{"id":1680,"date":"2023-05-01T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-05-01T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.robbinsheating.com\/blog\/?p=1680"},"modified":"2023-04-28T18:20:50","modified_gmt":"2023-04-28T22:20:50","slug":"why-does-my-air-conditioner-take-so-long-to-start","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.robbinsheating.com\/blog\/air-conditioning-service\/why-does-my-air-conditioner-take-so-long-to-start\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Does My Air Conditioner Take So Long to Start?"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Sometimes we all need some extra help to get going. Some people rely on coffee, exercise, or a shower to get going in the morning. Even your home\u2019s comfort systems need a little jolt sometimes. In fact, your AC needs a big jolt of electricity to get started every time you use it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A common question we get from homeowners is, \u201cWhy does my air conditioner take so long to start<\/a>?\u201d This is a fairly easy thing for a professional HVAC technician to diagnose because it\u2019s usually related to the capacitor. Read on to learn about your AC\u2019s capacitor and how to know when it\u2019s time to call us to inspect it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

What Is an AC Capacitor?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Anyone who has seen Back to the Future<\/em> has heard of a \u201ccapacitor.\u201d Just like in the movie, the capacitor in an air conditioner is what\u2019s responsible for its ability to turn on in the first place. The capacitor provides the initial jolt of electricity to your AC\u2019s motor and is responsible for your AC\u2019s ability to power on.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although your AC requires far less than 1.21 gigawatts of electricity, it still requires a powerful burst of energy to power on. This is why the start-up stage of the cooling cycle uses so much energy.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The capacitor also works as an energy storage device. It stores electricity so that it\u2019ll be ready to power your AC whenever it\u2019s needed. It sends electricity to the AC\u2019s motor in powerful bursts to get your air conditioner \u201crevved up\u201d to start the cooling cycle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As you can imagine, the capacitor has a big job to do. If your capacitor isn\u2019t working as it\u2019s supposed to, your AC struggles to power on. Once the capacitor\u2019s performance starts to suffer, you\u2019ll notice when it takes forever for your AC to start. Luckily, you won\u2019t need plutonium or Doc Brown to fix it. You\u2019ll just need to call us to inspect your AC\u2019s capacitor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why Do Capacitors Go Bad?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Although it happens rarely, capacitors can fail due to a power surge, a lightning strike, extreme physical damage, or high voltage. Any of these things can cause the capacitor to overload and burn out the electrical components.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just like with any mechanical device, capacitors endure a lot of wear and tear and are thus subject to failure. The capacitor\u2019s job of storing and supplying energy can cause it to overheat and wear out eventually. This is the most common cause of capacitor failure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because of the severity of capacitor failure, and the effects it can have on your entire system when it continues unchecked, here are the signs to watch out for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n