One Visit, Two Systems, and a Capacitor Caught Just in Time in Sanford
Late last week Renee, a Sanford homeowner with two air conditioning systems, had us out for seasonal maintenance on both. Two-system homes are common in our area — and they are a perfect example of why a real tune-up is measurements and testing, not a hose-down and a sticker. One of those tests caught a part on its way out.
The Checks That Actually Matter
- Refrigerant charge verified with gauges — this R-410A system ran 144 psig on the low side and 305 on the high side, with superheat and subcooling right where they should be. Charge problems show up here long before they show up as warm air.
- Temperature split measured — about a 17-degree drop between return and supply air, squarely in the healthy range.
- Amp draws tested on motors and compared against nameplate ratings.
- Coils, condensate drains, and filters inspected and addressed on both systems.
The Catch: A Capacitor Drifting Out of Spec
Every tune-up includes a microfarad test on the run capacitors — the part that gives your compressor and fan motors the electrical kick they need to start and run. One capacitor in this home is rated for 35 microfarads with a ±6% tolerance. Our meter read 31.0.
That is outside the manufacturer’s window — not dead yet, but dying. A weak capacitor makes motors run hot until the day it quits entirely, and capacitors almost never quit on a mild Tuesday in October. They quit on the hottest Saturday of August. Catching it during maintenance means it gets replaced on schedule, for the cost of the part and a few minutes of labor, instead of during an emergency call with the house at 88 degrees.
Twice a Year Is the Florida Rhythm
Systems in Central Florida run most of the year, which is why we recommend maintenance twice annually — we broke down the reasoning in our Florida AC maintenance guide. Visits like Renee’s are exactly what that schedule is for: verify the numbers, test the parts that fail first, and fix small things while they are still small.
Why Capacitors Fail Early in Florida
Run capacitors are rated for heat, but Central Florida asks more of them than almost anywhere: attic and slab temperatures that soak equipment all summer, systems that run most of the year, and afternoon storm season adding voltage swings on top. Heat and runtime are exactly what dry out a capacitor’s internals and pull its microfarad rating down. That is why the µF test is a non-negotiable part of our tune-up checklist rather than a “while we’re here” extra — on Florida equipment, the capacitor is usually the first domino.
Two Systems, One Schedule
Homes with two systems, like Renee’s, get real value from having both serviced in a single visit: one appointment, both systems verified against the same standards, and a service record that tracks each unit separately over time. When the upstairs and downstairs systems age differently — and they always do — that per-unit history is what turns “something feels off” into a specific, checkable answer.
Book Your Sanford AC Tune-Up
Synergy Heating & Cooling Inc. provides measurement-first AC maintenance and tune-ups across Sanford, Lake Mary, Deltona, DeLand, Orange City, and the surrounding Central Florida area. Call 407.412.7188 or book your tune-up online.