Free Capacitor with Every Furnace

[Jim Katen]

One of my partners snapped this picture of an unconnected capacitor in a 2013 furnace. 

My best guess is that the manufacturer uses one shroud for both its cap blowers and its non-cap blowers. 

Any other insights? 

[Marc]

9 hours ago, Jim Katen said:

One of my partners snapped this picture of an unconnected capacitor in a 2013 furnace. 

My best guess is that the manufacturer uses one shroud for both its cap blowers and its non-cap blowers. 

Any other insights? 

Where's the picture?

[Jim Katen]

Sorry. I just added the picture. 

[Marc]

I don't recall ever seeing a blower with other than a capacitor-start motor. That unconnected capacitor is a mystery to me.

[John Kogel]

My guess is that the motor has a cap mounted on it, a replacement maybe, need pics.

[Jim Katen]

18 hours ago, Marc said:

I don't recall ever seeing a blower with other than a capacitor-start motor. That unconnected capacitor is a mystery to me.

Really? I've seen many - or perhaps the capacitors were hidden. 

[Marc]

7 hours ago, Jim Katen said:

Really? I've seen many - or perhaps the capacitors were hidden. 

Ya know, it might be that an original capacitor-start motor was replaced with an ECM motor. ECMs don't use capacitors, they're 'electronically commutated', if that makes any sense.

If that were true, the control circuitry would need to be replaced also.

[Jim Katen]

Perhaps. Or maybe the manufacturer was putting together a furnace with an ECM motor and they just slapped on the wrong shroud one day - or maybe the cap had already been installed on a shroud and someone forgot to take it off. 

[John Kogel]

Confucius says the question starting with "why" sometimes needs a creative answer. 😃