Capacitors DO go bad, especially in hot climates where the AC is running on and off constantly. This is what I have been told by many technicians as well as a friend that used to own his own commercial AC business. When my capacitor went last year, I recognized the symptoms. I looked up the price of a new capacitor on the Internet and found that they vary in price, possibly by quality and origin. After I paid a technician to replace the my bad one and the AC worked again, I went on line and purchased one for the next time it went. I will replace it myself. YES, I did pay over a hundred bucks to have it replaced because I wanted it done immediately, not after I waited for a new capacitor to be delivered. We pay for expert service. How much will you pay for an auto mechanic to change your oil? How about change the spark plugs? How much will you pay to have someone fix your computer? Years ago, I charged $60 an hour during regular working hours and $120 an hour after regular hours. And that was over 20 years ago. If you pay a high price for professional service, that's on you. Some folks believe it's worth it. Personally, I think that paying $15 an hour, minimum wages(proposed) is too much to pay for someone to flip hamburgers. It's all about what someone is willing to pay for someone else to do the work. Personally, I would rather pay someone to replace a capacitor for a few bucks than to lie to me and tell me I needed a new compressor or a new condenser. A capacitor is about the cheapest you will get off on an AC repair.
It's not fraud if they charge you too much. It's called price gouging. Labor is getting expensive. Be happy that you found someone that could come out and fix your AC. Seems a lot of folks don't want to work and would rather stay home and get paid.
By the way, if anyone wishes to change out an AC capacitor themselves, BE VERY CAREFUL Capacitors can hold high voltage for an extended period of time and can give you a dangerous jolt if not handled properly.
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