What Happens when a Capacitor Goes Bad on a Furnace Heating Unit in North Las Vegas, NV?

A gas furnace uses a blower to circulate all of the warm air into your home. When the blower motor of a gas furnace fails, it may be due to a small component known as the capacitor. A bad capacitor can have a big effect on your furnace. Luckily, a bad capacitor is a fast and easy fix, but first you will need to know that your capacitor isn’t working. Air Supply Heating & Air Conditioning will share some of the common signs that you have a bad capacitor.

What is the Purpose of a Capacitor on a Furnace?

The capacitor is an essential but small electrical component. The capacitor provides the power supply to the blower’s motor. The blower is responsible for circulating the warm air created by the furnace throughout the entire home. If the blower isn’t working properly, then the home will be left feeling cold. The capacitor is very important to the operations of the blower. If the capacitor wears out or goes bad, it is important to get it replaced.

Furnace Humming Noise

When you hear a humming noise coming from your blower, this is a strong indication that the capacitor has an electrical problem. If you think you are hearing a humming noise but are not sure, you can test the noise by turning the heat up. This will force the furnace to run a cycle. Listen closely, if you hear a humming sound when the air is being circulated through the air ducts, then your capacitor is going bad. Contact an HVAC service. They can diagnose the capacitor to make sure that is the problem. The capacitor can be quickly changed out for a new one to ensure your home stays warm and comfortable.

Furnace Keeps Shutting Off During Cycle

If your furnace seems to stop half way through a cycle, or more specifically when it is time for the blower to circulate the air, then the blower motor may not be getting any power due to a broken down capacitor. A simple test to see if your blower is working or not is to turn the fan setting to “on”. This forces the blower to start up. If the blower fails to start, either the motor has died or the problem is the capacitor. It is more common for a capacitor to wear out before the motor. However, the motor and the capacitor will need to be checked and the proper component repaired.

Bad Furnace Blower

When a capacitor starts to go bad it can cause some odd and erratic behavior. The blower may seem like it is having a hard time starting up, or it turns on and off and other similar behavior. A capacitor works like the motor’s battery. As a battery begins to die, it cannot produce a steady charge. This is what causes that erratic behavior. When you notice short cycles or other erratic behavior from the blower, most likely the capacitor is wearing out and needs to be replaced.

Forced Air Furnace Diagnosis, Repair, Replacement, Maintenance & More in Summerlin, North LV, Henderson, Centennial, Enterprise, Lone Mountain Village, Paradise, Sunrise Manor, Spring Valley, Aliante, Desert Shores, Eldorado, Peccole Ranch, Silverado Ranch, Tuscany Village, Whitney, Winchester & Las Vegas Nevada

If you notice signs that your capacitor is going bad and needs to be replaced, Air Supply Heating and Air Conditioning can help. For quality HVAC servicescontact us and schedule our services today!