What are the signs of a bad AC capacitor?
Some common symptoms of a bad capacitor include:

●Your AC takes time to begin a cooling cycle or just won't start at all
●Your AC randomly shuts off on its own
●You can't feel any cold air in your home while your AC's running
●Your AC is emitting a humming noise during operation
●You notice smoke or detect a burning smell coming from your unit
●Your energy bills are unreasonably high

The causes of a bad AC capacitor vary, but can include: debris hitting the capacitor and causing damage; extremely hot temperatures causing the capacitor to overheat; wear and tear over a long period of time; short circuits in the cooling system; power surges; and even lightning strikes.