Electric Motor Start Capacitor Troubleshooting

Wear work gloves and use a screwdriver with an insulated handle so you don t shock yourself.

Electric motor start capacitor troubleshooting. Here we provide an electric motor diagnostic table a troubleshooting guide that helps diagnose and repair most electric motor problems for motors found on hvac equipment in buildings such as air conditioners furnace or air handler blower fans oil burner motors well pumps and condensate return. The start capacitor is designed to stay in the circuit only until the compressor reaches 2 3 to 3 4 of its operating speed. Start capacitors are not designed to dissipate the heat associated with continuous operation. The only additional device to be considered is the capacitor.

You may hear it humming or observe that it s getting hot. Capacitors give the motor more starting and or running torque. The higher the capacitance of the capacitor the more energy it can store. If the capacitor has failed the symptom is that the motor won t start.

Motor capacitors store electrical energy for the motor to use. Capacitor start electric motors use a starting coil and a capacitor to create an advancing magnetic field in the stator outer frame of the motor with its coils. A start capacitor is only used in the motor circuit for a second or two when it first starts to turn. Troubleshooting capacitor motors is like troubleshooting split phase motors.

This advancing magnetic field gives the rotor something to chase causing the rotor to spin. To check the capacitor set the volt ohm meter to rx100 scale and touch its probes to the capacitor terminals. To check a start capacitor start by turning off and unplugging your appliance. Once the motor is up to speed the start capacitor disconnects and is not used again until the next time the motor starts.

Capacitor on single phase motor may have failed. Verify the amp draw of motor versus the nameplate rating. If left in longer the start capacitor. If the capacitor is ok the.

A damaged or burnt out capacitor may hold only a fraction of the energy needed for the. Electric motor test repair guide. They are designed to stay in the circuit only momentarily while the motor is starting. Electric motor starting run capacitor troubleshooting faqs questions answers about electric motor start boost or run capacitors capacitors are electric devices that get an electric motor running at start up or that help keep a motor running once it has started.

Motor overloaded or jammed. A bad motor capacitor may cause starting problems or could shut off the motor while running. This article describes a c electrical motor troubleshooting. This causes the motor to start with a higher torque than would normally be possible.

Inspect to see that the load is free. If a start capacitor stays in the circuit too long it will overheat and fail. If a failed start capacitor is discovered while troubleshooting the start relay. Then use a screwdriver to open the appliance so you can locate the capacitor which is a metal tube that should be near the motor.

A capacitor motor is a split phase motor with the addition of one or two capacitors.