AC Repair in Riverside, CA
Air conditioners here run from April through October. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Riverside County will get in touch.
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Seven months of 99 degree afternoons wear an AC down
Your air conditioner runs April through October here, seven months of the year. On a 99 degree afternoon it doesn't get a break between cycles, the compressor kicks on early and stays under load for hours. That kind of run time wears on the capacitor and the fan motor, and it's usually a summer afternoon when one of them finally gives out and the air stops feeling cold.
Riverside County has also seen 409 damaging wind events over the past ten years. Wind that strong can rattle the outdoor unit's cabinet loose or throw debris into the coil and fan blades, so it's worth a look after a rough storm even if the system still seems to be running fine.
- 7 months
- April through October, your air conditioner is on duty
- 99°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 7 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 409 wind events
- in ten years, and wind drives debris into outdoor units
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A new air conditioner would cut about $160 a year off cooling for a typical Riverside County home.
Estimates for a typical Riverside County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, California 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.
California requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The Contractors State License Board tests contractors before they get a license, then keeps a record of who holds one. That license belongs to the contractor, not to any single job, so it doesn't get reissued each time someone comes to your house. It's the same record standing behind this repair as any other job they do.
Repairing an air conditioner usually means opening the refrigerant line. That work needs EPA Section 608 certification, a federal rule that applies no matter what state you're in. The CSLB license accounts for the contractor. The 608 certification accounts for the person actually handling the refrigerant.
Sources: California Legislative Counsel · Contractors State License Board
- Why is my AC not blowing cold air?
- The most common cause is a dirty air filter choking off airflow, so start there before anything else. A clogged filter starves the coil of air and it can ice up, which leaves you with warm air or none at all. Low refrigerant from a leak is another common cause, and that needs a licensed contractor to find and fix. With highs around 99°F here in summer, a system running low on refrigerant will struggle to keep up, so it's worth having it checked soon rather than waiting.
- Why is my AC leaking water?
- Water around your AC usually means the condensate drain line is clogged. Algae and dust build up inside that line over time and block the path the water normally takes outside, so it backs up and drips into your home instead. A dirty filter can cause the same problem indirectly, by freezing the coil and then flooding the drain pan when it thaws. Either way, a contractor can clear the line and check the drain pan for damage.
- Why won't my AC turn on?
- Check your thermostat first. Dead batteries or a setting bumped to off will stop the system before it even starts. If the thermostat looks fine, a tripped breaker or a blown fuse at the outdoor unit is the next likely cause, especially after one of the wind events this area sees most years. If the breaker keeps tripping when you reset it, leave it off and have a licensed contractor look at it rather than resetting it again.