Really need help, what is this thing from my house heating pump

[Nelly]

Last night it was cold and I decided to turn on the heating. Flash bang, fuse board tripped. I found this little charred beauty. It sits in a housing on the water pump. I don't know what it is though, and want to get it replace today on my day off.
Neil

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[Bram]

I think its a big Capacitor. I'm no specialist, but I think its needed to determine the rotation of the waterpump (clockwise or counter clockwise)
when it's broken, the pump does not know how to rotate, and just stands still... normally when the pump itself is OK, and only the capacitor is broken, you will hear a soft "buzzing" sound coming from the water pump, this is normal.

The capacitor is only needed for starting the pump. Once the pump is running, the capacitor has no use.

I could be completely wrong, don't hate me for it ;-)

 

[chaskell27]

Definitely looks like a capacitor. from my understanding of how capacitors work is that they essentially store a large amount of power to be used at one time (when you flip the switch). My guess is that the pump requires more power than the lines into your house can provide to initially turn over and start. The capacitor stores this extra power to give it that kick in the pants to turn over. If the capacitor blows in this case the pump simply will not get enough start up power to get going. You should be able to pick up a new capacitor from your local electrical supply store. Make sure you match the numbers that are shown on the front as you want to have the same capacitance, voltage, temperature, etc. that you had before.

I'll use the same disclaimer as Bram that I am no electrician so anyone with more experience is welcome to chime in.

Hope that helps

 

[shuckle]

Google produced this page -> Electrocube - Products

which seems to confirm it's a capacitor

 

[Ohendo]

Yep, it's a capacitor. The uF rating gives it away, as capacitors are rated in Farads. Most smaller single phase motors need them to start to allow the motor to get up to speed (creates a current to voltage lag.) Without a start cap (such as when one burns up) when the voltage is applied, the motor will just sit and hum.

As the previous posters mentioned, you should easily be able to find one in your local electrical supply store, or online.

 

[Nelly]

Thanks guys, looks like I have bigger issues as there is no hum from the pump and the fuse keeps tripping. There is a big short some where. I will need to get an electrical plumber in.
Neil

 

[FinalImpact]

Did the black char come from that cap or something else like a mechanical switch?

PS - is that CAP marked with plus and minus??? Electrolytic caps are polarity sensitive and if installed backwards it will explode! But over time like years these dry out and go bad.


Google the part number from the CAP. OK - not much help it didn't pop up but ya, the volts must be 400 and or it will pop again. Do you have an ohm meter?

 

[Nelly]

Did the black char come from that cap or something else like a mechanical switch?

PS - is that CAP marked with plus and minus??? Electrolytic caps are polarity sensitive and if installed backwards it will explode! But over time like years these dry out and go bad.


Google the part number from the CAP. OK - not much help it didn't pop up but ya, the volts must be 400 and or it will pop again. Do you have an ohm meter?

Hi Mate,
There is no + - markings on the capacitor [he says knowingly lol]. The heating system was installed in the early 70's. I think some water has leaked into the pump electrics which caused the fuse to trip.

Neil

 

[Nelly]

The crappy thing is, that since the recession the two stores that would have stocked it have closed down.

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[chaskell27]

With other capacitors I've seen there is one lead that is a little longer than the other. The longer lead is the positive side. The new one will have to go in the right direction or it will go boom again.

If the capacitor is blown you may see the top of it pushed up a little. Look on the opposite side from the leads to see if the metal on the top is bubbled or doesn't look flat and is concave upwards. This is a sure fire sign of a bad capacitor. You can also check it with a multimeter.

 

[Ohendo]

Hi Mate,
There is no + - markings on the capacitor [he says knowingly lol]. The heating system was installed in the early 70's. I think some water has leaked into the pump electrics which caused the fuse to trip.

Neil

Definitely time to call in a pro if you believe water has entered the electronics area. Best of luck, let us know how it turns out.

 

[Motogiro]

It a 2 uF (Microfarad) 400volt capacitor rated for 50 hertz (Cycles) many motors have a centrifugal switch internally that detaches the capacitor from the circuit once the motor is up to speed. This is known as a "Starter Capacitor" anything from a bad centrifugal switch, bad starter capacitor or shorted windings could be the problem. The capacitor should be an economical guess and not expensive to try.
Look up a local electric motor repair shop and they should have a replacement.

 

[FinalImpact]

Where did the char come from?
Are you sure the wire didn't just break off and arc around making the blackness??? That's what it looks like. Strip the insulation and put it back if the wire simply broke from years of vibration and a little corrosion.


Hindsight says this application is not polarity specific as its as AC motor (AC energy is both + and - 50% of the time). So power over there is 50hz 208v AC?? Q?

If it didn't break, it could have just dried out from age so you can try and get a new one as the motor needs it to start and it likely would blow a fuse/breaker without it. Any repair tech would likely have them with in their vehicle if you call in for paid support.

 

[FinalImpact]

It a 2 uF (Microfarad) 400volt capacitor rated for 50 hertz (Cycles) many motors have a centrifugal switch internally that detaches the capacitor from the circuit once the motor is up to speed. This is known as a "Starter Capacitor" anything from a bad centrifugal switch, bad starter capacitor or shorted windings could be the problem. The capacitor should be an economical guess and not expensive to try.
Look up a local electric motor repair shop and they should have a replacement.

Thanks for the correction! Thought you'd lost you're mind for a moment! :spank:

 

[Mudkipz137]

I knew EXACTLY what this was as soon as I saw the picture. THIS little beauty is a Krutonian Time-Flux Capacitor! Very rare. I believe they're made in China, so we know that they're difficult to find. I must offer a ready replacement provided by Mudkipz Inc, please see the pic below for description. Price is a rock steady $300....

Let me know if you need it!

hehe

 

[Motogiro]

I knew EXACTLY what this was as soon as I saw the picture. THIS little beauty is a Krutonian Time-Flux Capacitor! Very rare. I believe they're made in China, so we know that they're difficult to find. I must offer a ready replacement provided by Mudkipz Inc, please see the pic below for description. Price is a rock steady $300....

Let me know if you need it!

hehe

LMAO!!!! :rof::rof::rof:

 

[Motogiro]

Thanks for the correction! Thought you'd lost you're mind for a moment! :spank:

I did, but just for a moment!

 

[PhotoAl]

Flux capacitor, u r stuck in the 21st century!!!!

It is a 2 micro farad capacitor and is used in motors to create a rotating magnetic field by creating a 2nd phase which lags the main phase. The rotating field drags the rotor around until it is up to speed. Without the capacitor the motor will just hummmmmm and the breaker will trip after some time - less than a minute. In AC use there is no plus or minus - they swap 50 or 60 times a second. :-O My heat pump has a double capacitor which is actually two capacitors made as a single unit. One of them failed so I replaced it with two individual capacitors, just had to make sure the correct one was in the right place. If the capacitor is all that is bad then it should be simple to replace and get going.

 

[Nelly]

The char came from the flash of light that shot out of the electrical housing when I turned the thermostat up.

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[Nelly]

Mud, I will take 3 please

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