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Add On Wood Furnace
If you have an existing oil or gas furnace with the accompanying ductwork, you may wish to consider an Add on Wood Furnace. Unlike a wood stove, this wood furnace has its own blower and is designed to have ductwork attached to it. The problems encountered with wood furnace add on are due to the duel blower situation. Two blowers sharing the same ductwork presents an airflow problem. If the return trunk line is tied into both furnaces, one blower will try to pull backwards thru the other.
A separate and distinct return is recommended for add on. The supply trunks can be shared, but should be shared in a dynamic way to direct the air in the proper direction, and not plenum to plenum which might also cause a backward flow thru one unit.
Another method would be to use zone dampers which would open or close the connector ducts depending on which unit is operating. These dampers would prevent back feeding but would restrict operation to one unit at a time, both could not run simultaneously.
You CANNOT vent the wood furnace into the same chimney flue as the other furnace. You cannot vent the wood furnace into a flue used by any other appliance; it needs its own chimney flue. The chimney flue cannot be brick lined and cannot be gas vent or type B. It must be a lined chimney or an all-fuel type chimney. The size must be at least the size of the exhaust on the furnace, and no bigger in area than three times the area of the furnace exhaust.
Many unique building codes apply to wood burning furnaces. The duct clearances will be larger than standard clearances and there will be combustible air requirements. Best is to check with your local building department before purchasing. Also, most manufacturers will not stand behind the warranty unless the installation is by a qualified technician, so do-it-yourselfers should be advised. Most homeowner insurance companies might feel the same way.
Bypass Humidifier
The most common furnace humidifier is the bypass humidifier. It makes use of the pressure differential between the return and supply plenums on a furnace to move air through it with minimal electrical consumption. Constructed of metal or plastic, it consists of a cabinet, reservoir, rotating drum with motor, and float, preferably mounted on the supply plenum, warm air forced into the cabinet and flows over the rotating drum. The drum is a sponge or foam fabric stretched over a plastic frame. A small motor slowly spins the drum through a tray of water fed from the domestic water supply and regulated by a float valve. As the wet drum is exposed to the flow of warm air, water evaporates and humidifies the air. Ducted into the return air plenum, it is mixed with supply air and ducted to the house.
The same humidifier design can be altered slightly and become a power humidifier. With a larger cabinet and no duct to the return plenum, a fan moves air across the wet drum or wet screens and blows it back into the supply plenum.
Heat pump and electric furnace air is not warm enough to evaporate water as easily as a fuel burning furnace, so a steam humidifier is needed. Fabricated of metal, a float valve keeps the required amount of water in the reservoir. Mounted in the return or supply ducts or plenums, line voltage current is passed through a heating element immersed in the reservoir to make steam. The control wiring will include a switch to turn the blower on during operation for increased humidification even when the thermostat is not calling for heat.
Airstream humidifiers mount in the bottom of a supply duct. Shaped like a half of a watermelon to form a reservoir, a float valve maintains the proper water level. Discs made of screen rotate with the help of a motor into the water then around into the warm air stream to allow the water to evaporate.
Two types of humidifier spray water directly into the warm air duct while the air is flowing. One uses the ultrasonic principal to atomize water droplets for evaporation. Tabletop versions of this design are known as cool mist humidifiers. The other spray type uses air and water pressure mixed in a nozzle to atomize the water similar to an aerosol spray. These designs are effective, but any minerals dissolved in the water will drop out as solids and collect in the ductwork or be blown out the supply registers as a fine powder.
The earliest furnace humidifiers were ceramic wicks stacked in a tray of water that was suspended over the heat exchanger in the supply plenum. Very few if any of these still exist, going the way of the old furnace that has been torn out and replaced over the years.
Boilers
At one time the hulking mass in the basement that heated the home with hot air or steam was known as the furnace. Today, a furnace moves air and a boiler produces steam or hot water.
