Have you ever wondered about how to replace a bench grinder capacitor? If this is something that you have been wondering, our expert team is on hand to help – and we’ve made it our mission to help you find the best solutions for all of your own needs.

So, please don’t leave things to chance; reach out to our experts today if you have any specific questions or read on to find out more about how to replace your bench grinder’s capacitor overall.

What Does the Bench Grinder Capacitor Do? 

First of all, we need to clarify the role of the bench grinder’s capacitor.

A capacitor is primarily responsible for providing an initial charge-up of electricity. In turn, this electrical charge can help ensure that the motor starts easily.

This, in turn, makes your life a lot easier and ensures that the bench grinder can run effectively. However, there are also run-type capacitors that facilitate the smooth running of the bench grinder after it has started. The start capacitor will then be cut out once the motor has achieved approximately three-quarters of its final operating speed.

The capacitor undeniably plays a pivotal role in your bench grinder. However, it’s not impossible for the bench grinder capacitor to break, be it due to damage or simple wear-and-tear over time. If this is the case for your bench grinder, you may notice some of the following signs:

  • Trying to start the bench grinder trips the circuit breaker, and the tool hence won’t start.
  • Starting the bench grinder may be unreliable, with the capacitor sometimes working enough to trigger the machine to start, but more often not working.
  • If the issue is in relation to the run capacitor, you may find that the device starts easily; however, the performance of the bench grinder is severely impacted.
  • In some cases, you might notice that the bench grinder’s capacitor begins spinning in the opposite direction than you might expect.
  • The device doesn’t turn on at all, no matter how many times you attempt to start the bench grinder.

Naturally, it’s incredibly frustrating to find that your bench grinder capacitor isn’t working – however, it’s not the end of the world! In fact, replacing your bench grinder capacitor is actually surprisingly easy, and we’ll cover how to go about this as follows.

Start By Working Out The Size of your Bench Grinder Capacitor 

First of all, when it comes to replacing your bench grinder’s capacitor, you’ll need to start by working out which size capacitor you need.

Luckily, this doesn’t need to be a majorly difficult decision, and choosing a suitably-sized capacitor can help you find the optimal solutions overall.

Not sure on the ideal type of capacitor for your bench grinder? If so, we recommend researching your bench grinder’s model number and specifications, as this should help you pick a capacitor of the suitable size.

Alternatively, if you have the capacitor for your device, then you may want to consider this as a basis to determine a suitable capacitor size.

We should point out that you can use a start capacitor that has a higher voltage than the necessary voltage rating usually; however, you will not be able to use a lower voltage capacitor.

The start and run capacitors are the only aspects of bench grinders that are measured in AC rather than DC. Capacitors usually require around 250VAC.

Steps to Replace Your Bench Grinder’s Capacitor

how to replace a bench grinder capacitor

So, you’ve worked out which size capacitor you need, and you’re now ready to actually replace it. But what steps should you follow to safely and effectively replace your bench grinder’s capacitor?

Luckily, this process is much easier than it might seem at first, and we’ve outlined several simple steps as follows to make replacing your bench grinder’s capacitor effortless overall.

If you’ve been looking for a replacement bench grinder capacitor, then you’ll need to begin by checking the ROM and HP ratings of your chosen model’s existing capacitor.

Fortunately, this information can usually be found quite easily online for capacitor replacement.

Step One

First, to replace your capacitor, you’ll need to remove the old capacitor from the bench grinder. Carefully (without damaging the wires) remove these from the old bench grinder capacitor, and discard the capacitor safely. This should leave the two wires exposed and accessible.

Step Two

Next, once you have removed the old bench grinder capacitor from the model, you’ll need to take the newly purchased capacitor and carefully move it into the same spot. Then, gently attach the two wires to the new capacitor, ensuring you don’t damage any of the parts at the time.

Step Three

That’s all there is to it! No, really – replacing a bench grinder capacitor is an almost effortless process, and really doesn’t need to take long to pull off.

As such, if your bench grinder has been playing up and now working effectively, you may want to consider replacing the capacitor; after all, it’s so easy and quick that there’s really nothing to lose!

A Word of Warning

When it comes to replacing your bench grinder’s capacitor, we highly recommend that you take care not to force the new capacitor into place. Indeed, bench grinder manufacturers commonly change their designs, which may make finding a perfect replacement difficult.

However, if you choose a capacitor that’s too big, you’ll likely find that the new capacitor is quickly damaged, and, in the worst-case scenario, this could even stop the bench grinder from working entirely.

So, please don’t take this risk; always be cautious when it comes to replacing the capacitor, and if you’re concerned the new capacitor is too big, seek professional repair help.

Final Thoughts

Ensuring that your bench grinder is running smoothly is so crucial, but luckily, if a problem should arise with the capacitor, there are numerous ways that you can fix the issue. Replacing a capacitor is a surprisingly easy process, too, so there’s no need to panic if you notice that the capacitor appears broken.