AC Repair in Grand Rapids, MI
Air conditioners here run from June through August. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Kent County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Three months of work, then a beating from storms
Your air conditioner in Kent County only runs June through August, when summer afternoons average 81°F. The rest of the year it sits outside, exposed to whatever weather comes through.
Over the past ten years this area has seen 11 hail events and 56 damaging wind events. Hail up to 1.75 inches can bend the fins on the outdoor coil, and high wind drives debris into the cabinet. You notice it as weak airflow, a unit that runs but does not cool the house like it used to, or one that will not start when the first hot day of summer asks it to.
- 3 months
- June through August, your air conditioner is on duty
- 81°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 11 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 56 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 Kent County, so the repair decision comes down to the unit's condition.
Estimates for a typical Kent 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 state tested this contractor before handing out that license, and the Board of Mechanical Rules keeps a record of who holds one. That license covers the contractor as a whole, not each job that gets done. It is proof the person or company doing the work met the state's standard to be in this trade at all.
For an air conditioner repair, the part of the job that needs its own check is the refrigerant line. Any technician who opens that side of the system, in Michigan or anywhere else, has to hold EPA Section 608 certification. The state license says this contractor is allowed to do HVAC work in Michigan. The federal certification says whoever handles the refrigerant is trained to do that specific part without letting it out into the air or mishandling it.
Sources: Michigan Legislature · Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs
- Why is my AC not blowing cold air?
- The most common cause is a dirty air filter choking off airflow, or the outdoor unit not getting enough air because of dirt on the coil. Low refrigerant from a leak will also do it, and that needs a licensed contractor to find and fix, since refrigerant does not just run low on its own. Check the filter first. If it is clean and the vents still blow warm, have someone look at the outdoor unit and the refrigerant charge.
- Why is my AC leaking water?
- Water around your indoor unit usually means the condensate drain line is clogged. Air conditioners pull moisture out of the air as they cool it, and that water is supposed to run out through the drain line. Algae and dirt build up in that line over time and block it, so the water backs up and spills out where you see it. A frozen coil that then thaws can cause the same thing, so if the unit was making odd noises or blowing warm air before the leak started, mention that too.
- Why won't my AC turn on?
- Start with the thermostat. Check that it is set to cool and set below the room temperature, and that its batteries are not dead. Next check the breaker for the outdoor unit, since a tripped breaker will shut the whole system down. If the thermostat looks right and the breaker is not tripped, the problem is likely inside the unit itself and needs a licensed contractor to diagnose.