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Air compressor died... need help..


Cruez

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Ok, while working on my intake, my compressor decided to die on me..... and its only a few months old...

 

The part that went up in smoke is what I think is a capacitor. Or some sort of a starter for the motor. Its a blue cylinder about 2" in diameter and about 5 inches long with two connections on the end...

 

What is it, what does it do and where can I get another one....

 

thx guys..

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Yep, that is an electrolytic capacitor. If it is blown, then there is probably no remanent charge in it, but you should still short the leads before you handle it.

 

If you want to replace it, you need to figure out the capacitance in microfarads (for a capacitor this size, I would guess about 10000uf) and the rated voltage. Then search on those parameters at one of the major electronics parts vendors (digikey.com, newark.com, mouser.com.)

 

Often with electronics the part that is visibly damaged is not the only thing that is broken, so it may be best to leave this to the professionals.

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See if it is under warranty. If not, then contact the manufacture and complain. If they won't replace it, then they can sell you a new one. Just make sure you unplug the compressor, then changing it should be no different then putting a new condensor in an old points type ignition. Any good electric supply store should be able to sell you one.

 

BTW, the starting capacitor should only prevent the motor from starting. If it is safe to do so, you should be able to energize the motor and get it to start by spining it by hand. Once you start it rotating the capacitor is no longer needed and the motor should run fine. If not you have other problems.

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The correct notation for microfarad is a lower-case Greek m followed by an "f," but I have seen uf, mf, MF, and MFD. It all means microfarad.

 

One of the physicists where I work insisted that MFD was megafarad. That day I learned that affirmative action has no place in the hard sciences.

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Guest Want aZ

for a 250V, check around to some local A/C service places as you could probably get a cap from them as well..And it is right its a startup capicator and is used to shift the phase to get the motor rotating once it starts it is no longer used at all...and you should be able to get the motor turning by hand

 

Damon

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Got if fixed.....FOR ABOUT 10 MINUTES!!!!!! :evil:

 

And the capacitor was rated a hair higher than the original.....

 

ARRGHHHHHGHGGHGG !@#$!#!^#!^$!#$!@#!#@%&^%^&!

 

GETTING RID OF THE POS......THEY BETTER TAKE THIS !@#$!@%@# PIECE OF $#@!^$@%$& BACK......

 

Getting another one somewhere else....

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Guest Anonymous

Cruez;

 

I am not familiar with starting circuits but as was said, in this case it is obvious the capacitor did not fail, it was blow by another component failure in the circuit somewhere. It's probably too cheap a compressor to pay labor to get fixed, so you are right to get a better one (still made in china but under license from USA), LOL. Still.....You could get an estimate on old faithful, have it fixed and sell it quick. Ha Ha!

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