AC Repair in Memphis, TN
Air conditioners here run from May through September. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Shelby County will get in touch.
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Five months of Memphis heat wears an AC down fast
Your air conditioner runs from May through September here, and on a lot of those afternoons it is working against a high near 90°F. That is the stretch where a system either holds up or starts to slip.
Shelby County also sees real storms. Ten years of records show 195 damaging wind events and 51 hail events, some with stones up to 2 inches across. That kind of hail can bend the fins on your outdoor coil or dent the cabinet around it, and either one cuts into how well the unit sheds heat. If your AC is struggling to keep up on the hot afternoons, or it came through a storm and started running worse, that is what to have looked at first.
- 5 months
- May through September, your air conditioner is on duty
- 90°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 51 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 195 wind events
- in ten years, and wind drives debris into outdoor units
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A new air conditioner would cut about $60 a year off cooling for a typical Shelby County home.
Estimates for a typical Shelby 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 start there. A refrigerant leak or a failing compressor can also cause this, and both need a contractor to diagnose. With summer afternoons here averaging 90°F, a system that's low on refrigerant will struggle to keep up, so it's worth having it checked before the heat gets worse.
- Why is my AC leaking water?
- Water around your unit usually means the condensate drain line is clogged. Algae and dirt build up inside the line over time and block the water that's supposed to drain away, so it backs up and spills out instead. A dirty air filter can also cause ice to form on the coil, which then melts and overflows the drain pan when it thaws. Either way, a contractor can clear the line or find the actual cause.
- Why won't my AC turn on?
- Check your thermostat first, since a dead battery or a setting that's off will stop the system before it even starts. If the thermostat looks fine, a tripped breaker or a blown fuse is the next likely cause. With 195 damaging wind events recorded here over the past ten years, storm-related power issues are common enough that it's worth checking the breaker before assuming the unit itself has failed.