AC Repair in Niagara Falls, NY
Air conditioners here run from July through August. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Niagara County will get in touch.
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Two months of real heat, then storms the rest of the year
Your air conditioner in Niagara Falls only earns its keep in July and August, when afternoons average 79°F. That's not extreme heat, so the unit itself doesn't wear out from strain the way it might further south. What gets it is standing idle most of the year, then getting switched on hard when the first hot week hits.
The bigger threat sits outside, in the open. The outdoor unit has taken 17 hail events and 87 damaging wind events over the past ten years, with hail up to 2.5 inches. Hail dents and bends the thin fins on the outdoor coil, and wind drives debris into the cabinet or knocks it out of level. If your AC is running weak or loud after a storm, check the outdoor unit for bent fins or a cracked fan blade before anything else.
- 2 months
- July through August, your air conditioner is on duty
- 79°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 17 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 87 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 Niagara County, so the repair decision comes down to the unit's condition.
Estimates for a typical Niagara 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 choking off airflow, so the coil freezes up and stops cooling. Low refrigerant from a leak is another common reason, and it will not fix itself by adding more, since the leak has to be found and sealed first. If the outdoor unit is running but the air inside is warm, a contractor needs to check the refrigerant charge and the coil before anything else.
- Why is my AC leaking water?
- Water around your indoor unit almost always means the condensate drain line is clogged. As your AC pulls moisture out of the air, that water is supposed to run out through a drain, and algae or dirt can block it so the water backs up and spills out instead. A frozen coil that then thaws will cause the same kind of puddle, so it helps to also check whether the airflow to the unit has been restricted.
- Why won't my AC turn on?
- Start with your thermostat. Check that it is set to cool and set below the room temperature, and that its batteries are not dead. If the thermostat looks right, check your electrical panel for a tripped breaker, since a summer storm here can knock power out and the AC needs the breaker reset before it will start again. If the breaker is fine and it still will not start, the problem is inside the unit and a contractor will need to look at it.