AC Repair in Atlanta, GA
Air conditioners here run from May through September. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Fulton County will get in touch.
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Five months of Georgia heat wears on your AC
From May through September your air conditioner runs almost every day, working against afternoons that average 88°F. That kind of steady demand adds up on the parts that keep it running, especially the capacitor and the compressor. When one starts to fail, you notice the air isn't as cold as it should be, or the unit struggles to keep up once the temperature climbs.
Fulton County has also seen its share of hail and wind, including 30 hail events and 162 damaging wind events over the past ten years, with hail up to 1.75 inches. That kind of weather can bend the fins on your outdoor unit or damage the fan, and the effects on how well it cools might not show up right away.
- 5 months
- May through September, your air conditioner is on duty
- 88°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 30 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 162 wind events
- in ten years, and wind drives debris into outdoor units
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A new air conditioner would cut about $50 a year off cooling for a typical Fulton County home.
Estimates for a typical Fulton County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, Georgia 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.
Georgia requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The Construction Industry Licensing Board tests contractors before they can hold a Georgia HVAC license, and it keeps a record of who holds one. That license belongs to the contractor, not to any one job, so whoever works on your air conditioner should be the one the state tested and has on file, not just someone sent out under the company's name.
For this repair, that license is what stands behind the person working on your system. If the job means opening the refrigerant side of the unit, federal law also requires that technician to hold EPA Section 608 certification. That certification comes from the federal government, not the state, and it applies to anyone handling refrigerant anywhere in the country.
Source: Georgia Secretary of State
- Why is my AC not blowing cold air?
- The most common cause is low refrigerant from a leak somewhere in the line set or coil. A dirty air filter or a coil caked with dust can also block airflow enough that the air coming out feels warm. If the outdoor unit isn't running at all while the indoor fan is, the compressor or a capacitor may have failed. A licensed contractor needs EPA Section 608 certification just to check the refrigerant charge, so this isn't something to diagnose by adding refrigerant yourself.
- Why is my AC leaking water?
- Water around your indoor unit usually means the condensate drain line is clogged. Algae and dust build up inside that line over time and block the path water needs to drain away, so it backs up and spills out instead. A frozen evaporator coil that then thaws can cause the same thing, dripping water well past where the drain pan can catch it. Either way, the fix means clearing or repairing the drain system rather than just wiping up the water.
- Why won't my AC turn on?
- Start with the thermostat. Check that it has power, the batteries are good if it uses them, and it's set to cool at a temperature below the room's current reading. If the thermostat looks fine, the problem is likely a tripped breaker, a blown fuse at the outdoor disconnect, or a failed capacitor that the compressor needs to start. Atlanta gets its share of storms with damaging wind, and a power interruption during one can trip a breaker without any other sign something's wrong.