AC Repair in Ann Arbor, MI
Air conditioners here run from June through August. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Washtenaw County will get in touch.
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Three months of hard work, then a decade of storms
Your air conditioner in Washtenaw County only has to earn its keep from June through August, but it earns it in a hurry. Summer afternoons here average 81°F, and the unit outside runs long hours to keep up. That kind of steady load wears on the compressor and the fan motor, the two parts that do the actual work of moving heat out of your house.
The outdoor unit also sits through whatever the sky sends. Washtenaw County has logged 60 hail events and 89 damaging wind events over the past ten years, with hail up to 2 inches recorded. Hail that size can bend the thin aluminum fins on the condenser coil, and wind-blown debris gets pulled right into the cabinet. When the fins are bent shut or the coil is packed with debris, the unit can't shed heat the way it needs to, and you notice it as a house that won't cool down no matter how long the system runs.
- 3 months
- June through August, your air conditioner is on duty
- 81°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 60 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 89 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 Washtenaw County, so the repair decision comes down to the unit's condition.
Estimates for a typical Washtenaw County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, Michigan 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.
Michigan requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The license is held through the state's Board of Mechanical Rules, and it covers the contractor, not each individual job. That means the company and the person sent to your home are the ones tested and on record with the state, not the repair itself.
Because this job means opening the refrigerant side of your air conditioner, the technician also needs EPA Section 608 certification. That is a federal requirement, the same in every state, and it covers the handling of refrigerant itself. The Michigan license is what covers the contractor doing the work in your home.
Sources: Michigan Legislature · Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs
- Why is my AC not blowing cold air?
- A few things cause this, and a dirty air filter is the most common one. When the filter is clogged, airflow drops, and the coil behind it can ice over. Once that happens, the air coming out feels weak or warm even though the system is running. A dirty outdoor unit does something similar. If the fins are packed with grass clippings or leaves, the unit can't shed heat the way it needs to, and cooling suffers. Low refrigerant is another cause, but that means there's a leak somewhere in the line, and topping it off without finding the leak won't fix anything for long. Check the filter first. It's the one thing you can rule out yourself before calling anyone.
- Why is my AC leaking water?
- Water pooling near your indoor unit usually means the condensate drain line is clogged. Your AC pulls humidity out of the air as it runs, and that water is supposed to drain out through a small line. Algae and debris build up in that line over time, and once it's blocked, the water backs up and drips out near the unit instead. A cracked drain pan can cause the same kind of leak, and so can a frozen coil that's in the process of thawing. A contractor can check the line and the pan to find out which one it is.
- Why won't my AC turn on?
- Start with the thermostat. Make sure it's set to cool and set below the current room temperature, and check the batteries if it takes them. If that looks right, check the breaker panel next. A tripped breaker shuts the whole system down without any warning, and a storm can trip one even after the power has come back on. If the breaker is fine and the system still won't start, the problem is likely inside the unit itself, and that calls for a contractor to take a look.