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Genuine vs Counterfeit Hard Start Kits: How to Spot a Fake

Published June 15, 2026· Last updated July 10, 2026· 1 min read

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The RectorSeal Kickstart is one of the most-copied HVAC parts online. The fakes look identical in photos and fail in months. Here’s how to tell them apart.

Side by side

	Genuine RectorSeal	Counterfeit
Price	Normal market price	Suspiciously cheap
Capacitor	Rated, UL-listed	Unrated, undersized
Relay	Mechanical potential relay	Generic substitute
Warranty	Honored by RectorSeal	Void — you’re on your own
Lifespan	Years	Often months

Why fakes fail

A hard start kit lives in the hardest moment of every cooling cycle. A counterfeit with an under-spec capacitor degrades fast, and when it fails it can leave your compressor worse off than no kit at all.

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The real cost of a fake

Saving a few dollars on a knockoff that voids your warranty and risks the compressor is the most expensive kind of cheap. Buy the genuine part once.

Buy the genuine part.
We ship authentic RectorSeal, factory-sealed, with the full manufacturer warranty — not the counterfeits flooding marketplaces. Nationwide shipping with tracking.

Shop the genuine Kickstart →

For 3.5–5 ton systems: RectorSeal KS1 hard start kit

Common questions

How do I spot a fake hard start kit?
Suspiciously low prices, unrated capacitors, and generic relays are the tells. Genuine RectorSeal uses a rated capacitor and a mechanical potential relay.

Does a counterfeit void my warranty?
Yes — counterfeits void the manufacturer warranty and often fail within months.

Is the one you sell genuine?
Yes — we ship authentic RectorSeal, factory-sealed, with the full manufacturer warranty.

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