Oil fired boilers are constructed of steel or cast iron. Cast iron boilers are made up of sections, which are large hollow rings stacked together, like a box of donuts. The water to be heated is inside the rings, and the burner is mounted to blast its flame into a firebox (sometimes called a refractory) fitted into the hollow created within the sections. Steel boilers can be of the same design or be of stamped steel welded together to form the sections or water chambers.
Gas burns at a lower temperature than oil, and gas boilers come in a variety of designs. They can be similar to oil boilers, but usually put the flame closer to the metal, even immersing the water tubes in the fire. Some gas burners have a blast tube, similar to an oil burner, but most use atmospheric burners. This type of burner uses the pressure of the gas forced through an orifice to mix with air and create rows or fire, similar to the burner in a gas oven or grill.
Hot water boilers have many accessories to perform properly. An aqua stat serves two purposes. It controls the temperature the boiler operates at, and provides a low voltage transformer and relay to control the circulator. More than one circulator requires additional relays or a multiple control panel. Water pressure is limited by a valve known as a regulator. Check valve or backflow preventer stops water from migrating into the domestic supply should the pressure inside the boiler become greater than the domestic water pressure. A temperature-pressure relief valve vents the system if the water pressure or the temperature exceeds the designs of the boiler. Water expands and contracts as it is heated and cooled, necessitating an expansion tank.
Since it is impossible to hermetically seal the heating system, automatic or manual air bleeders must be integrated into the circulating loop. A circulating pump moves the hot water through the heat loop. If multiple zones are desired, a circulator is needed for each loop, or one circulator can be used with zone valves. Zone valves will open and close with the call from the thermostat, as well as turn the circulator on. If each zone has its own circulator, a flow check valve is required to prevent the flow of water by convection or by another circulator. Domestic hot water can be produced in two ways. A thankless coil (a coil of copper tubing with aluminum fins attached) can be immersed into the water jacket to create allow a heat exchange. A hot water maker is a storage tank with a coil inside through which hot water from the boiler is circulated for the heat exchange. Hot water cannot be drawn directly out of the boiler because it may contain anti-freeze or corrosion protecting chemicals.
Steam boilers are identical to hot water boilers in construction, but operate at different water levels. A hot water boiler is filled with water, and a steam boiler is not. In order to make steam, the water is kept below the top of the water jacket. A float valve with a sight glass automatically regulates the water level. Steam moves through the pipes to the radiators under its own pressure. As the steam passes though a radiator it cools and condenses into water, then gravity returns the water to the boiler to repeat the cycle. Many of the hot water boiler controls are not needed: circulator, flow check valve, and automatic bleeders.
The most common fuels are oil and gas, but wood and coal can be used, as well as electricity. Electric boilers differ from the rest because they do not require a firebox. The electric heating elements are immersed directly in the water.
Chimneys & Power Ventilators
Safely venting the exhaust gasses from a fuel furnace has traditionally been done with a masonry chimney. A wood furnace burns with high exhaust temperatures loaded with creosote that can deposit on the chimney liner and catch fire. Since temperatures can be in excess of 2400 degrees Fahrenheit, the only alternative to a masonry chimney is an all fuel chimney that has a stainless steel liner, an outer wall and insulation between the two.
The modern oil fired furnace has become so efficient that its exhaust gas temperature is low enough to vent alternatively if a masonry chimney is not available, such as a conversion. Using a small electric motor and high temperature blower, the power ventilators produces a draw (draft) equivalent to or stronger than the natural draft a chimney makes to remove the exhaust gasses. Double wall construction (a pipe within a pipe with an air space between them) allows tight clearances to combustibles. Safety controls such as a pressure switch that senses that the motor is drawing air and a purge timer will not allow the burner to run if the venter motor fails. Post purge keeps the venter running after the burner has shut off to cool the firebox down and remove any residual exhaust gasses.
The correct draft is important to the proper burn of an oil or wood furnace. If a chimney does not have a good enough draw, a device called a draft inducer can remedy the problem. Constructed of high temperature blower driven by a small electric motor, it is mounted in the smoke pipe just before it enters the chimney. Wired in conjunction with the burner motor or to a manual switch, it can be adjusted to help the chimney do its job.
