep you busy for the entire career n sure wish I could find others that really would copy ur method !!
You're one of the few honest ones. Many techs are forced by their company to upsell anything they can....it's so obvious and sad.
Decent enough advice but:
1) You should never spray water inwards on the condenser this forces the debris further into the fins. Take the cabinet top off or disassemble to spray water from behind the fins outwards.
2) You should never blow air inwards into the condensate drain. This also forces debris inwards and doesn’t do anything to remove the clog. Use a small wet vac and vacuum the clog outwards. Attach the vacuum to the condensate drain with some tape or simply cup your hand around it to create a seal.
- 25 years as an HVAC tech
you got it, 30 years HVAC!👍
Got it, 0 yrs here , knowing nothing but learning. How Great the vblogger and your sharing your professional knowledge as HVAC! 🌹💕 Hope we could find a local one like your guys, reliable, trustworthy, & not ripoffing consumers. R u aware of the local and nationwide' s consumers' most complaints r, in the services of coming home for repairs - electricity, a/c, heating, water pipe, natural gas pipe, repairs of anything、、、？ Outside of the home, would be car salesmen and lawyering 、、、?
I'm glad that someone else pointed this out especially forcing air in the drain line back through the system.
I put Pet Screening around the unit, this catches the cottonwood and large debris, I regularly hose it down during the bad times in spring/ early summer ✌🏻
This is one of those things that people get ripped off on all the time, replacing the whole unit. Im a renovation contractor and I’m very happy to have honest subs I can depend on.
People are generally stunned when they find out it’s only a service call charge and a part for the bill. Guarantees a lifetime client to the hvac guy.
Im learning this trade. I know how to ducts now proper and they never on right. Crazy how AC ppl don't even do right. Literally. Ducts need to be curled in the outside curled in with the insulation so the inner layer is exposed. Metal tape . Mastic. Your spray glue, then right amount connected not just slid all the way in and bunch of tape. Have tape on all the way and squeegee, smoothed out. Inside liner first. Then the out. Done. The amount of effort ppl do doing it wrong is the same or more then just doing it right the first time
Also make a shroud if not 1 or throw something over the ducts to keep em out the sun too. Also lift blocks to elevate the ducts all along them. Should be off the ground. I never see them done usually the prep is just the duct falling apart already jus pull off by hand lol. Always rotting tape already coming off
I need to find someone like you!!! Any ideas on how to word things to try to find one in my area?
@ottawapop
This has happened now, shortly after the AC unit was serviced, two years in a row >> The AC had always performed like a champ, and service technicians had never had to add a part after servicing, Then last year, the tech said they needed to return to add a part, they added it, and two weeks later, it suddenly began to stop the AC from working. The AC would turn on, or sometimes try to turn on, and would abruptly be stopped, not necessarily at the hottest part of the day, maybe at 3AM when it was only 83 outside . . so sometimes the limiting component would allow the AC to run (and it would run well), and a lot of the time it would not allow it to run at all. Then after 3 weeks of this bad behavior, it would run very well as it always had, never a problem. Then the same service technician comes to service it again this year, and he once again says that he'll have to return to replace a part (that he suggested needed to be replaced every year, when it had NEVER needed anything like that before he began servicing it last year), and he comes back and installs it in a few minutes time, all seemed well, but then 2-3 weeks later, the AC is acting up again exactly as it did last year, where the component was not allowing the AC to run, would shut it off when it would start, or shut it off prematurely, but sometimes it would allow it to run, and it would run great, but during this time, it's mostly not running at all. What did he install, and why was it "needed" *_when it was never needed before last year,_* and why after a few weeks of bad behavior, does the component allow the AC to once again run like a champ? Did he add an after-market component that limits the AC from running? The rest of the year, whether AC or furnace, the unit hasn't had a lick of trouble, no malperformance at all, only AFTER he installed this component, and then after a few weeks of bad non-performance, it works great once again, for the rest of the year. This has happened TWICE, for 3 weeks last year and now this year, ONLY AFTER he serviced the unit and came back to "replace" whatever the component is. What did he do? The unit seems to be great, but whatever the limiting component is, would convince most that the entire AC unit needs to be replaced, while I'm sure it doesn't, but that the component he installed last year and this year, should be removed, then the unit will work great as it otherwise does. What are your thoughts? I question his integrity and the integrity of the component. Thank you.
It’s so sad that way too many professionals always want to steal from people. Why do they have a need to cheat people when we are all just trying to survive. Thank you for having great integrity ❤
I built my own house - my uncle and I framed it, did my own plumbing and electrical, laid every brick, even hung my sheet rock - this is one of the best "do it yourself" vids on CZcams, hands down! I learned a few things! It's a great video!!!!!! Keep em coming!
Thank you so much! Your comments mean a lot to me. Make sure and subscribe to our channel for more heating and air tips and tricks. Cheers, Dave.
@@diyhvacguy What travel guy said.
As an HVAC technician who has done this for 11 years so far, these are all things we tell the customer to check anyways before paying for a service call at my company now, before any other company will charge you an arm and a leg for simple calls like this, great information for homeowners and landlords🙏🏻🙏🏻Good stuff brother, way to keep everyone on the same page👌🏼
Minus the capacitor because of safety concerns and precautions *** Rather do that ourselves but as I said before, could save yourself more by listening to this technician and replacing yourself but please turn power off and discharge before replacing capacitor every time🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
Thank you Brian for your input. You speak like a professional. I like that you said good stuff brother! Many commenters are crucifying the man for not including safety steps. When you decide to reroof your house, you are aware of many risks. Especially if you're a D.I.Y. er. There are many D.I.Y. er's that shouldn't be doing a project alone. The ideal D.I.Y. er does her homework, talks to others who have done a repair or project, knows the risks and prepares to do the job safely. dyihvacguy has shared good information with us. Wish I could team up with him.
