AC Repair in Brownsville, TX
Air conditioners here run from February through November. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Cameron County will get in touch.
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Ten months of cooling in Cameron County heat
Your air conditioner runs February through November here, with summer afternoons averaging 94°F. That is most of the year spent cycling on and off in heat that does not let up, and the compressor and the run capacitor take the wear from it. A capacitor that has weakened will let the unit hum and try to start without catching, or the outside fan will stop while the compressor keeps drawing power.
The storm record adds to that. Cameron County has logged 95 damaging wind events and 27 hail events over the past ten years, with hail up to 3.01 inches. Wind can bend the fins on the outdoor coil or rock the unit on its pad, and hail that size can dent the coil or crack the fan blade. Either one shows up as an AC that runs longer than it used to, or one that stops cooling the house at all.
- 10 months
- February through November, your air conditioner is on duty
- 94°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 27 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 95 wind events
- in ten years, and wind drives debris into outdoor units
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A new air conditioner would cut about $120 a year off cooling for a typical Cameron County home.
Estimates for a typical Cameron County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, Texas 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.
Texas requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
Texas licenses HVAC contractors through the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. To get that license, a contractor has to pass the state's testing, and the license covers the contractor, not each individual job.
For a repair like this, the contractor's Texas license is what stands behind the work. If the job means opening the refrigerant side of your air conditioner, the technician also needs EPA Section 608 certification, which every technician in the country has to hold for that kind of work, not something particular to Texas.
Source: Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation
- Why is my AC not blowing cold air?
- The most common reason is a dirty air filter choking off airflow, so check that first since it's the easiest to fix. If the filter is clean, low refrigerant from a leak is the next likely cause, and that needs a licensed contractor to find and seal. A frozen evaporator coil can also cut off cold air, and running the system with the fan only for a while can help it thaw before anyone inspects it. With summer afternoons here hitting 94°F, a system that's low on refrigerant or clogged struggles even more to keep up.
- Why is my AC leaking water?
- Water around your AC usually means the condensate drain line is clogged. Algae and dirt build up in that line over time and block the water from draining outside, so it backs up and spills out near the indoor unit instead. A cracked drain pan or a frozen coil that's thawing out can also cause leaking. Since Brownsville homes run the AC nearly ten months a year, that drain line stays busy and is worth having checked before it clogs and causes damage.
- Why won't my AC turn on?
- Start with the thermostat. Make sure it's set to cool and the temperature is below room temperature, and check the batteries if it has a screen that's blank or dim. If the thermostat looks fine, check your breaker panel for a tripped breaker, since AC units draw enough power to trip one if something's off. With 95 damaging wind events recorded here over the past ten years, storm-related power surges are also a real cause, and a system that won't restart after one may need a licensed contractor to look at the capacitor or control board.