What Does It Mean When A Start Capacitor Fails?
Like most electrical motors, your air conditioner's compressor must draw extra power from your home's supply when it starts up. It's easy to see this happening by watching for dimming lights whenever your air conditioner turns on. This behavior is normal and expected, but it's still an issue that engineers must consider when they design air conditioning systems.
One common way to address this problem is by using a start capacitor.