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General Upholstery Questions and Comments => General Discussion => Topic started by: Backwoods on October 08, 2010, 10:24:00 am

Title: Smoked Capacitor
Post by: Backwoods on October 08, 2010, 10:24:00 am
My capacitor just smoke on my pfaff machine had to put the head on my other machine to finish a job. Does anyone know where to get one. Without all the hassels you have to go through.
Title: Re: Smoked Capacitor
Post by: SHHR on October 08, 2010, 11:55:18 am
I'm probably gonna make myself look stupid saying this, but are you talking about a "start" cap on the motor? If so just look at the rating on it and go to any electrical contractor supply co. and they'll have them. I put one on the blower motor in my home furnace last year and it was only 6 or 7 dollars.
Kyle
Title: Re: Smoked Capacitor
Post by: SHHR on October 08, 2010, 12:00:46 pm
I might add Be carefull unhooking your old one. Use dry leather gloves and insulated handled pliers. Capacitors store power to turn on the motor with a burst of energy so the motor doesn't "drag" and burn up. If it has any juice still in it, it can unload on you.
Title: Re: Smoked Capacitor
Post by: skegfish on October 08, 2010, 07:52:33 pm
Sure fire way to test your capacitor... take your mulit-meter set for continuity, touch the two terminals of the meter to two terminals of the cap. the meter should show a rise then drop.... then test again switching the terminals, should get the same rise then drop...... if you get nothing the cap is bad!
jeff in PA
Title: Re: Smoked Capacitor
Post by: ajlelectronics on October 11, 2010, 11:45:57 am
But make sure it is discharged first! Screwdriver across the terminals will do that.