Capacitors and running on Canadian tire compressor

by Phil
(Ontario)

Hi I have a 5 gallon stacked compressor from Canadian tire. It would not start so I took the cover off and checked the capacitor. The Capacitor is dead this I know for sure.


With the dead capacitor in the compressor if I turn the fan by hand the motor will start and come up to speed quite easily. When it builds about 20lbs of pressure in the tank the motor slows and stops. Will changing the capacitor fix this problem or does the capacitor only help the motor start? Thanks for your help.

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Oct 21, 2016
 Right
by: Doug in s.d.ca

Finding the right one can be a pain and time-consuming, but there's usually one out there...
Oct 20, 2016
 Fixed
by: Phil

Took almost forever to find one but when I did started right up runs perfect. Thanks for your help
Sep 30, 2016
 Capacitor
by: Doug in s.d.ca

Just google for that rating, and look for one that will physically fit.

250 vac 130 uf or
250 vac 130 mf or
250 vac 130 mfd - it's all the same.
Sep 26, 2016
 Capacitor change question
by: Phil

Thanks for the quick reply, it only has one capacitor, I contacted Canadian tire and they don't carry the capacitor for it anymore. So Do I need a start capacitor or a run capacitor? Or is there a combo start and run capacitor I need? It's 250 vac 130 uf. Thanks again.
Sep 26, 2016
 Change the cap
by: Bill

By turning the fan you are turning the motor shaft and simulating the effect - at least partly - of a start capacitor.

If your compressor has one cap, that it's bogging down at 20 PSI indicates that the cap is a start / run and replacing the one should resolve the problem.

If your compressor has two caps, my recommendation is to change them both.

You can figure out what cap you need by visiting: https://www.about-air-compressors.com/what-capacitor-does-my-compressor-need.html

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