AC Repair in Howell, MI
Air conditioners here run from June through August. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Livingston County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Three months of heat, then long idle stretches
Howell only asks for cooling from June through August. Summer afternoons average 80 degrees, so the system runs hard for a short window and sits idle the rest of the year. That kind of stop and start wears on a unit differently than steady use does. Whatever weakened while it sat through fall, winter, and spring tends to show itself right when it starts back up in June, often a capacitor that won't kick the compressor on or a contactor that sticks.
Livingston County has also seen 88 damaging wind events and 20 hail events over the past ten years, with hail up to 1.5 inches. Wind can bend the thin fins on the outdoor coil or blow debris into the unit. Hail that size can dent the cabinet or crush the fins enough to block airflow. Either one shows up the same way. The air coming from the vents isn't as cold as it should be.
- 3 months
- June through August, your air conditioner is on duty
- 80°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 20 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 88 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 Livingston County, so the repair decision comes down to the unit's condition.
Estimates for a typical Livingston 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.
Michigan issues that license through the Board of Mechanical Rules, which tests contractors and keeps a record of who holds one. The license covers the contractor, not each job, so it is the contractor as a whole who is licensed rather than any single repair.
For an air conditioner repair, the part that matters most is the refrigerant line. Any technician who opens that side of the system, in Livingston County or anywhere else, has to hold EPA Section 608 certification. That is a federal rule, separate from the state license, and it covers the handling of refrigerant itself.
Sources: Michigan Legislature · Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs
- Why is my AC not blowing cold air?
- The most common reason is a dirty air filter choking off airflow across the coil. When the filter clogs, the coil can ice over and what comes through the vents turns warm instead of cold. Low refrigerant from a leak causes the same thing, and that's not something you can top off yourself since it means there's a leak somewhere in the line. If the filter looks clean and the air is still warm, a contractor needs to check the refrigerant charge and the coil itself.
- Why is my AC leaking water?
- Water around your AC usually means the condensate drain line is clogged. Your system pulls a lot of moisture out of the air on a summer afternoon here, and that water has to drain out through a small line that algae and debris can block over time. When it backs up, it can overflow the drain pan and show up as a puddle near the indoor unit. A frozen coil that's thawing out will do the same thing, so if you've noticed weak airflow too, that's likely the cause.
- Why won't my AC turn on?
- Start with the thermostat. Check that it's set to cool and the temperature is below the room temperature, and if it runs on batteries, try fresh ones. Next check the breaker box, since a tripped breaker will shut the whole system down with no warning. If the thermostat looks right and the breaker hasn't tripped, the issue is likely inside the unit itself, like a failed capacitor or a bad contactor, and that calls for a licensed contractor to open it up and test it.