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skatalite

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I need to replace the capacitor in my home AC unit. If I cut power to the entire house via breaker box, do I need to remove/turn off the fuses before I replace the capacitor? I don't want to get killed. My wife would hate that.

Thanks for any help!
 

twoguns?

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Should be a disconnect Close to your condensor, pull the tab or, break the breaker.
watch where the wires come off, Do Not touch the contact end of capicitater, or short across it with a screw driver.
Your safe
 

71buickfreak

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You can safely discharge the cap with a 20k ohm resistor. Otherwise, yes, pull the disconnect from the box at the outside unit and you should be good. If you wait 30 minutes after pulling disconnect, the charge in the cap will have dissipated enough to be safe.
 

saddlebum

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You can safely discharge the cap with a 20k ohm resistor. Otherwise, yes, pull the disconnect from the box at the outside unit and you should be good. If you wait 30 minutes after pulling disconnect, the charge in the cap will have dissipated enough to be safe.
You dont need to discharge tha cap, just pull it and throw it away
 

Blitzfike

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Capacitors in an AC circuit seldom keep a dangerous charge when the circuit is disconnected from power. DO make sure the power is off to the unit. If the cap is bad, check for overheating on the connectors as well. A little corrosion makes the connections fry pretty quickly. Good Luck... Blitzfike
 

saddlebum

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Capacitors in an AC circuit seldom keep a dangerous charge when the circuit is disconnected from power. DO make sure the power is off to the unit. If the cap is bad, check for overheating on the connectors as well. A little corrosion makes the connections fry pretty quickly. Good Luck... Blitzfike
Truth. On the other hand caps in a microwave oven will kill you
 

walker

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I need to replace the capacitor in my home AC unit. If I cut power to the entire house via breaker box, do I need to remove/turn off the fuses before I replace the capacitor? I don't want to get killed. My wife would hate that.

Thanks for any help!

Why are you replacing the capacitor? Has someone who knows seen that it has failed?
Yes, disconnect all power and make sure its an exact match and you wire it back the same exact way. Failure to do so will ruin the condenser motor and or compressor. Ive seen alot of fried comps from that little mistake.
 

skatalite

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Thanks for all the advice and info, guys.

Why are you replacing the capacitor? Has someone who knows seen that it has failed?
Yes, disconnect all power and make sure its an exact match and you wire it back the same exact way. Failure to do so will ruin the condenser motor and or compressor. Ive seen alot of fried comps from that little mistake.

Air is blowing inside the house, but it's not cool air. Went outside to the unit and the fan wasn't spinning. Pushed the fan with a stick, and it kicked on. So, I checked the copper tubes and they were good. I then popped off the lid and the capacitor is bulging pretty bad. Shut down all the power, removed it, checked with a multimeter and it's D-E-D dead.

Then it dawned on me I might have almost killed myself since I didn't consider the fuses. Hence the question.
 

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