AC Repair in Valdosta, GA
Air conditioners here run from May through October. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Lowndes County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Six months of heat in a row wears an air conditioner down
Your air conditioner runs from May through October in Valdosta, six months of the year. On afternoons that average 91°F, it doesn't get much of a break between cycles. The compressor and the run capacitor that starts it are the parts that carry that load, and they're the ones that give out after enough summers of it. You'll notice the unit running longer to reach the same temperature, or short cycling off before the house cools down.
Lowndes County has also logged 269 damaging wind events and 12 hail events over the past ten years, with hail up to 1.75 inches. Wind can bend the fins on the outdoor coil or knock debris into the unit, and hail that size can dent the cabinet or damage the fins outright. Either one cuts down how well the unit sheds heat, which shows up as weaker cooling on the next hot afternoon.
- 6 months
- May through October, your air conditioner is on duty
- 91°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 12 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 269 wind events
- in ten years, and wind drives debris into outdoor units
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A new air conditioner would cut about $70 a year off cooling for a typical Lowndes County home.
Estimates for a typical Lowndes 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 state board tests contractors before they can hold this license, and the license is on record with the state. It belongs to the contractor, not to any single job, so the same license covers this repair and the next one they do for someone else in Lowndes County.
For an air conditioner repair, that license is what stands behind the work. If the repair involves opening the refrigerant side of the system, which most air conditioner repairs do, the technician also has to hold EPA Section 608 certification. That is a federal requirement in every state, separate from the Georgia license, and it applies to the person handling the refrigerant.
Source: Georgia Secretary of State
- Why is my AC not blowing cold air?
- The most common cause is a dirty air filter choking off airflow, so check that first. Low refrigerant from a leak is another common reason, and it will not fix itself by adding more, the leak has to be found and sealed. It could also be a failing compressor or a frozen evaporator coil, both of which need a contractor to diagnose. With highs around 91°F here in the summer, a system losing its cooling power shows up fast.
- Why is my AC leaking water?
- Most of the time this means the condensate drain line is clogged and water is backing up instead of draining outside. Algae and dirt build up in that line over a cooling season and block it. It can also mean the evaporator coil has frozen and is now thawing and dripping, often because of a dirty filter or low refrigerant. Either way, shut the system off until a contractor looks at it, since water pooling near the unit can damage the floor or the equipment itself.
- Why won't my AC turn on?
- Start with the thermostat, check that it has power and is set to cool below the room temperature. If that looks right, check the breaker, since a tripped breaker will shut the whole system down. A capacitor that has failed will also keep the compressor or fan from starting even though the thermostat is calling for cooling. With 269 damaging wind events recorded here over the past ten years, it is also worth checking the outdoor disconnect and any exposed wiring near the outdoor unit before assuming the worst.