[SpyderMike]

Capacitors are about $10-20. I just troubleshot and replaced my Mom's on a Sunday. Called around asking for a Service guy in the area on an emergency call, made a deal, met him nearby, and bought the capacitor off the back of his truck for $75. I did this because I was leaving town the next morning and no stores were open on a SUnday that would have capacitors (commercial electric supply). Thought I was getting gouged. He said the boss told him to charge me that. When it is hot out, the A/C folks seem to make a killing at raising prices. I wasn't going to have my 85 year old Mom sitting in a 90 degree house. Anyway, his truck was filled with capacitors and he said it was the number one thing he was replacing on the emergency calls. They were charging close to $200 for his service call.

I have troubleshot and replaced 3 caps in the last few years...they tend to expand and get distorted and/or have brown looking oily goo out of their seams when they go (based on my small sample).