AC Repair in Johnson City, TN
Air conditioners here run from June through September. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Washington County will get in touch.
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Four months of heat, and hail that adds to the wear
Your air conditioner in Johnson City runs from June through September, with summer afternoons averaging 85°F. Four months of long run times wears on the compressor and the capacitor that starts it. A weak capacitor shows up as a unit that hums but does not start, or one that shuts off on its own before the house cools down.
Washington County has had 14 hail events over the past ten years, with hailstones up to 1.75 inches, and 40 damaging wind events in that same stretch. Hail that size can bend the thin aluminum fins on your outdoor coil, and bent fins block the airflow the unit needs to cool the refrigerant inside. Wind storms can knock debris into the outdoor unit or loosen the wiring behind its access panel. If your air conditioner is running but not cooling like it used to, that outdoor coil is worth a look.
- 4 months
- June through September, your air conditioner is on duty
- 85°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 14 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 40 wind events
- in ten years, and wind drives debris into outdoor units
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A new air conditioner would cut about $30 a year off cooling for a typical Washington County home.
Estimates for a typical Washington 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 reason is a dirty air filter choking off airflow, so check that first. A clogged filter makes the coil freeze up, and once ice covers it the air coming out feels warm instead of cold. Low refrigerant from a leak causes the same thing and won't fix itself, so if a new filter doesn't solve it, the system needs a contractor to check the charge. On an 85°F afternoon here, a system running low on refrigerant falls behind fast and struggles to keep up.
- Why is my AC leaking water?
- Water around your indoor unit usually means the condensate drain line is clogged. As your AC cools the air, it also pulls moisture out of it, and that water is supposed to run out through the drain line to the outside. When algae or dirt block that line, the water backs up and drips out wherever it can, often right at the unit. A frozen coil that's thawing can cause the same puddle, so it's worth checking the filter too.
- Why won't my AC turn on?
- Start with the thermostat. Check that it's set to cool and a few degrees below room temperature, and if it runs on batteries, try fresh ones. If the thermostat looks right, check the breaker box, since a tripped breaker will keep the whole system from starting. If the breaker is fine and the AC still won't run, the problem is likely inside the unit and a contractor will need to take a look.