AC Repair in Asheville, NC
Air conditioners here run from June through August. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Buncombe County will get in touch.
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Three months of summer heat is short but hard on a system
Your air conditioner in Buncombe County only really works June through August. That is three months to do most of its job for the year, and afternoons averaging 80°F mean it runs long hours during that stretch rather than easing into the season.
The short, hard season is not the only thing working against it. Ten years of storm records show 22 hail events and hailstones as large as 2.5 inches, along with 55 damaging wind events. Hail dents and cracks the thin aluminum fins on the outdoor coil, and wind drives debris into the unit or rocks it on its pad. If your air conditioner is blowing warm air or the outdoor unit sounds different than it used to, a storm may be the reason.
- 3 months
- June through August, your air conditioner is on duty
- 80°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 22 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 55 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 Buncombe County, so the repair decision comes down to the unit's condition.
Estimates for a typical Buncombe County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, North Carolina 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.
North Carolina requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
That license belongs to the contractor, not to this one job, so it stands behind whoever shows up at your door on any repair they do, not just this visit. The State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors issues it and is the body a North Carolina HVAC contractor answers to.
Refrigerant is the part of this repair that carries its own separate check. Any technician who opens the refrigerant side of your air conditioner, to recover it, recharge it, or find a leak, has to hold EPA Section 608 certification. That is a federal rule, the same in North Carolina as in every other state, and it applies on top of the contractor's state license, not in place of it.
Sources: North Carolina General Assembly · North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors
- 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 cause the coil itself to ice up. Low refrigerant from a leak is another common cause, and that's not something to top off yourself since it means there's a leak somewhere in the system that needs finding. If the outdoor unit isn't running while the indoor blower is, the problem is likely electrical, a bad capacitor or contactor. A contractor can check refrigerant charge and electrical components to find which one it is.
- Why is my AC leaking water?
- Warm, humid air runs across your evaporator coil all summer, and the condensate line is what carries that water away. When that line clogs with algae or dirt, the water backs up and drips out wherever it can, often around the indoor unit. A dirty air filter can also cause the coil to ice over, and the water shows up when the ice melts. Either way, a contractor can clear the line or find where the water is actually coming from.
- Why won't my AC turn on?
- Start with the thermostat. Check that it's set to cool and the temperature is actually below the room temperature, and if it runs on batteries, try fresh ones. If the thermostat looks right, check the breaker panel, since a tripped breaker will shut the whole system down. Asheville sees its share of thunderstorms with damaging wind through the summer, and a power blip can trip a breaker even when nothing else is wrong. If the breaker is fine and the system still won't start, the problem is likely inside the unit itself, and a contractor will need to look at it.