I was not told to check these things before hand. They came out and charged me $199 to replace that part, and my house still won't cool down
This is the best video that I’ve seen in a long time regarding maintaining and common issues. In addition, he’s gone an extra step and clearly shown how to test and set up a capacitor. Brilliant.
I just paid $300 to get the capacitor replaced. And was without air during one of our hottest weeks. Thank you for the info! I’m retired and on a limited income.
YEp. FWIW< $300 is not overpriced. You are paying for the truck, workman's comp, health insurance, travel time, gas & oil and insurance, But if you DIY, it's only a $12 part. Keep watching his videos. I do.
$300, really? That is grossly overpriced. $150 in my expensive area.
Some "cap bandits" charge a lot more.
@@AnnM223
It's worth 300 dollars not to electrocute yourself. An experienced HVAC person makes it look easy. It's not so easy.
@@AnnM223 thats average, areas are different varying on the city/state. Cost of keeping a business goes up, and so do their prices, liability, van insurance, work comp, gas/truck use, etc. Parts cost go up as well, and some people will buy more expensive caps because they last longer. It's not easy to stay in business, the bigger the company the more you'll pay. Blame Washington, things used to be cheaper because parts and equipment used to be quite inexpensive
Just FYI, I use a Shop Vac and pull the water out of the drain every so often, I do this based on the amount of humidity and frequency of the unit running. But when I started I did it every 2 weeks. It literally takes less than 10 minutes. And I find it works better than the push back method.
@3:30 you discuss the overflow condensate line. Typically if this is backed up and filling the pan under the ac, the primary condensate line is also plugged. The primary line runs to a p-trap under a sink somewhere in the house. This will often be blocked with algae buldup and need to be flushed with bleach solution to kill the algae.
Your a good man for telling people these most common problems.Most people just keep the information themselves and get the service money. I know this will help people, god bless
You are so very generous to share these tips.
All in the name of saving everyone some money, time and stress.
Thank you for caring 🙏🏻
2:25. I clean my coils annually however I remove the top grille and spray from the inside out. That way, I'm pushing the debris out the way it came it rather than jamming it further into the coils. Also, this gives me an opportunity to clean whatever debris I find in the bottom. 2-1/2 ton Lennox I installed myself in 1988. It has never let me down. Thanks for posting this video.
This is what I learned to do from an honest HVAC guy, he showed me how to do it. I never thought to unscrew a few little screws on top of the unit and take the top protective grill off to get good access to the interiour of the unit and blast AWAY from the inside to outside. I regularily blasted the outside once a year but was surprised at how much I'd missed on the inside!
I remove the grill also. We have cottonwood trees in the woods around our neighborhood and I clean a thin blanket out of it twice a season. I've also replaced the cap and fan on it.
@@Rktect yep. This guy doesn’t know what he’s doing.
Get the. Leaves out n stuff
Thanks for the tip. I've been using a hose spraying from the outside in all these years oops.😮
What I really like, is the down to earth honesty, in trying to help people save money without any of the disclaimer mumbo jumbo. I do understand most of these diy tips needs to be taken seriously regarding safety precautions, but very much doable as explained. Also Kudos to keep the narrative flowing with casual conversation without much emphasis to correct any occasional slip of tongue. 👍
You’re one hell of a nice guy. I’m a senior citizen and I appreciate your money saving tips, God Bless you
Thank you! This solved my fan not spinning issue. I checked out your other videos and also took advice from other comments to "discharge the cap before removing it" I turned off the AC from my electrical panel and then pulled out the connector (?) from the separate HVAC breaker box next to the A/C. I followed all advice: changed filter, cleared out the condensation line, washed the a/c fins with the water hose. I removed the panel took a picture of the capacitor - ordered the exact part on Amazon and 3 days later installed it and like magic it is running! Tip: make sure you take pictures of old capacitor with all the wires connected to see where each wire goes. Each connection looks different so just take pics. My old one was corroded so no way to see the letters/words. But the pictures told me exactly how to connect it back. Thanks for this amazing video!
So I got a question on this about the fan not spinning 🤔? If I hear that the fan is having trouble spinning do you think I should replace the Compasitor. Or will that fix the problem 🤔?
@@thelasvegassportstalk the part is so inexpensive so I figured it didn't hurt to change it. Doing it myself meant I didn't have to pay for labor. Doesn't hurt to try.
@@thelasvegassportstalk Could be a capacitor or fan motor but capacitors are cheap so try it and see if the fan spins better. To me it sounds like a bad fan motor but I'm not there looking at it.
Thank you for great explorations! Single mother and always broke so I stress so much about having to call an HVAC company because it's always a long wait and more money than I have. This is something I can actually do myself and I will be ordering the capacitor now to have on hand when it's needed cause it's 103 degrees here with weeks of the same predicted
Good job sir! I’m retired now with 40 years HVAC/R and these are always the top items wrong with most units. 👍🏼
I love what you said about the condenser coil cleaning and Air Filter. Whenever I had HVAC Tec come and service my unit . They would say our unit was in great shape especially with some of the 1 he serviced in our area
I just went and inspected my AC coils and found a bunch of cottonwood wool in the coils. I washed them out and am now better prepared for the upcoming heat wave! Thanks for the tips.
