Air conditioners rely on electricity in order to keep our homes cool—this is no mystery. What is a mystery to many homeowners is just how this process happens. How does your system turn electricity into cool, comfortable air at an affordable price? And how does it know to start and stop depending on the temperature set on your thermostat?
Well, the answer to this question is your capacitor. This is a little component that might not seem like it does much, but your air conditioner actually relies on it very heavily. Without it, it won’t know when to properly start or stop, and you’ll be needing air conditioning service in Fort Wayne, IN.
Today, let’s shed some light on this mysterious component and talk about why you might need to have your system’s capacitor replaced. Or, if you’re just curious about how your system works, we’ll fill you in!
What Does the Capacitor Do?
Let’s start off by talking about what the capacitor does. There are two capacitors in your air conditioner, the start capacitor and the run capacitor. Each one is responsible for either starting your air conditioner or keeping it running, depending on the signal it gets from your thermostat. When your thermostat’s sensor detects the air in your home is of a higher temperature than it should be, it signals to the start capacitor and your AC gets an electrical charge that starts the cooling process. You’ll be able to hear this signal most of the time as a soft, gentle click when your AC turns on!
Finally, once the air in your home is cooled to a reasonable degree and the compressor shouldn’t keep running, your run capacitor gets the signal from the thermostat and your AC shuts off. That’s basically what these components do and why they’re so important! Without them, your AC would just keep working, draining your energy while keeping your home a little too cool for comfort.
When Can Something Go Wrong?
We’ve all probably learned from horror movies or suspense thrillers that something can always go wrong. When your capacitor gets old, deals with constantly tripping circuits, or breaks down, it will stop sending the correct signals to your air conditioner. This can result in inefficiency and just poor quality comfort.
Tripped Circuits
If you’re starting to notice that your AC is having trouble starting up before a circuit breaker trips, then it could point to a bad capacitor. Capacitors draw the initial energy required to start your air conditioner and if something is going wrong in your electrical system, the culprit could be your capacitor.
A Broken Capacitor
Is your air conditioner starting to rapidly click when it turns on or off? This could be from a bad capacitor, and it’s honestly something that’s easily fixed by a professional as long as you call soon.
We Can Help
Capacitors are just one small component in a whole, interlocking system. If you’re suspecting that there’s something wrong with the electrical system of your AC, or that you’re pretty sure your air conditioner is suffering from a bad capacitor, then don’t hesitate to call us. We can replace your capacitor quickly and effectively.
Contact Collier’s Comfort today for True Comfort, True Savings!