It was always assumed that the exhaust gasses from a gas burning appliance would not harm a masonry chimney, but time has proven that assumption wrong and dangerous. The water vapor in the exhaust gasses can condense on the clay liner, and being slightly acidic, slowly attack the liner and cause deterioration. As the liner crumbles, it falls to the bottom off the chimney , eventually blocking off the flow of exhaust gasses. With no place to go out, the gasses back up, causing the appliance to burn fuel poorly and produce carbon monoxide, a poisonous gas. To correct or prevent this problem, metal liners have been developed that will slide down the chimney and hook directly to the appliance, eliminating contact between the exhaust gasses and the clay liner.
Electric Furnaces
An electric furnace uses resistance cal rods to create heat directly in the air stream. Inside the jacket or cabinet will be controls, a blower, and the circuit breakers for the heating elements. Some furnaces have the breakers accessible from the outside of the cabinet.
It’s basic components are; the cabinet or jacket, a blower, heating elements, and controls.
Accessories can include: an air filter, electronic air cleaner or high performance media filter; humidifier, or air conditioning evaporator coil. A system with central air might have a condensate pump to remove the water generated in the dehumidifying process of the air conditioning.
A zone control panel and motor actuated dampers will be attached to the furnace or ductwork if the system is zoned.
Routine maintenance includes monthly replacing the air filter or washing the electronic air cleaner grids during constant use, and cleaning the humidifier. Humidifiers can be of the steam generating type, which will be line voltage powered, and should be shut off before servicing. Deadly high voltage conditions exist inside the cabinet; leave control servicing to a qualified technician.
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AC Questions and Answers
Why I am not getting 24 volts to the contactor? Where does the 24 volts come from?
The 24 volts comes from the transformer. Most of the time, the transformer is located inside the furnace, although sometimes (about 10%) it is located inside the outdoor AC unit. The transformer produces the 24 volts which goes up to your thermostat then out to your air conditioning unit. You should probably try to turn the thermostat down so the air conditioner is supposed to be coming on. Pull your high voltage disconnect so there isn't a chance of you getting shocked. Test and see if you are getting 24 volts straight out of the thermostat wires that come into your outdoor AC unit. If you are getting 24 volts then one of your safety controls on your air conditioner is not allowing the contactor to kick in. A lot of the times air conditioning units have low pressure (low refrigerant) switches on them. If you do not have enough Freon (refrigerant) in the system it will not allow the unit to come on. If you aren't getting 24 volts straight out of the thermostat wires, then you have a thermostat or wiring problem.
My Air conditioner's contactor will not engage. I am not getting 24 volts to the contactor to make it engage? What could be the problem?
Yes, if the contactor is not getting the 24 volts then it could be a time delay relay (if unit is equipped), thermostat problem, transformer, safety control (low refrigerate) or wiring problem. I would suggest checking your connections and testing the controls with a meter.
Will a larger blower motor help my air conditioning? My air conditioner does not seem to be blowing very hard.
Check your refrigerant charge first because if your system is low on charge it will cause the coil to freeze up and cause a restriction in the air flow. Rule of thumb is the blower should produce 440 CFM (cubic feet per minute) of air per ton. This usually calculates out to about a ¼ to 1/3 HP blower motor. If you get too much CFM it is hard on the air conditioner, because it robs the air conditioner of the cool gas going back to the compressor to keep it running cool and you have to over-charge the unit to get the cool gas going back to the compressor. It’s usually needed to add refrigerant to a system that has too large of a blower motor. You want to charge your system so that there is cool gas going back to the compressor and the suction line feels like a cold coke can right out of the refrigerator. The air conditioner should make a 15 to 20 degree difference in the ambient air. If you home is 75 degrees inside the air coming out of the registers should be from 55 to 60. I would not recommend going over 1/3 horsepower in your case. You would need to check the charge after you install the new motor to make sure you are getting the needed cool gas back to the compressor. I would check to make sure your blower wheel (squirrel cage) is clean and the bottom of your evaporator coil to make sure it is clean before trying a larger motor.