Thanks for such great information. My capacitor was replaced early in its life, but I had no clue what it was for. Very helpful information from you....thanks, again.
Usually on a Friday evening of the hottest weekend of the year, the fan capacitor goes bad. The temporary fix is to get a wooden stick like a ruler or paint stirrer, put the thermostat to cooler, go to the unit outside unit, and use the stick to turn the fan. If it continues to run you know it's the fan capacitor and it will cool down your house.
Thanks,good to know.❤
Love the straight talk! And I learned about the multi-farrad cap - I didn't know there was such a thing, or that you could combine taps to get the farrad value required. Thanks a ton!
Thank you so much for the informative video. It was 92 Fkn degrees in my house after work today. I'm so glad I found your video.
This one video is such a blessing for a lot of people that need to do their own work on things, especially the folks that are on fixed incomes.
You're a blessing as well, thank you so much for your generosity and sharing your skills.
📖🛐✈️
Thanks for hitting all the issues I typically see as well. I have experienced all these on my home and repaired them all myself.
Thanks for sharing!
That was simply amazing ... I cleaned the a/c unit just as you said and I even bought a new capacitor. I replaced the air filter as I always do .... Thank you so much. Great job.
I’ve replaced that capacitor twice in 20 years and save a ton. Also replaced the fan in the squirrel cage and saved that SVC call $$$ as well. Good info, thanks.
The same as draining a forced hot water heating system, or water pipes I use a wet-vac to vacuum the system from the lowest point. That gets rid of the debris, and dries out the pipes assisted by gravity. Thanks for the video it wash extremely informative!!
I figured this out also...I used the wet vac on suction and held a rag and my hand over the drain pipe and sucked out all that green algae and whatnot. I do this every year because the overflow has ruined the paint on my baseboards. I also insert a small amount of bleach/water mix at the top to kill that algae.
Nicely done. Take care of your equipment and it will take care of you. Your tips on replacing the motor capacitor are awesome!
I’m not a person who comments on CZcams videos.
This is one of the best videos I found for trouble shooting. Good work… god bless.
Great info. In my case, the HVAC guy showed me that a fuse on the control board had burnt out and he replaced both the fuse and the contactor in the AC unit. I realize that control boards are specific to the unit but fuses and contactors should be common things to check if the capacitor is ok. Please do a video on this. Thanks!
You're my hero! I can't thank you enough. You saved me God knows how much $$, especially when this happened over the weekend during an unusually hot week. The culprit turned out to be a capacitor gone bad. A quick trip to the local hardware store and spending $29, and 10 minutes later, the fan was running again!
He saved you exactly $289
This information is like gold. My air conditioning unit quit cooling last night. Was blowing air but it wasn't cold I clean the filter and the coils. About to flip the breaker back on and see if it works if not I guess I'll need to check the capacitor or it may need freon.
You are the man. Saved me a few bucks. Checked fuses and capacitor. All were good. Then smacked the condensate pump it kicked on, started pumping out the water and viola, all is back to working order. Thank you!,
Very helpful for the average home owner, great info that can save someone that has a bit of heartache if they are so inclined to have a crack at it. Although I usually tell anyone not to force a contactor cause I've seen that go wrong. But tbh, I do it myself (on rare occasions) as do many other experienced technicians, cause it'll quickly tell the tale as to what is really going on and gives you a direction for which to troubleshoot. It's kind of a cheat code, which I discourage anyone inexperienced to attempt.
It's obvious that you don't work with 3 phase .
@@Natureboy1607 see a lot of three phase homes do you?
I had a contactor that failed prematurely after replacement. It had welded from arcing. I found the capacitor seal had failed. New capacitor and no more contactor welding. There are more failure indicators than swelling and I'm glad you brought that up. Thank you for producing this no-mystery content. I learned more in five minutes from you than from hours from other HVAC guys who could only use insider language. I had to learn a lot of things the hard way.
Wtf are you talking about lmao
@@marcusfitzgerald59 basically he said one of the wires that was on the contactor got in contact with the frame of the unit and it sparked off so he changed it out
This is very well explained. However, any idea how 😮to clean your Compressor when sitting on A Rooftop? The worst place to park a Condenser/Compressor!😮
Here's my 2 cents...I've been an HVAC contractor for about 8 years. Discharging the capacitor is only necessary to test it, it will give you a false reading if you don't do it. I've never been shocked by a charged capacitor that has been disconnected from the condenser. It's always wise to talk about safety, regardless of the task. Whenever you DIY anything, and you've never done that specific task before, letting people know could save lives. It's a good size shock, and you have a bad heart, or have something like a pacemaker, it IS enough to cause issues, maybe even death. Just be careful when attempting a DIY project, or call us, you can always find a good contractor, that won't charge you an arm or a leg for the simple stuff. Have a great day folks...!!
Greg Harbrecht
Harbrechthvac@gmail.com
Serving central Indiana since 2016
Easy explanation. Nice to know. I had mine fixed it cost me 500 now it won't cost me nothing but the part.. YOU THE MAN TY
Great advice
I live in Florida
So air conditioner gets lots of use constantly
I recently replaced the blower motor in a Goodman ac/furnace unit in our attic. I've never done anything like that. It felt amazing.
