AC Repair in Sedalia, MO
Air conditioners here run from May through September. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Pettis County will get in touch.
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Five months of heat, and storms in between
Your air conditioner in Sedalia works hard from May through September, with summer afternoons averaging 86°F. That kind of steady heat keeps the compressor running long hours, day after day, and it's the compressor that struggles first when a system is losing its edge. You notice it as a unit that runs longer than it used to, or one that can't quite get the house as cool as it once did.
Pettis County has also seen 35 hail events and 47 damaging wind events over the past ten years, with hail up to 2.5 inches. The outdoor unit sits outside through all of it, and hail that size can bend the thin fins on the condenser coil or dent the fan housing. A coil with bent fins can't move heat the way it should, so the system runs longer to do the same job.
- 5 months
- May through September, your air conditioner is on duty
- 86°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 35 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 47 wind events
- in ten years, and wind drives debris into outdoor units
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A new air conditioner would save little on running costs in Pettis County, so the repair decision comes down to the unit's condition.
Estimates for a typical Pettis County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, Missouri fuel prices and NOAA climate normals. Your home will differ.
Repair makes sense when a part like a capacitor or contactor has failed.
Replacement makes sense when the compressor has failed or the system uses R-22 refrigerant, which is no longer made.
- Why is my AC not blowing cold air?
- The most common cause is a dirty air filter choking off airflow across the coil, which can make the coil freeze up and stop cooling altogether. Low refrigerant from a leak is another common cause, and that will not fix itself by adding more refrigerant since the leak has to be found and sealed first. A failing compressor can also leave you with air moving but no cooling. Check the filter first, since that is the one thing you can rule out yourself before a contractor looks at the rest.
- Why is my AC leaking water?
- Most of the time this is a clogged condensate drain line, where algae and dirt build up inside the line and back the water up until it overflows the drain pan. A dirty air filter can also cause this indirectly, since restricted airflow lets the coil ice over, and the water shows up when that ice melts. A cracked or rusted drain pan will leak too, especially in an older system. Shutting the system off and clearing the line is usually the first step, but a contractor needs to find where the water is actually coming from.
- Why won't my AC turn on?
- Start by checking the thermostat. Make sure it has power, is set to cool, and the temperature is set below the room temperature. A tripped breaker or a blown fuse at the outdoor unit's disconnect box is another common cause, and it is worth checking before assuming the worst. If the breaker keeps tripping when you reset it, that points to an electrical problem inside the unit, like a failing capacitor or motor, and that needs a contractor to diagnose. This area sees plenty of wind and hail each year, so if the AC stopped working suddenly during or after a storm, it is worth checking the outdoor unit for physical damage.