AC Repair in San Rafael, CA
If your air conditioner quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Marin County will get in touch.
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San Rafael doesn't ask much of an air conditioner
Summer afternoons here average 71°F. That's mild enough that a lot of homes get through the year without running an AC at all. When yours does run, it isn't fighting the kind of heat that wears a system down.
What it does have to survive is weather. Marin County has logged 122 damaging wind events and 11 hail events over the past ten years. An outdoor unit sitting through that needs its cabinet, fins and fan in good shape, since that's what a storm can bend or clog even when the compressor inside is fine.
- 71°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 11 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 122 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 Marin County, so the repair decision comes down to the unit's condition.
Estimates for a typical Marin 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 license is held by the contractor, not issued per job, so it covers the business doing the work rather than the specific repair on your air conditioner. California's Contractors State License Board keeps the record and handles complaints against that license.
Because this repair involves refrigerant, whoever opens that side of your air conditioner also needs EPA Section 608 certification, the same federal requirement that applies in every state. That certification covers the refrigerant handling itself, separate from the state license that covers the contractor.
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 cutting off airflow across the coil, which can make the coil ice over and send warm air through the vents. Low refrigerant from a leak is another common reason, and that needs a licensed contractor to find the leak and recharge it properly. With San Rafael summer afternoons averaging around 71°F, a system blowing warm air is more noticeable than in hotter climates, so it's worth checking the filter first before assuming something bigger is wrong.
- Why is my AC leaking water?
- Water around your unit usually means the condensate drain line is clogged or the drain pan has rusted through. The drain line can fill with algae and dirt over time and back up until water spills out instead of draining away. A frozen coil that then thaws will also drop more water than the pan can handle. A contractor can clear the line or replace the pan depending on what they find.
- Why won't my AC turn on?
- Start with the thermostat, since dead batteries or a setting knocked off cool will stop the system before it ever starts. If the thermostat looks fine, check the breaker panel, since a tripped breaker will cut power to the whole unit. If the breaker keeps tripping after you reset it, stop trying and call a contractor, since that usually points to an electrical problem inside the unit that needs a licensed hand.