AC Repair in Lansing, MI
Air conditioners here run from June through August. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Ingham County will get in touch.
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Three months of real work, then long stretches of none
Your air conditioner in Ingham County only earns its keep from June through August, with afternoons that average 80°F. That short, hard stretch is tough on a system that sits idle the rest of the year. The capacitor and the contactor take the brunt of it, since they're what kicks the compressor on each time the thermostat calls for cooling, and parts that don't get used regularly are often the ones that fail when you need them most.
Ingham County has also logged 21 damaging wind events and 10 hail storms over the past ten years, with hail up to 2 inches. Wind can knock an outdoor unit's cabinet or fan blade out of alignment, and hail that size can dent the coil fins that let the unit shed heat. Either one shows up as an air conditioner that runs but doesn't cool the house like it should.
- 3 months
- June through August, your air conditioner is on duty
- 80°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 10 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 21 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 Ingham County, so the repair decision comes down to the unit's condition.
Estimates for a typical Ingham 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 Board of Mechanical Rules tests and records the contractor, not the job itself, so the same license covers this repair and the next one. It's the state's way of keeping track of who is qualified to do the work, rather than checking each visit that comes after.
For an air conditioner repair, the license is what stands behind the contractor showing up at your door, but the refrigerant work itself has its own layer. Anyone opening the refrigerant side of your system needs EPA Section 608 certification, a federal requirement that applies no matter what state you're in. Between the two, you have a contractor the state has vetted and a technician certified to handle the refrigerant safely.
Sources: Michigan Legislature · Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs
- Why is my AC not blowing cold air?
- Most often the filter is clogged and choking off airflow, so check that first since it's the one thing you can look at yourself. If the filter is clean, the refrigerant level could be low, which usually points to a leak somewhere in the coil or line set. A dirty outdoor coil can do the same thing, especially after a summer where the unit has been running hard since June. Either way, a low charge or a dirty coil isn't something to top off or hose down yourself, it needs a contractor to find the cause.
- Why is my AC leaking water?
- This usually means the condensate drain line is clogged, so water backs up and finds its way out instead of draining outside like it should. It can also happen if the filter is dirty enough that ice forms on the coil, then melts faster than the drain pan can handle it. A cracked drain pan will do it too, though that's more common in an older unit. Clearing the line is often simple, but if it keeps happening, have a contractor look at the coil and the pan.
- Why won't my AC turn on?
- Start with the thermostat. Make sure it's set to cool and the temperature is actually below the room temperature, since a setting bumped by accident is one of the most common reasons nothing happens. Next check the breaker, since a tripped breaker will shut the whole system down with no warning. If both of those are fine, the capacitor may have failed, which is a part that wears out and needs a contractor to replace.