AC Repair in Schenectady, NY
Air conditioners here run from July through August. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Schenectady County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Two months of real work, then long stretches of none
Your air conditioner in Schenectady County only earns its keep in July and August, with afternoons averaging 79°F. That is a short season, but it is not an easy one. The unit sits idle most of the year, then gets asked to run hard on the hottest days, and that kind of stop-and-start use is when a weak capacitor or a low-charge system tends to show itself.
The outdoor unit also has to survive whatever the weather does to it, and this area has seen its share. Ten hail events and 188 damaging wind events over the past ten years mean the condenser coil and fins outside your home have taken some hits. Bent fins block airflow across the coil, and a unit that can't move air across that coil will run longer and cool less, even on a day that shouldn't tax it.
- 2 months
- July through August, your air conditioner is on duty
- 79°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 10 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 188 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 Schenectady County, so the repair decision comes down to the unit's condition.
Estimates for a typical Schenectady 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 reason is a dirty air filter choking off airflow across the coil. A frozen coil, low refrigerant, or a failing compressor will do the same thing, and each needs a different fix. Check the filter first since that is the one thing worth trying before calling someone out. With only two months of real cooling weather here, a unit that is not keeping up in July or August needs attention fast, since there is not much of the season left to lose.
- Why is my AC leaking water?
- Usually the condensate drain line is clogged and water is backing up instead of draining outside. It can also mean the coil has frozen and is now melting onto the floor or into the ductwork below. Either way the water needs to be stopped, but the cause has to be found first or it will just happen again.
- Why won't my AC turn on?
- Start with the thermostat and the breaker, since those cause more no-start calls than anything inside the unit. If the thermostat has power and the breaker has not tripped, the problem is likely a failed capacitor or a bad switch at the outdoor unit. Storms roll through here often enough, 188 damaging wind events over the last ten years, that a tripped breaker or a knocked-loose connection after a windy day is worth checking before assuming the worst.