AC Repair in Chattanooga, TN
Air conditioners here run from May through September. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Hamilton County will get in touch.
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Five months of Chattanooga heat wears on your AC
From May through September your air conditioner is working most days, with summer afternoons here averaging 87°F. That kind of steady run time adds up on the compressor and the fan motor, the two parts that carry the load every time the system cycles on. When one of them starts to fail, you notice the air coming out warmer than it should, or the unit running longer to get the house to temperature.
Hamilton County also sees its share of rough weather. Over the past ten years the area has had 117 damaging wind events and 9 hail storms, one with hail up to 1.75 inches. Wind can knock debris into the outdoor unit's coil and fins, and hail that size can dent the cabinet or bend the fins enough to block airflow. Either one shows up as an AC that runs but doesn't cool the way it used to.
- 5 months
- May through September, your air conditioner is on duty
- 87°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 9 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 117 wind events
- in ten years, and wind drives debris into outdoor units
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A new air conditioner would cut about $50 a year off cooling for a typical Hamilton County home.
Estimates for a typical Hamilton County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, Tennessee 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 check that first. If the filter is clean, the refrigerant charge could be low, which usually means a leak somewhere in the line set or coil. It could also be a failing compressor. With summer afternoons here regularly near 87°F, a system that's low on refrigerant will struggle even more to keep up, so it's worth having a contractor check it soon.
- Why is my AC leaking water?
- Water around your AC almost always means the condensate drain line is clogged or the drain pan has rusted through. Algae and dust build up inside that line over a cooling season and block the water from draining out, so it backs up and spills over. A frozen evaporator coil that's thawing can also leave water pooling, often from a dirty filter or low refrigerant. A contractor can clear the line or find the source in one visit.
- Why won't my AC turn on?
- Start with your thermostat. Check that it has power and is set to cool with the temperature below the room's current reading. If the thermostat looks fine, the issue is likely a tripped breaker or a blown fuse at the outdoor unit. Chattanooga has seen 117 damaging wind events over the past ten years, and storms like that can knock out power or trip a breaker without any visible damage to the unit itself. If the breaker won't stay reset, have a contractor look at it before trying again.