Tricks for removing a condensing unit fan blade:
Sometimes these things are real hard to get off. Most of the time they are easy to get off shaft using the method below. I use this method all the time. Sand the existing shaft with sand cloth to remove the rust if any of the shaft is sticking up out of the hub. Use WD40 on shaft and lock nut. Loosen lock nut on blade. If the lock nut is stubborn and will not come loose, hit the top of the blade hub a few times lightly with a hammer to help the WD40 vibrate into the threads. If the lock nut or Allen screw will still not come loose then you might need to apply some heat with a torch. Cut the existing motor shaft off using an electric hack saw or hack saw. It is tough going using a hand driven hack saw. Once you have the shaft cut off from the motor. Take the blade and lay it down on some concrete. Take a deep well socket 2" to 3" deep and position the socket underneath the hub on the fan blade and on the concrete. Take a hammer and drive the shaft out. When the shaft gets down below the top of the hub, use a 3/8” extension to drive the shaft out of the hub. If you mushroom the top of the shaft you might need to drive the shaft back out from the other end a little bit and use a metal file to file away the mushroomed metal so the shaft can be driven out of the hub.
What causes poor air flow in a system?
A dirty filter, blower wheel, stopped up evaporator coil, and a dragging motor can cause poor air flow. I would have your evaporator coil and blower wheel checked to make sure they are clean. Check the capacitor on the blower motor to make sure it is reading up to par. If you do not have a capacitor tester then you would need to purchase a new capacitor to see if it is the capacitor. Make sure your system is fully charged with refrigerant. A system that is low on charge will cause a freeze up condition and block air flow through the evaporator coil. To identify which capacitor you need you would need to turn off your power and take the capacitor loose and try to read the specs on the capacitor.
What could be causing my indoor coil to freeze up?
Freeze ups are caused most of the time by a low refrigerant charge. Before you call someone to check the charge on your system I would make sure the filter is clean. Freeze ups can also be caused by a dirty blower wheel, dragging motor (might need a new capacitor) or a dirty evaporator coil (might need cleaning on the under side). But most of the time it is low on charge. Yes, you can turn the air conditioner back on, but make sure the larger line is good and cold going back into the outdoor unit. You will need to possibly get under the black insulation and feel the bare copper line. After the unit runs for 10 to 15 minutes the line should feel like a cold coke can right out of the refrigerator. If it doesn't then you are low on charge and need to get a technician to find the leak and charge it up as quickly as possible. It is very hard on the compressor to run without enough refrigerate. Best of luck!
Why is water leaking on my floor with the air conditioner on?
Most of the time, when there is water on the floor, it is caused by a stopped up condensate line. Use a wet Vac to suck the line and try to open it up, or if this does not do it use compressed nitrogen or air. Sometimes water leaking on the floor is caused by a freeze-up condition in the evaporator coil. The freeze up condition can be caused by a low refrigerant charge or poor air flow (a dragging blower motor, dirty filter, or dirty evaporator coil). Another reason that is see leaks on the floor is caused by a rusted out evaporator coil drain pan. This would be the worst because it involves taking out the evaporator coil and replacing the pan or purchasing a whole new evaporator coil. I hope your evaporator pan doesn't have a hole in it.
I pulled the high voltage disconnect on my outdoor unit. Why am I still getting a low humming sound?
The low humming sound is probably from your low voltage power still on. The hum could probably be the contactor or reversing valve on a heat pump being energized. The low voltage power transformer is usually located on the indoor furnace or air handler. I would suggest turning the power off to the furnace or air handler. Usually there is a switch on the side of the furnace to do this. On an air handler there are usually breakers or disconnect. The low voltage will not hurt you, but if you accidentally touch a low voltage wire and ground it out then you might damage your board or blow a low voltage fuse on the board.