Awesome! Thanks so much for sharing. It feels good right!!? 👊🏼 cheers man
Fourth common item is likely replacing the fuses in a local power disconnect box. That was my first repair for the condenser 25 years ago. Since then I have also replaced the fan motor, but nothing else outside. As far as inside, I repeatedly fix the igniter module due to cracked soldered connections, but then eventually replaced the entire module. I will be buying a spare capacitor just in case, so thanks for that tip. I’ve kept my original HVAC system running for 31 years now, along with the natural gas dryer. Everything else has had to be replaced once they could do a longer be fixed economically.
If your fuses are blowing, there is a reason why. Fuses in the disconnect are absolutely not something that I would include on the "common" list. Easy? sure. Common? No. There's a good chance that that condenser fan motor that you replaced later is why your fuses were blowing.
This was awesome. I just got my AC unit back online (bad capacitor) in >1hour, with a 101F day incoming. THANKS.
I just discovered you and im so happy! Thank you DIY Hvac guy! I wish i would have before this heat wave. But its not to late! Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us! Have a wonderful summer!!!
Great video. I added a couple things to my to-do list after watching it. A warning about blowing pressure back into the condensate line. My father and I did this on my house back in the 80's and ended up with a wet mess inside. I've had some luck with a wet/dry shop vac and a few adapters to vacuum pull on the condensate line. The service techs that have been to my house use a venturi-based vacuum system that seems to do a great job, but not really DIY because of the high pressure gas required. I wish more installers would add some parts to the condensate line at the air handler to make maintenance and repair easier for the home-owner.
Ha ha; that'll be the day! lol.
I had a guy run a wire from inside the house to the outside unit to clear it. No problems since. I have a 1984 GMC, I believe it was made by goodman.
Safety is the #1 most important advise we can give anyone especially DIY. I believe instructing how to properly use the disconnect before opening the electrical compartment of the condenser especially before removing the capacitor should be in the video.
Thanks Chad
That was my first thought too. Definitely need to remind everyone to disconnect the power for someone gets killed.
THANKS TO ALL YOU CZcams folks that take the time and effort to help us DIY folks. You probably have no idea how much your information is used and has helped others find out whats wrong and how to fix or investigate it. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU. I wish i could express how much your few minutes of time help out !!
Of course! Thanks for the support!
@The DIY HVAC Guy we've learned much thru all you guys everytime. Learning about the crankcase heater for compressor in our last situation. Breaker kept kicking off, couldn't find why. All cause by corroded& broken connection for crankcase heater. Never knew it was even there.
This really is the majority of things that go wrong. Great video.
Keep the good info coming sir....you will get the traction you are looking for and this channel will take off.
Thanks man, I sure hope so! I’m having fun sharing my journey anyways :)
I wouldn't recommend blowing into the condensate drain pipe to clear a plugged drain. First, all that will do is force the gunk back into the catch pan, where it can easily re-enter the drain pipe and clog it again. Second, if the catch pan is full of water and you blow compressed air into the drain pipe, you will likely cause that water to overflow. If that pan is in an attic, you would damage a ceiling. If it's mounted above a furnace, that water will flow back into the furnace. I'd recommend trying a wet & dry vac to pull the debris and water out (might need to use a plumbing snake to break loose a bad plug first). If there is a lot of trash in the condensate pan and drain, you need to find the source and fix it. Could be a sign of a bad filtration setup or torn filter, or it could be corrosion flaking off, signaling a pending failure, or ??. It's not normal for a condensate drain to become plugged if everything else is set up and running correctly. It's a warning that something else isn't right.
Thank you so much for the tips. I should have included that after it is cleared and flowing to go to the attic and clean out the pan from up top. That way you aren’t dealing with a bunch of water. When I said blow it it doesn’t need much so it’s not going to blow water everywhere.
I always keep extra capacitors on hand because they like to Die In the Heat of the summer. I keep 2 at all times. I also installed a 3-2-1 hard start kit because it was suggested by the hvac tech to ease starting load on the compressor , but they wanted $240 to install it. So I watched a CZcams video about the 3-2-1 hard start kit and did it myself.
How awesome of you to share all this information with us all . Thank you for sharing! 😊
Pretty good video. However, It's never a good idea to spray the condensing coil from the outside surface. This will push dirt further into the coil. The fins are very close together. The dirt/debris will become lodged between the fins and make cleaning harder. A better approach is to TURN THE HIGH VOLTAGE ELECTRICITY OFF, remove the top, and spray from the inside to the outside, forcing the dirt out the way it came in. If tree sap or other organics are present, use a household cleanser and spray the outside of the coil thoroughly and rinse from the inside to the outside. In Texas, drains are required (since the 80's) to be piped to a P-trap, usually under a bathroom sink. A person cannot blow the drain out - there is not enough capacity or pressure-building capability to clear the line. Using air pressure to blow the line is the preferred method AFTER you install a back-flow preventer valve (PVC ball valve) at the evaporator drain outlet (otherwise, air pressure will blow back into the drain pan and not the drain line). In respect to the electric components, these are best left to a licensed professional technician. Not to be critical, but the single most important thing is to TURN THE HIGH VOLTAGE ELECTRICITY OFF before opening the panel! This aspect of the system is NOT owner-friendly! People get hurt frequently trying this. A capacitor stores energy and can deliver a serious shock to an untrained person. I strongly encourage leaving this aspect of the system alone! This is my own opinion and some likely know more than me but I've been in the industry for 50 years. No one needs to get hurt trying to service a high-voltage appliance. Have a Great Day!!
I totally agree. You need to RESPECT electricity and leave it to the pros.
This is an awesome video! I work in the electrical field but has little to no knowledge when it comes to hvac systems. Thanks for the video!
