AC Repair in Summerville, SC
Air conditioners here run from May through October. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Dorchester County will get in touch.
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Six months of heat, every year
Your air conditioner works from May through October here, with summer afternoons averaging 91°F. That is six straight months of long run times, and the compressor and the fan motor carry that load every one of those days.
Dorchester County also sees its share of hard weather. Ten years of storm records show 44 hail events and 227 damaging wind events. Hail can dent or puncture the thin fins on your outdoor unit's coil, and wind-driven debris does the same. Either one cuts down how well the coil sheds heat, so the system runs longer to cool the same house.
- 6 months
- May through October, your air conditioner is on duty
- 91°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 44 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 227 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 Dorchester County home.
Estimates for a typical Dorchester County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, South 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.
- 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 let it ice up. A clogged outdoor unit, low refrigerant from a leak, or a failing compressor can also do it. With summer highs here averaging 91°F for six months of the year, a system running on low refrigerant or a frozen coil will fall behind fast. Check the filter first. If it's clean and air is still coming out warm, a contractor needs to check refrigerant levels and the compressor.
- 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 dust build up in that line over a cooling season and block it. A dirty filter can also cause the coil to freeze up, and the water shows up when it thaws and overflows the drain pan. A contractor can clear the line and check the pan for cracks or rust.
- Why won't my AC turn on?
- Start with the thermostat and the breaker before assuming the worst. Check that the thermostat is set to cool and below room temperature, and check the breaker panel and any disconnect switch near the outdoor unit for a trip. If those are fine, the capacitor or contactor in the outdoor unit may have failed, which is a common reason a system won't start even though it worked the day before. With 227 damaging wind events recorded here over the past ten years, a tripped breaker or disconnect switch after a storm is also worth ruling out. A contractor can test the electrical components if the basics check out.