AC Repair in Spring Valley, NY
Air conditioners here run from June through August. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Rockland County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Three months of heat, then nothing until next year
Spring Valley only asks for three months of cooling, June through August, with afternoons that average 82°F. That is a short, hard stretch for a system that sits idle most of the year. When it finally switches on for the season, it has to work right away, and any weak part from last year shows itself fast.
Rockland County has also logged 42 damaging wind events and 11 hail storms over the past ten years, with hail up to an inch. Wind can knock debris into the outdoor unit and bend the fins that let it release heat. Hail that size can dent the cabinet or damage the coil underneath. If the air coming out feels weak or the unit outside sounds different than it used to, that is usually where to look first.
- 3 months
- June through August, your air conditioner is on duty
- 82°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 11 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 42 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 Rockland County, so the repair decision comes down to the unit's condition.
Estimates for a typical Rockland 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?
- Most often the filter is clogged and starving the system of airflow, or the refrigerant level is low from a leak somewhere in the line. A dirty outdoor coil can cause the same thing, since it stops the unit from shedding heat properly. Check the filter first, since that is the one thing you can rule out yourself. If it is clean and you still get warm air, the system needs a contractor to check refrigerant levels and pressures.
- 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 over and is now melting and overflowing the drain pan. A dirty filter is a common cause of that freeze, since it blocks airflow across the coil. A contractor can clear the line and check whether the coil is icing up for a reason that needs fixing.
- Why won't my AC turn on?
- Start with the thermostat batteries and the breaker panel, since those cause a lot of no-start calls and take a minute to check. If both look fine, the capacitor that starts the compressor may have failed, which is a common wear part on these systems. Storms in this area bring wind and hail most years, and a power surge from a storm can trip a breaker or damage electrical components. If the breaker keeps tripping when you reset it, stop resetting it and have a contractor look at the system.