Proper Subcooling Charging Techniques
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Please help me understand what this warning means on my AC:
"Warning...never stop the cooling system by shutting off the main power. If the main power to your air conditioner is ever disconnected for more than three hours, turn off the thermostat. Then wait for at least three more hours after the power has been restored before turning the thermostat back on. Failure to follow this procedure could result in damage to your air conditioning system"
On the warning not to turn your air conditioner on for 3 hours after the power has been off for more than 3 hours. This is a manufacturer's warning and quiet honestly not many people abide by it. The warning is there to prevent the compressor from possible valve damage that could occur if any liquid refrigerant has migrated, and is sitting inside the compressor. The compressor is made to pump a gas, not a liquid, and if any liquid refrigerant has migrated into the compressor during the power off period, then when the compressor is started back up the compressor could try to pump the liquid refrigerant and bend the valves, thus ruining the compressor. Many of the compressors have heaters in them, either external or internal that boils the liquid refrigerant off when power is restored. They recommend waiting three hours to make sure the entire liquid refrigerant is boiled off. Most people do not abide by this, but if you want to make sure you do not damage your compressor it would be a good idea to wait the 3 hours.
I ran our heat pump, air conditioner all night and it did great, but when I went outside this morning the unit was making this buzzing/humming sound. It still works correctly, but it makes that humming noise even when the unit is not running. In other words when the thermostat has the unit in the off mode it makes the noise, but when the temperature in the house rises and the thermostat turns the unit on everything is fine. Does this make any sense?
Many heat pumps have a reversing valve solenoid that is energized (24 volts AC) all the time in the cooling mode. This reversing valve solenoid is energized whether the unit is running or not. If the solenoid is getting old, or if the solenoid is out of alignment, or loose then the buzzing, humming sound will occur. Try to switch your thermostat to the heating mode and see if the hum is still present. If the hum is still present then you might have a noisy outdoor transformer. If the noise is so loud that it is bothersome then you may need to replace the reversing valve solenoid or transformer.
Another thing, you might want to test your transformer and make sure you are getting 24 to 28 volts AC out of the secondary on the transformer. If the transformer is producing low voltage (under 24 volts) then this would cause a loud humming, vibrating sound.
I purchased a new programmable thermostat. My thermostat wiring only has only three wires. The thermostat instructions call for a red power wire, a yellow, green and white wire. My three wire colors are White, Yellow and Green. How do I wire this thermostat up?
Always mark the wires with tape or labels as to which terminal they were connected to on the old thermostat. It will be able to help you better. Do you have both heating and cooling? Most thermostats have a Red wire that is the power wire that usually connects to R & RC terminals of the thermostat, a Green wire that energizes the Fan relay, connected to the "G" terminal on the stat, a Yellow wire that energizes the outdoor unit's contactor, if you have air conditioning using the "Y" terminal, and a white wire that energizes the gas valve or oil burner when you need heat connected to the "W" terminal. The thermostat acts as a switch, like a light switch. Red to white switch turns on the heat. Red to Green turns on the fan, Red to Yellow turns on the air conditioner. The main question would be do you have air conditioning? One of the wires almost has to be the hot wire. The color might not be red, but maybe they, the installer, used another color for the hot wire. You would need to look at your low voltage transformer, trace the wire down that is coming out of the transformer to determine the color.
My 24 volt transformer continues to burn up. This is the second transformer. What could be the problem?
Most of the time it ends up blowing the fuse on the board, if you have one, instead of the transformer. I usually suspect the thermostat wires as the problem, but other devices with coils and electronics can cause the problem. I had a reversing valve coil cause this problem one time, most of the time it is in the wiring. This is a pain and time consuming, but in order to find the problem I would turn off all the power, take all the low voltage thermostat wires loose from the thermostat, air handler, and outdoor unit. I would take a digital meter set to ohms and check between all the wires with the meter. You should not get a reading between any two wires if the wires are in good shape. If the wires are good you would need to test the components from each wire or terminal to ground. The meter should not move. This is a pain sometimes finding the problem. Many times I would find the problem where the wires were installed going through the furnace body. The vibration of the furnace or air handler over time had torn through the wire insulation and caused a short. Sometime animals will chew through the wires and cause a short. Sometimes sun light on the wires over time will rot the insulation and short out the wires. Best of luck! I hope you can easily find the problem.
