AC Repair in College Station, TX
Air conditioners here run from April through October. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Brazos County will get in touch.
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Seven months of Texas heat wears on your AC
Your air conditioner runs from April through October here, seven months a year, with summer afternoons averaging 94°F. That is most of the year spent leaning on the compressor and the fan motor to keep the house cool.
Brazos County has also logged 75 damaging wind events and 50 hail events over the past ten years, with hailstones as large as 3 inches. Wind that strong can rock the outdoor unit and bend the cabinet or the fins around the coil. Hail that size can dent the coil or crack the fan grille, and a damaged coil has a harder time releasing heat, so you may notice the house taking longer to cool down.
- 7 months
- April through October, your air conditioner is on duty
- 94°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 50 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 75 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 Brazos County home.
Estimates for a typical Brazos 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. The state tests the contractor and keeps a record of that license. It covers the contractor, not each individual job.
For this repair, that license is what stands behind the work. If the job means opening the refrigerant side of the system, the technician also needs EPA Section 608 certification. That is a federal rule and it applies in every state. The Texas license says the contractor was tested and is on record with the state. The federal certification says whoever handles the refrigerant is qualified to do that part of the job.
Source: Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation
- Why is my AC not blowing cold air?
- The most common cause is a dirty air filter choking off airflow across the coil. When that happens the coil can ice up, and once it's iced over the air coming through your vents turns warm. Low refrigerant from a leak causes the same thing, and so does a failing compressor. With summer afternoons here averaging 94°F, a system running low on refrigerant or fighting a frozen coil often can't keep up at all. Check the filter first. If it's clean and you still have no cold air, the system needs a contractor to find out why.
- Why is my AC leaking water?
- Most of the time this means the condensate drain line is clogged. Your AC pulls moisture out of the air as it cools, and that water is supposed to run out through the drain line to the outside. Algae and dirt build up inside that line over time and block it, so the water backs up and drips inside instead. A frozen coil that then thaws out fast can also flood the drain pan faster than it can drain. Either way, a contractor can clear the line or find the actual source of the leak.
- Why won't my AC turn on?
- Start with the thermostat and the breaker. A dead thermostat battery or a tripped breaker will stop the system cold, and both are easy to check yourself. If those are fine, the problem is likely electrical inside the unit, like a bad capacitor or contactor, or a tripped safety switch that shuts the system down on purpose. College Station has seen 75 damaging wind events over the past ten years, and power surges from storms like these can trip breakers or damage components. If the thermostat and breaker check out, a licensed contractor will need to look at the unit itself.