Of course! I’ll keep the hvac for beginners videos coming out! I worked under a good friend who was an hvac contractor for a couple years and learned a lot of what I know from him through hands on training. My not so strong suit is ductwork and transitions but each system looks a little nicer :) thanks for the support bro!
Actually I’m vise versa, I’d love to know more about electrical!
My friend-I'm from New York and today my year old American standard AC wasn't throwing cold air after watching your video my outside condenser fan wasn't working so I reset circuit breaker on the inside panel and another one outside. Thank God and thanks to you- my AC started throwing cold cold air
Appreciate the time and effort to help normal people like me, Be well
Thank you so much! I did step 1 and 2 and the AC is now working. Save me a service call!!!
Awesome glad to hear it!
Great info for a simple repair/service. I'm not a HVAC contractor just a homeowner, I have always done all my repairs from cleaning coils to replacing control modules and motors and fans. pretty much everything but the compressors. My house has 3 zones and at this point I have worked on all of them. Great video man. Just a reminder, It is a GREAT idea to discharge the capacitor as they do hold some shocking information lol
Thank you for the capacitor info hopefully everyone reads your comment. Shocking information danger! Thanks Wes
He he...when I was an Air force Radar tech, the first day of schooling the instructors had spread out on the top floor landing a bunch of small capacitors and when the students picked them up they got a big kick out this little lesson!
how do you discharge a capacitor?
@@robertlester4569 Step-by-step
Disconnect any power sources from the capacitor and its circuit. ...
Identify the capacitor(s) on the circuit board. ...
Turn the circuit board over to get access to the capacitor terminals. ...
Connect the leads of your resistive load to the terminals of the capacitor. ...
Give the capacitor time to discharge.
@@marrowsteven Thank you
The only thing I would add is to turn the power off before taking the panel off the outside unit. Otherwise it’s a good video with very useful information.
Yes I didn’t even think about that. The power was off to the unit for the whole video but I should include that. Thanks for the tip! Trying to improve my videos with each new one :) cheers
@@diyhvacguy and show how to discharge the capacitor
@@lawdog516 yes, moving forward I’ll make sure to do the discharging part
What for ? Lol it's more exiting with live power 😁
@@yurydolinsky capacitor tickle haha
Thanks, this video really helped me a lot. I did exactly what you said and OMG it work perfectly. In other words everything you said about the capacitor was spot on for my unit. I purchased one from Amazon and installed it myself saving $100's. You are DA Man!! Awesome!!
I found this helpful. Last week my condenser was clogged and water was running all over. I had to replace the tub on the pump. It was an easy fix my pump tubing was clogged beyond belief. Good common sense information. Thanks...
No idea what you are talking about. Condenser clogged? Causing water to fun all over? I. Guess I don’t know much about ACs
Good video. Lot of useful information. Moving forward, perhaps you could include opening incoming power at the disconnect and or breaker to the CU. Also, discharge the possible holding voltage at the dual run cap. Keep learning and sharing your adventures. Good luck out there and STAY SAFE!
Great suggestion! Thanks you as well
I have a possibly stupid question, but bear with me: Does the capacitor have to be "discharged" even after the power is cutoff and the capacitor is taken out?
@@chiefhokie yes, discharge before you touch the capacitor. The only stupid question is the one you DON'T ask. Better to know for sure 1st. Good luck!
Took the words out of my mouth . Safety first .
@Trey Brinson how do you discharge the capacitor 😮
just a quick reminder.... when you replace that capacitor make sure to discharge it first. the capacitor stores a lot of electricity. (just cross the contacts with an insulated screw driver to discharge)
Very helpful info! I’ve been told my hvac need replaced because the compressor is bad. Also, that it would probably be better to just get another air conditioner than to replace compressor. I had 3 repair men come all with different diagnosis.
My condensate line was clogged with mold which caused a backup and the pan overflowed and a whole mess of leaking through the ceiling. The tech blew forced air through the pvc drain line in the attic, and got all that nasty gunk to come out of the line outside. He then showed me where to pour two cups of vinegar in the line every month to kill any mold growth and prevent that from happening again. So thankful for the knowlege. I have my own maintenance schedule every month of changing the filter, running vinegar through the drain line, and spraying the outside unit down.
I pour vinegar down my condensate drain every once in a while. So far it stays clear. My drain is only gravity. Great video.
Awesome! That’s a great tip that I’d love to use in a future video :) cheers!
great diy video i do have a couple things to add. Using a shop vac to remove debris from the comdensate drain is a better idea than blowing the debris backwards in the line only to have it clog the drain again later. Many times the condensate pumps fail not because they have gone bad but because they are hindered by the same sludge that plugs the drains. A seasonal cleansing and a touch of clorine, they have clorine tablets available for this purpace, are a good recomendation. When purchacing a run capacitor the capacitance rating isn't the only concern, the vac rating is important. you don't replace a 440 vac with a 370 vac.. You can however replace a 370 vac with a 440 vac. When cleaning the condenser one for whatever reason they always seem to be the dirtiest on the house side. The type of condensers with the hairbrush style of fins are touchy to say the least and a foaming cleanser and gentle spray would be a good recomendation. Those bristles will easily flatten even with a normal spray cleaning. Thanks again for a great video.