I changed out my control board and my furnace blower motor continues to run constantly. Even if I disconnect the thermostat wires it continues to run the blower. The only way I can shut the blower off is to turn the power to the furnace off. What could be the problem?
Many furnaces (Bryant & Carrier) when first powered on will run the blower for a minute or two then shut off. This is a safety function of the furnace to eliminate any heat that is in the heat exchanger before the furnace begins its heating cycle. If your blower is running all the time... I would suggest that you test your limit control and roll-out switches to make sure they are not open. I have some pictures of limit controls and roll-out switches below. If a rollout switch or limit is open then the furnace thinks it has over-heated and the control board makes the blower run all the time. You would need to test these with a meter to make sure they are not open. Is your control board flashing a blink code? If it is blinking a fault code, try to read what the code says the problem is. The fault code key is usually located on the furnace door.
I installed the new capacitor and the boost cap I received. Now the outdoor fan will start briefly but the compressor does not.
The power management box on the side of the house shuts off power in less than a second.
This sound like you have a grounded out compressor since you say the breaker box is shutting down almost immediately when the air conditioner is turned on. I would suggest turning off your power to the unit, remove the 3 wires that go into the compressor, this would require removing the compressor terminal cover box, then testing the three terminals with a meter to see if the windings are grounded out. If they are grounded out you will need a new unit or compressor. To test you would set your meter to Ohms. You would touch one end of your test lead to a good ground like a copper pipe on your air conditioner. Then touch each of the three terminals one at a time to each of the compressor terminals (Start, Run & Common). You should not get any kind of reading on your meter. If you do the compressor is grounded out.
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I forgot how to wire up the dual round capacitor. How do I go about wiring it up so it doesn't blow the capacitor up again?
You would need to look at the wiring diagram that came with the unit. Usually the wiring diagram is glued to one of the panels on the air conditioner. Hope you can read it. Rule of thumb on wiring the capacitor is: Herm on capacitor goes to the start winding on the compressor, Fan on capacitor goes to brown fan wire that goes to the fan, and Com on the capacitor comes off one leg of the contactor to provide power to the capacitor. There is usually more than one wire connected to the Com terminal. The Com terminal is used so other components of the air conditioner can steal power off the Com connection
My air conditioning unit blows the circuit breaker after it runs for a while. What could be the problem? Would a super-boost compressor hard start booster help?
I would check and see if the outside of your breaker is getting warm after the unit runs a while (20 minutes or more). If the breaker is warm on the outside, it could be arcing in the breaker and causing the breaker to trip after a while. You might need a new breaker. This could also be a tight compressor and if this is the problem then, yes, the super boost could possibly help. It looks like you have a 4 ton unit so I would recommend the SPP6 or SPP8E. Please make sure your unit is charged up properly by feeling the larger copper pipe (suction line) while the unit is running. You will need to get your fingers on it underneath the insulation. The unit should have run for 15 minutes or more. The copper line should feel like a cold coke can right out of the refrigerator if the unit is charged proper. If it doesn't feel real cold then you are probably low on charge. Being low on charge will burn a compressor up faster than anything. Do not purchase the super boost if you already have a hard start capacitor installed. Some units come with them from the factory.
Why does a motor or compressor need a capacitor to run properly? What actually does a capacitor do?
Great question! On alternating current (AC) the current alternates on the voltage from zero to 110 or from zero to 220 volts 60 cycles per second. The run capacitor throws a stored charge in there when the voltage reaches the zero point and keeps the voltage steady instead of all the up and down voltage drops. This makes the motor or compressor run smoothly and more efficient. This is easily seen on an old oscilloscope where you can see the AC current going up and down.
