AC problems
Capacitor, Contactor and Fan Motor Repair
The small electrical parts that fail first, and the one check that tells you which.
If a Houston AC is going to fail on a hot afternoon, the odds favour three small electrical parts. The run capacitor stores the kick that starts the compressor and the condenser fan; when it weakens, which heat accelerates, the unit hums and the fan sits still, or the compressor tries to start and trips the breaker. The contactor is the switch that connects the unit to power; its contacts pit and weld until the unit either will not start or will not stop. The fan motors themselves wear their bearings and seize.
All three are quick to test with a meter and quick to replace, which is exactly why they attract the worst behaviour in the trade: a capacitor sold as a compressor, a contactor sold as a control board. Ask to see the reading. A technician who tests the capacitor in front of you and shows you the figure against the rating on its label is one you can trust with the rest of the system.
The one thing not to do is poke at it yourself. A capacitor holds a charge after the power is off and the voltage at the contactor is enough to kill. Hose the fins, change the filter, check the breaker; leave the panel on.
What it looks like
- The outdoor unit humming with the fan not turning
- A clicking at the outdoor unit when it tries to start
- The breaker tripping when the AC starts
- The fan spinning slowly or stopping after a while
Whatever the problem turns out to be, the first step is the same: describe it, say where the house is, and one independent HVAC contractor working in your town contacts you to look at it. No charge for being connected, and no obligation once he has.
Where
Capacitor, Contactor and Fan Motor Repair across north Houston
Humble
Subdivisions from the seventies to the nineties, so a lot of systems on their second or third replacement, with attic air handlers and original ductwork.
Kingwood
Big two-storey houses from the eighties under full tree cover, with upstairs that runs hot and air handlers in attics that reach 140.
Porter
Fast-growing Montgomery County, with builder-grade systems in the new subdivisions and older country houses on their original equipment.
New Caney
New construction along 59 beside acreage in the pines, with long power runs and surge damage after every storm.
Splendora
Rural lots, manufactured homes and older houses, where package units and window units are as common as central systems.
Crosby
East Harris County, older subdivisions near the lake, open land and salt air, which eats condenser coils faster than anywhere inland.
Dayton
Liberty County, country HVAC: heat pumps on propane-free properties, long drives for the technician, and nobody local to call.
The Woodlands
The biggest HVAC market north of Houston: large houses, often two or three systems each, and covenants on where an outdoor unit can sit.
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AC problem in north Houston?
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