AC Repair in Hendersonville, NC
Air conditioners here run from June through August. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Henderson County will get in touch.
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Three months of real heat, then storms the rest of the year
Hendersonville only asks a lot of your air conditioner for about three months, June through August, with afternoons averaging 81°F. That's a short season, but it's a hard one. The system sits idle most of the year, then has to start up and run for hours on end once summer sets in. A unit that was struggling in August last year will show it again the first hot week this year.
The other risk here comes from the sky, not the thermostat. Ten years of records show 23 hail events and 42 damaging wind events in this area. Hail dents the fins on your outdoor unit's coil, and enough denting blocks airflow the coil needs to cool the refrigerant. Wind throws branches and debris into that same outdoor unit. If your AC is running rough after a storm, or won't come on at all, that's often where to look first.
- 3 months
- June through August, your air conditioner is on duty
- 81°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 23 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 42 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 Henderson County, so the repair decision comes down to the unit's condition.
Estimates for a typical Henderson 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.
The license is issued to the contractor, not to the job, so the same license covers this repair whether it is a refrigerant leak, a bad capacitor, or a failed compressor. The State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors is the body that tested and licensed them, and it keeps the record of who holds that license.
Any repair that involves opening the refrigerant side of your air conditioner also requires the technician to hold EPA Section 608 certification, a federal rule that applies in every state on top of North Carolina's license. That certification exists because refrigerant has to be recovered and handled correctly, not released into the air.
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. When the filter is clogged, the coil can ice over, and once that happens the air coming through the vents turns warm instead of cold. Low refrigerant from a leak is another common cause, and that needs a licensed technician, since only someone with EPA Section 608 certification is allowed to open the refrigerant side of the system. A failing capacitor or a blocked outdoor unit can also keep the system from cooling properly.
- Why is my AC leaking water?
- Most often the drain line that carries condensation away from the indoor unit is clogged. Algae and dust build up inside that line over time, and once it backs up the water has nowhere to go but out, often through the drain pan. A dirty filter can cause the same problem indirectly, since it lets the coil ice over, and the water shows up once that ice melts. A cracked drain pan or a disconnected line further down the system can also be the source.
- Why won't my AC turn on?
- Start with the thermostat. Check that it has power and is set to cool with a temperature below the room. If the thermostat looks fine, check the breaker for the outdoor unit and the indoor air handler, since a tripped breaker will stop the whole system cold. A blown capacitor or a failed contactor in the outdoor unit are common reasons the compressor won't start even when power is reaching the unit. Given how many wind and hail events this area sees each year, it is also worth having the outdoor unit checked for storm damage if it stopped working after bad weather.