Thanks so much for these tips! When I do another video On this I’ll be sure to incorporate that. Thanks again! Cheers
@@diyhvacguy I also think spraying water from the inside out is better than spraying from the outside in, though it's a bit more difficult to do
@@davidlindgren2448 yea I should have clarified, once the pan has draining. Go up to wherever the furnace is and clean it out more thoroughly. Thanks for your comment 👍🏽
Always use shop vac. Only as a last resort would I use water or air to clear drain from discharge side
Unless the debris is dry then u can use a pick tool to get it started away from the fins and then just peel it off…the few I’ve cleaned out at the A frame were mostly layers of pet hair…but damn..it was filthy and no wonder the unit wasn’t working right lol…there was another whole pet on the A frame! The guys in my area never look at the coils…it’s always…”it’s shot” even if they just installed it 2 years prior lol…I miss the old timers and their honesty…this new crowd that are replacing the old timers in every profession lack the honesty and ethnics the old timers had…shame really..I’d rather spend all the money for the certification and the equipment to fix my own now…I have enough family that it would pay off in the end working I just my unit and my family members homes lol…I just don’t like dealing with fire for the brazing etc…
Omg Thank you so much for all the information about the air-conditioning. I appreciate it. I was having a difficult time with my air conditioning and every time I called someone out it was always 300 400 so thank you. God Bless
Glad it was helpful!
Hard to find someone who wants to share the knowledge. Thank you!
Thank you so much for making this video! My capacitor blew and that instruction in your video, helped me fix it again thank you!
I saved hundreds of dollars from a service call by replacing the capacitors on my RV AC unit myself. I also checked the capacitor with the meter and confirmed the bad actor. It's important to note that capacitors store a charge and if you disconnect one and touch the terminals you may be in for a big surprise. It's best to let them rest for a while or if technically able, put a resistor across the terminals to bleed it down. Some folks might dead short them but I wouldn't recommend it.
A 1K 5W resistor is good for most anything 240 volt or below.
@@NoSpam1891I don't understand the ratings on the resistor, hopefully you won't mind clarifying ... do you mean 1000 ohms and 5 watts? Are they rated for power ... volts/amps? I am thinking to get parts to bleed these down correctly,.
@@jimw6991 Yes. 1000 ohms and 5 watts. It avoids the splat and sparks of a short. It only takes a second to discharge that.
Your videos are very informative and speak to challenges I have as a retired person living through hot Texas summers. Two question: (1) Are there any serious downsides to adding the softstart system to A/C over time? (2) Why don’t A/C manufacturers make these systems standard on their units? It seems slowing down the power surges required to operate A/C would ultimately have a positive impact on our “stand alone” Texas power grid.
Because soft starts are expensive. Just listen to the comments so far, everyone is whining about price, manufacturers HAVE to make these units inexpensive.
VERY USEFUL INFO! Waiting a day or more for an A/C repair tech in sweltering hot weather is not a prospect I look forward to if I can fix it... THANK YOU!
I had to replace my capacitor last year. It was fairly easy and solved my problem. I try to keep the filters and fins cleaned especially when I'm putting it under heavy use. I've barely used my central heat this year so far and haven't even turned the A/C on yet. Sometimes I wait till end of May or early June depending on how the weather goes.
Having worked for one of the 3 biggest HVAC commercial companies for 42 years now yes there's thing's a home owner can check like filters and coils and drain. But when it comes to the electrical side I'd be really careful and for heaven's sake turn the disconnect off before you open the cover.
If you happen to hook up the capacitor backyards and get the herm and F backyards you're going to probably cost yourself big money. Sometimes it's best to let a trained technician do the electrical and refrigeration side of these systems.For those who have some electrical experience and want to be proactive
I actually change the capacitor out every couple of year's before they have a chance to go bad. Just my 2 cents from someone who's been doing this stuff on a commercial level for 42 year's.
Thanks so much for sharing your expertise. Make sure and subscribe to the channel and comment on all of our videos as everyone can benefit from your experience! Cheers
I bought several start/run capacitors online a few years ago (once I knew what capacitor my unit used). They sat in my 'electrical' drawer in the garage. This year, the a/c went out and we called our contractor - he said we needed a new capacitor. I pulled one out, he said, yes, that's the right one, and he asked if I wanted him to go ahead and install it. Sure, I said. No charge for replacement. It was all covered with the annual retainer we paid to have these guys to do our A/C stuff. I think we pay $80/year for the privilege of 'retaining them'. Otherwise, it would have been a new part (at least $120+ with picking one up), labor, home visit fee, etc.
Figure out what capacitor your unit uses. Get several. They go out every other year or so. Save yourself some grief.
Great video DIY HVAC Guy. Thank you for putting this out. You are doing us all a nice service. It's a good thing to see, these days.
@4:35 - Be careful putting air pressure on the drain, installers don't always glue the fittings together on those drains and you might pop it open and drain all that water into a wall or in an attic.
WOW!!! Awesome video. I work for the BBB so I know lots of our BBB HVAC accredited businesses and they say it could also be a relay switch. Also discharge the capacitor so you wont get shocked. I know they hold a charge. Just put a screw driver over the terminals to short it out. Of course before you get started, TURN OFF THE POWER to the unit. Excellent video!!! Good stuff to know. Beware of some of the HVAC scammers may tell the homeowner the unit is totally dead where it may just be a bad capacitor like you said. Thanks for sharing your video. Your saving consumers a service call plus $10 part (HVAC dealer price he buys by the case) so it could easily be a $150 service call. Thanks again!
Thank-you. The spare start/run capacitor that I got after seeing your video just came in handy and fixed my daughter's HVAC. The old one was reading about 10 microfarads low. The new one fixed it.👍
I really appreciate this kind of info. As a DIY'er, I've swapped out the capacitors on both the indoor blower and the outdoor A/C. It was easier than I had expected. I saved $221 by doing it myself on the outdoor unit (based on the $41 I spent to buy a new capacitor and the $262 I was quoted by the HVAC guy). I replaced the blower capacitor, just as a preventative measure, BECAUSE IT WAS SOOOOO EASY! I likely saved $150 on that on.
