AC Repair in San Marcos, TX
Air conditioners here run from April through October. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Hays County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Seven months of Texas heat, and hail on top of it
Your air conditioner runs from April through October here, and on the afternoons that hit 94°F it runs close to nonstop. That kind of stretch wears on the compressor and the capacitor that helps start it. When the capacitor weakens, the unit hums but the fan won't spin, or it starts hard and shuts off on its own.
Hays County has also seen 59 hail events and 36 damaging wind events over the past ten years, with hail up to 3 inches. That kind of storm bends the fins on the outdoor coil and can bend the fan blade or knock the unit out of alignment. After a bad storm, listen for a new rattle or a drop in how cold the air feels.
- 7 months
- April through October, your air conditioner is on duty
- 94°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 59 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 36 wind events
- in ten years, and wind drives debris into outdoor units
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A new air conditioner would cut about $80 a year off cooling for a typical Hays County home.
Estimates for a typical Hays 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.
The license is issued to the contractor, not to the job, so the same license covers this repair whether it takes an hour or a week. Texas requires this before someone can advertise or contract for the work at all, and the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation keeps the record of who holds one.
For a repair on your air conditioner, that state license is what stands behind the person doing the work. If the job involves opening the refrigerant lines, which most air conditioner repairs do, the technician also has to hold EPA Section 608 certification. That one comes from the federal government, not the state, and it applies the same way in every state in the country.
Source: Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation
- Why is my AC not blowing cold air?
- Most of the time it is a clogged filter, a dirty outdoor unit, or a refrigerant leak. A dirty filter chokes airflow across the coil, and if that coil freezes up you get warm air or none at all. Refrigerant does not get used up on its own, so if levels are low there is a leak somewhere that a licensed contractor needs to find. With summer afternoons here running around 94°F, a system that is even slightly low on refrigerant will struggle 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 back the water up until it overflows the drain pan. It can also mean the coil froze and is now thawing, which points back to poor airflow or low refrigerant. Either way a contractor should look at it, since standing water near your system can damage the unit and the floor around it.
- 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 for a tripped switch. If those are fine, the problem is likely inside the unit itself, something like a failed capacitor or contactor, and that calls for a licensed contractor. Texas requires HVAC contractors to be licensed through the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, so ask to see that license before letting anyone touch the system.