AC Repair in Visalia, CA
Air conditioners here run from June through September. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Tulare County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Four months of steady heat
Visalia's air conditioners work hard for a short stretch. From June through September, with afternoons averaging 84°F, the system runs for hours at a time to hold the house steady. That steady load wears on the compressor and the capacitor that starts it.
When the capacitor gives out, the unit hums but the fan won't turn, or it won't start at all. You notice it as a house that stays warm no matter where the thermostat is set.
- 4 months
- June through September, your air conditioner is on duty
- 84°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 4 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 191 wind events
- in ten years, and wind drives debris into outdoor units
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A new air conditioner would cut about $40 a year off cooling for a typical Tulare County home.
Estimates for a typical Tulare 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 CSLB tests the contractor and keeps a record of that license, not a separate one for every job that contractor takes on. So the license tells you the person or business has been checked once, not that this particular repair was signed off in advance.
For an air conditioner repair, the other piece that matters is federal. Anyone who opens the refrigerant side of your system, to recover it, recharge it, or get to a failed part, has to hold EPA Section 608 certification, and that rule applies in every state, not just California. That certification is separate from the CSLB license and covers the handling of refrigerant itself, which is the part of an AC repair with real environmental and safety rules behind it.
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 can cause it to ice over, and once that happens the air coming out feels warm even though the system is running. Low refrigerant from a leak is another common cause, but that's not something you can check yourself. If the filter looks clean and the vents are open, a licensed contractor can check refrigerant levels and find out what's going on.
- Why is my AC leaking water?
- Most of the time this means the condensate drain line is clogged. Your AC pulls moisture out of the air as it cools your home, and that water is supposed to run out through a drain line to the outside. When the line clogs with algae or debris, the water backs up and drips inside instead, sometimes right through the ceiling if the unit is in the attic. A contractor can clear the line and check whether the drain pan has cracked or rusted through.
- Why won't my AC turn on?
- Check the thermostat first. Make sure it's set to cool, the temperature is set below the room temperature, and the display is lit up. A blank display often means dead batteries. If the thermostat looks fine, check the breaker panel, since a tripped breaker will keep the whole system from starting. Visalia sees a fair number of damaging wind events, and a power blip during a storm is enough to trip a breaker even when nothing else is wrong. If the breaker is fine and the system still won't start, a licensed contractor will need to look at it, since California requires HVAC work to be done by a licensed contractor.