Q: Why Does an AC Motor Need a Capacitor to Start?
A: Electric motors fall under a few basic types: Direct current (DC), single phase alternating current (AC), and multiphase AC. Each one of these types has many designs. The AC motors used in your dishwasher, vacuum cleaner and washing machine run on single-phase AC. Though single-phase AC motors run efficiently, they can’t get started without some assistance. A capacitor adds a temporary extra phase to start the motor.