Odd household A/C issue

The capacitor in my unit has 4 terminals on top... shouldn't be too difficult to just reinstall the new one in the same way the current one is installed though

 

Open the service door on the condenser. Take a look at the capacitor for the fan, if it's puffed out, it's bad or going bad.

 

Honestly, I don't think so, because our previous house (a townhouse built in 2007 and like 10-15 minutes away from the new house) had dual 2-ton Carriers. One was on a pad right on the ground (upstairs unit) and another (first floor/basement) was mounted a on rack like the Goodmans in the picture, but less than 6 inches above the ground. If these were heat pumps, it would serve a purpose of keeping the snow and ice out of units, but they're not. I think it's more about not having to grade the the ground to keep the units level.

 

You've got an old Rheem or Ruud "Stamped Octagon" unit!

 

Get a GE/Genteq fan motor. DO NOT get a Zhongshan Broad Ocean fan motor.

 

@Styx586

You keep your A/C set to 77 all the time?

As I said before, my parents' has two units (one for 1st floor and basement, one for 2nd floor). The first floor thermostat is set to 74 and I just set the second floor thermostat to 68 degrees like I always do right before bed. My parents and I like it cold!

 

Lol yea man I wish I could keep it cooler but my wife gets cold really easy so I get an earful if I turn it down below 77. Plus I think my thermostat in the house runs a bit cold, I used to keep my apartment around 72-74 and it was comfortable. But set to 72 in this house is too cold even for me.

 

Good to know. I'm going to start with a capacitor. If it still gives me problems I'll throw a new fan motor in too

 

Those are failed caps I grabbed from the interwebs to show the OP.

BTW, I have Carrier units for my systems

 

I try to let mine run it's schedule. $300 electric bills are brutal in the summer.

 

Holy shit! I want your job..... you get to return home at 1:00pm

 

I get to wake up well before the sun everyday. It's glamorous

 

Well I finally got the new capacitor in the mail this morning... went to a couple local stores and no one had it so I had to order it online. Installed it and fired up the unit and everything is working as it should! Hopefully no more issues for now.