I also save $250 but I was shocked by 240v in the process my family found me the next day fried onto the condenser
Amazing. Thanks for sharing. Everyone on here is saying DIYers should never do this. Did you die? You are clearly still living and a happy camper haha I’m glad you were able to do this yourself and save a bunch of dough! AND this isn’t the last time you’ll replace one. They go bad every 5 years or so. Most people spend like 300 dollars multiple times in their life, not to mention other repairs. So this knowledge is great to have. Cheers brotha
Hah! Yea right. 220v is less dangerous then 110
@@diyhvacguy I'm still at the hospital...I would recommend to hire a professional!
So what should a home owner do if there’s no hvac guys in the area that will work on old units? Mine is a 99 carrier…it works perfectly but the line leaks Freon after the home was moved and the guy who installed it was angry because he didn’t get away pulling a fast one and ripping me and my dad off on the agreement..,he did such a bad job on the brazing I had to try redoing it myself…luckily the unit was empty thank God cuz I learned after the fact that r22 is made out of methane! And if a DIYer is messing with electrical and doesn’t know u have to discharge a capacitor!? They shouldn’t be doing DIYer crap involving electrical! I have a good guardian angel that kept my dumba$$ from blowing up my home lol…I would have visited the discriminating parties who refused to work in it if it had blown up…this is why u can not discriminate against folks based on bs stereotypes! I don’t have a spouse and don’t want one! So I can not afford a fancy home that costs $2000+ a month for a payment…I own my place and my land without debt! Discriminate against that logic…not against a woman who doesn’t want to be the stereotype and has done it on her own….society makes me physically sick to my stomach with their bs too often anymore…but I learned to fix it myself..and did…that middle finger is what I have to offer for pricks who discriminate! If I have a wad of cash to pay and the credit for overage but don’t need it cuz cash is how I like to pay for things lol…and that’s still not good enough…then who needs us! Rich people are becoming fewer and fewer so enjoy being a slave to those filthy rich pos
Really great tips.
However, the part about changing out the run/start capacitor you didn't mention turning off the power and showing how to discharge the capacitor so folks won't get shocked and when reinstalling the new capacitor which wire goes to the correct terminal.
Yup...I keep spares of all the capacitors for my furnaces, heat pumps, and AC units. I've had a few blow and they are VERY EASY to replace, and not terribly expensive.
Thanks for educating DIY. Most meters wont have capacitor value checker, you can use the ohm portion of the meter to check for shorted 0 or OL open capacitors, only after you discharge them - short across the tabs, better with a resistor in series.
I replaced the capacitor and a year later the condenser fan motor went out, a little more work especially getting the old blade off, but you can also save money by doing that yourself as well. BTW: I would rather use a wet vac to clear the condensate line. You can also test if the capacitor is not working by spinning the fan blade if it is accessible with the a/c turned on, if it starts to run the capacitor is bad.
Good pointers man! Thanks for sharing! Cheers
Yep. Been there had that problem.
+2
The capacitor, yep, I had changed in July. A tech told me all about it. My air-furnace unit is almost 30 yrs old. He said “baby this it’s like a tank and better than the new units.” And so I am taking care of it.
Nice! Thanks for sharing
Yes! The older units u want to keep! They’re made of quality material unlike this new junk they make now…the new ones are made with aluminum coils which doesn’t handle the drastic temperatures a central air unit has on the lines etc…I honestly think the gov is just trying to eliminate hvac in america altogether because the new Freon type r410a has also been banned and is being phased out as well…everyone who has a new unit will soon realize “it’s shot” when the phase out is done and no one will recharge the Freon because it’s not sold in America anymore…..however, it’s not illegal to buy r22 online without a license …they’re still selling and using it in every other country…it’s just america and the EU countries that signed up for the climate hoax that can’t sell it…god forbid natural elements of the atmosphere be used to cool and heat our homes…they want use living like cave men with no luxuries
@@w8what575 We threw a wrench in their gears for 4 years. Could have been more or permanently fixed but people don't make informed decisions at the Ol ballot box. I am hopeful this nonsense can be walked back. We have only one more chance for that in '24.
Yep my 25 y o unit looks like new n works great just with a lil lovineach season.
What brand an model do u have? I still have mine a YORK frm 1988.
Thank you for TAKING the time to SHARE these AMAZING ideas and fixes!
I was ALREADY aware of DISCHARGING capacitor.
A-LOT of MONEY has been MADE off of these SIMPLE truths that you share. I'm sure (some) DISHONEST HVAC contractors have USED these SIMPLE truths to RAILROAD their customers.
SUCH is NOT the CASE with you. I've watched your other vids and you seem to TRULY care about PEOPLE.
That is PARTICULARLY valuable in TROUBLING times as these. Again, thank you!
I just recently changed my run capacitor on my squirrel cage fan and it was very cheap, about $10, I heard a humming sound coming from it and that is what it was, I saw on the old one were it had mushroomed some, the new one has it running like a new one 👍 and I love these kind of videos, thanks for sharing 👍
Also with the capacitor: Make sure to check and tighten the connections on the contactor. If the spade connectors are suspect crimp on new ones. Also IF you're comfortable trying this; turn the 2 pole breaker off at the panel then tighten the connections at the disconnect box.
