AC Repair in Albany, NY
Air conditioners here run from July through August. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Albany County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Two months of real heat, then long stretches of storms
Albany only asks for cooling in July and August, with afternoons averaging around 80°F. That is not a long season, but it is a real one, and a system that sits idle most of the year still has to start up strong when the heat hits.
The bigger wear here comes from the weather around those two months. The last ten years brought 350 damaging wind events and 35 hail storms, some with stones two inches across. Wind can rattle or knock loose the wiring and refrigerant lines running to the outdoor unit, and hail that size can dent the fins on the coil or bend the fan cage around it. You notice it as an AC that runs but does not cool like it used to, or one that trips off and will not restart.
- 2 months
- July through August, your air conditioner is on duty
- 80°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 35 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 350 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 Albany County, so the repair decision comes down to the unit's condition.
Estimates for a typical Albany County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, New York 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 cutting off airflow across the coil. Once airflow drops too low, the coil can ice up and blow warm air instead of cold. Low refrigerant from a leak is another common cause, and that needs a licensed contractor to find and seal the leak. If the filter looks clean and the vents still blow warm, have someone check the refrigerant charge and the outdoor unit.
- Why is my AC leaking water?
- Most of the time this means the condensate drain line is clogged, so the water the system pulls out of the air backs up instead of draining outside. Algae and dirt build up in that line over time, especially after months of steady use. A dirty filter can also cause this by freezing the coil, which then drips water everywhere as it thaws. Either way, turn the system off until it is looked at, since water can damage the area around the unit.
- Why won't my AC turn on?
- Start by checking the thermostat. Make sure it has power and is set to cool, below the room temperature. If the thermostat looks fine, check the breaker for the outdoor unit, since a tripped breaker will stop the whole system cold. This area sees a lot of damaging wind events, so a breaker trip after a storm is worth checking first. If the breaker is fine and it still won't start, the issue is likely inside the unit and needs a contractor to diagnose.