I purchased a flame sensor hoping this would solve my furnace lock-out problem. My furnace still locks out occasionally. I have to reset the power switch before it will start up again.
Sometimes other components, parts can cause problems. Sounds like you have an occasional problem that is going to be hard to find because it only does it sometime. You almost have to be there when the problem occurs with a meter to test and find out what the problem is. Many times the furnace control board will give you a flash code telling what the problem might be. I would suggest if your furnace is equipped with a control board that has a flash code that you read the code the next time the problem occurs. This problem could be a safety control problem (pressure switch, limit switch) or a control board problem.
My outside AC unit is humming but no fan or compressor action. Sounds like AC problem #1, capacitors. I'd like to buy replacement capacitors but they are round. Can I use oval caps with the same rating? Can I leave them loose since the brackets are for round caps?
Since your fan and compressor are not running I would like to suggest that you test the line voltage with a meter to see if you have 220 to 245 volts on L1 and L2 of your contactor. Another question is: Are the contacts on your contactor closing when your air conditioner is calling for cooling? You should be getting 24 to 28 volts to your contactor's coil when your thermostat is calling for cooling. If your contactor is closing and you are getting voltage 220 to 245 volts through the contactor then this could be a capacitor problem. If you understand the electrical wiring it would be the easiest to purchase a dual 40/5 MFD 440 volt dual capacitor. There are three connections on a dual capacitor. Com, Herm, & Fan. Common (COM) on the capacitor would come from your power source usually from the contactor. Herm connection would go to the start winding on your compressor; Fan would go to the fan, usually a brown wire. If you are not accustomed to doing the wiring then I would suggest sticking with the same capacitor. It is not recommended to replace a 40 MFD capacitor with a 45 MFD capacitor.
Since you have round capacitors you would need to make a mounting strap out of plumber's pipe strap. You would need to secure the capacitors so the wire terminals do not touch anything metal or each other. I usually tape the connections on top of the capacitor with electrical tape and secure the capacitors to the frame with plumber's pipe strap. Make sure you do not drill through your condenser coil.
My lights are starting to dim more this year and last vs. when I put in my Bryant unit about 5 years ago. Is this the starter capacitor?
Lights dimming on air conditioner start up can be caused by several things:
1. Circuit breaker going bad. See if you breaker is getting warm by touching the outside of the breaker after your air conditioner has run for a while. If the breaker is warm then you have arcing inside the breaker and need a new breaker.
2. Loose wiring. After turning off the power and checking to make sure the power is off with a volt meter. Make sure all wire connections are good and tight from the breaker through the air conditioners contactor to the Compressor terminal wires. Loose connects cause high amperage and can cause lights to dim.
3. Capacitors going bad or getting weak. Test capacitors with a capacitor tester.
4. Compressor getting tight. Compressors that are worn can become tight and hard to start. A compressor hard start booster might help this situation.
5. Low voltage from your house. You should be getting at least 220 to 245 volts to your air conditioner. Call your electric company supplier or a licensed electrician if you voltage is low.
My outdoor air conditioning unit's high pressure switch trips ever so often. Why does it high pressure switch trip so often?
The high pressure switch tripping can be caused by several things:
1. Dirty outdoor coil. Turn off power and clean with a garden hose.
2. Slow or dragging fan motor. Replace motor or capacitor. I would need to know the capacitor specs to recommend a replacement.
3. Motor or fan blade going the wrong direction. Air should come out of the top of your unit.
4. System over-charged with refrigerant.
5. Faulty high pressure switch tripping without having high pressure. High pressure switches are usually set to trip at a little over 300 psi. Sometimes I have seen switches trip for no reason at all.
6. Extreme high outdoor temperatures above 100 degrees. Your outdoor unit has to be clean to run properly under high outdoor temperatures. |
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