I use a shop vacuum to suck out the debris from my condensation line. Good tips especially on cleaning the condenser coils with a water hose.
Yes! One of my connectors had corroded and broken off. I replaced the end and it was fixed.
Thank you for the excellent video. Please update it with the safety cautions so you aren't held liable for any accidents. This is a great video otherwise.
Thank you very much, i fixed the problem with your help, it was the condensate pump ..... unplugged !
Great content. It's 85 in my house and my thermostat is set to 70. 2 hvac guys said nothing was wrong and that my unit was working as it should. One guy added a little more freon but it wasn't low at all. I complained a few days later that the problem still isn't fixed. He told me that I need more insulation. I found his statement hard to believe because last year this same unit blew cold air when set at 70 in the scorching summer heat when it was 99 inside the house. I went from being totally drenched in sweat to no seat at all within 5 to 10 minutes of the unit being turned on. I am going to apply what I just learned and see what happens. Thanks again
You could have included replacement of the fuses in the box just behind you, I have had to replace those on my commercial units a few times, very simple fix, fuses are readily available at the big box stores and they do go bad over time even though the system was working fine and there was no inherent reason for them to fail, that is, no excessive load that was a problem causing the fuses to fail.
Fuses intentionally have a weak spot, it is where it blows, and vibration over time will cause the fuse element to fatigue and fail. Worse is if you are near a train line, second a highway or airport. But just thunderstorms or high wind will cause vibration in the ground that is transferred to the house.
@@davidmoran4471 Thanks, good to know, I was worried the compressor is going bad and drawing too much current, or some thing else is wrong and it's going to fail again in the future.
Informative video. I've never performed any of these steps but getting ready to upgrade my system, so good to know. Condensate line...hmm...now I need to go look for mine.
You stated to not touch anything metal and promptly started touching everything. Yes, the handle was insulated, but good electrical safety practices include treating the circuit as if it is a live circuit, especially when dealing with capacitors since their job is to hold a charge even once power has been removed. Ensure the capacitor is appropriately discharged before tinkering around in there.
Also +/- 5 percent, not degrees.
Another thing that I learned about on my new unit is sticky contactors! Super cheap and easy to replace
Only thing I'd like to add,
To clean the coils on your outside unit , I suggest you use a coil cleaner . Pull the electric disconnect switch and close the door , also flip the breaker off on your electric panel , unscrew the top of the ac unit let it hang to the side of the condenser, be gental to not pull hard on the wires to fan motor , use a cheep handheld hand pump pressure washer fill it with cleaner and spray coils from top to bottom . Let sit for 20 minutes and rinse with water from your hose , start at the top and always spray water from the inside out , and work your way around and down coils , you won't believe the black dirt that comes out from what looks like pretty clean looking coils , doing it the way I described you can visually see the perfectly clean brand new looking coils.
Spraying from the outside in is better than doing nothing , but it does not do near a proper clean job , not to mention spraying from the outside it lodges particles deeper into the coils .
Good video. A 4th common reason for your service call is that the system is low on it's refrigerant charge which is probably due to a refrigerant leak in the system. Beware of technicians who simply add more refrigerant to fix this problem without first locating the leak(s), repairing them and then testing that the repairs are not leaking before recharging the refrigerant in the system.
Thank you man that was great information. I learned so much I had the same issue last year but I was lucky my neighbor was conditioning person. He change the color of the capacitor and everything was OK.
I remember last summer our capacitor went bad. Same symptoms as you described. My father ended up calling a contractor he knew. He changed it no problem... Charged us $215 for the 2 minutes it took him. Luckily I watched him do it. I looked up the price of the part that was changed out, it was 10 bucks at Home Depot... I was LIVID. $215 FOR 2 MIN OF WORK FOR A $10 PART!? LOL never again.
From the contractor perspective it isn’t the 10 dollar part you are paying more for, it’s the knowledge of what part to take of and knowing it will fix it. That’s really what you are paying for. But I’m glad you have the knowledge to do this yourself now! Cheers
Same here, I had to replace mine recently and I paid $200 for the part/labor. Now I know how cheap these parts really are, but at least I didn't run the risk of being electrocuted (or maybe I'm telling myself that so that I feel better, ha).
I had an A/C check done recently, guy said cap was OK but starting to be out-of-spec, wanted $370 to replace it if he did it today, and if he did it later, it would be that much + $120 service/trip charge! I told him to tell his boss they were overcharging and I'd do it myself. That's thievery!
Wish I'd thought to watch this video this last year...lol
Overhead; business expenses, advertising, taxes; licensing, etc. IT'S NOT ALL GRAVY !!!
in my opinion you should always clean your outdoor unit from the INSIDE to out, not just spray the outside. Even though that can help. There are always leaves inside that should be removed etc.
Any cleaning is better than none. The average homeowner risks damaging coils gaining access to spray outward and is likely better off doung it outside in.
I have cleaned out my condensate drain with a shop vac. I cut the top out of a plastic coke bottle. The little end fit over the 1/2 inch pvc and the vac hose fit inside the cut end of the bottle. I was surprised how fast it cleaned it. I tried blowing in it, but line was too long, and water would flow onto the floor. Very good info, thank you!
My AC Stopped cooling today and by the info on this video, looks like it’s time to replace my capacitor…. Thank you for this informative video
I'm surprised you did not describe de-energizing the unit first by pulling the disconnect. You'll still want to short the capacitor before trying to remove and disconnect it.
GREAT POINT! SAFETY SHOULD ALWAYS COME 1st!