AC Repair in Washington, MO
Air conditioners here run from May through September. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Franklin County will get in touch.
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Five months of heat, and storms that don't help
Your AC in Franklin County works May through September, with summer afternoons averaging 87°F. That is five straight months where the system runs most of the day just to keep up, and the compressor and condenser fan take the brunt of it.
The weather here adds another problem. The last ten years brought 43 hail events and 72 damaging wind events to the area, with hail up to 4 inches recorded. That kind of storm bends the thin aluminum fins on your outdoor unit and can knock loose the electrical connections inside it. After a bad storm, listen for a system that runs but doesn't cool like it did before. That's often storm damage to the condenser, not the compressor itself.
- 5 months
- May through September, your air conditioner is on duty
- 87°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 43 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 72 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 Franklin County, so the repair decision comes down to the unit's condition.
Estimates for a typical Franklin 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. When air can't move through it, the coil ices up and what little air does come through feels warm. Low refrigerant from a leak causes the same thing, and that's a repair only a contractor can diagnose and fix. Check the filter first. If it's clean and you're still getting warm air, the system needs a professional look.
- Why is my AC leaking water?
- Your AC pulls moisture out of the air as it cools, and that water is supposed to drain out through a condensate line. When that line clogs with algae or dirt, the water backs up and finds another way out, often through the ceiling below an attic unit or onto the floor near an indoor unit. A dirty air filter can also cause the coil to ice over, and the water shows up when that ice melts. Either way, it's worth shutting the system off until someone can clear the line or find the cause, since water damage adds up fast.
- Why won't my AC turn on?
- Start with the thermostat. Check that it's set to cool, the temperature is below room temperature, and it has power, since a dead thermostat battery is a common reason nothing happens. If the thermostat looks fine, check your breaker panel. A tripped breaker will cut power to the whole system, and with 72 damaging wind events recorded here over the past ten years, power interruptions that trip a breaker aren't unusual. If the breaker is fine and the system still won't start, a contractor will need to check the capacitor or the compressor itself.