Howdy, Southlake neighbors!
Your local comfort crew from Christmas Air is back, and this month we want to talk about the AC units that fail right when homeowners think they made it through the worst of it.
Your system ran fine all summer. Then, one September afternoon, it just stops. Here’s the thing: it didn’t break today. It has been wearing down since the first 100-degree afternoon in June, and September is just when it finally gave out.
The Real Culprit: A Worn-Out Capacitor
The capacitor is a small part about the size of a soda can that gives your compressor and fan motors the jolt of power they need to start. Capacitors are built to handle heat up to around 158 degrees, but on a sunny Southlake afternoon above 100 degrees, the air pulled through your outdoor unit’s coils can climb past 130 degrees. Month after month, that heat wears the capacitor down faster than its rating suggests. A part built to last 10 years under normal conditions can fail in four to six years once it has been through a Texas summer.
The Warning Signs Before It Quits
A failing capacitor rarely quits without warning. Watch for a system that hums but is slow to start, an outdoor fan that spins more weakly than it used to, cooling that feels less effective than earlier in the summer, or a unit that shuts off on its own after running for a few minutes. Any one of these signs is worth a call before the part fails completely, especially since a failing capacitor puts extra strain on the compressor, which is a far more expensive repair.
What You Can Actually Do About It
A capacitor replacement typically runs $200 to $400 and takes just one visit. Catching it now, while the system is still running, is a lot cheaper than waiting for a breakdown on the hottest day left in the forecast or letting it damage the compressor. A fall tune-up is also the easiest way to check this, along with everything else, before the season turns.
Call or text Christmas Air at 972-332-5679 or visit ChristmasAir.com. If your AC has been acting a little off lately, we can tell you exactly why in one visit. Serving Southlake, Trophy Club, Flower Mound, and the surrounding area.
We’re here to “Change lives through the trades. Create smiles. Do it every day.”
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