AC Repair in Gonzales, LA
Air conditioners here run from April through October. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Ascension Parish will get in touch.
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Seven months of Gonzales heat wears an AC down
Your air conditioner runs from April through October here, and on the hot afternoons it works hardest, the temperature outside is pushing 91°F. That is seven straight months of the compressor cycling on and off to keep up, and every one of those months is a hot one.
That kind of run time adds up on the capacitor and the compressor itself, the parts that carry the load every time the unit starts. When one of them is wearing out, you notice the air coming from the vents is not as cold as it should be, or the unit is running longer to get there. Ascension Parish has also seen 30 damaging wind events and 14 hail events over the past ten years, and a storm strong enough to bend a fan blade or dent the outdoor unit can cause the same kind of breakdown.
- 7 months
- April through October, your air conditioner is on duty
- 91°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 14 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 30 wind events
- in ten years, and wind drives debris into outdoor units
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A new air conditioner would cut about $70 a year off cooling for a typical Ascension Parish home.
Estimates for a typical Ascension Parish home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, Louisiana 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.
Louisiana requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors issues that license. It covers the contractor, not the individual job, so it is the business behind the repair that is licensed rather than any single visit.
For a repair like this, the license is what stands behind the contractor doing the work. If the repair involves opening the refrigerant side of the system, the technician also needs EPA Section 608 certification. That is a federal rule and it applies in every state, not just Louisiana. It covers a different thing than the license does. It says the technician is trained to handle refrigerant without releasing it into the air.
Source: Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors
- Why is my AC not blowing cold air?
- The most common cause is a dirty air filter choking off airflow across the coil. When that happens the coil can ice over, and once it's iced you'll get weak air or none at all until it thaws. Low refrigerant from a leak is another common cause, and that one needs a licensed contractor with EPA 608 certification to fix since it means opening the refrigerant side of the system. With highs averaging 91°F here, a system running low on refrigerant will struggle to keep up on the hottest afternoons.
- Why is my AC leaking water?
- Water around your unit usually means the condensate drain line is clogged. That line carries the water your coil pulls out of the air, and algae or debris can block it over time, so the water backs up and finds another way out, often through the pan or into the house. A frozen coil that's thawing out can cause the same thing, dripping more water than the drain is used to handling. Either way it's worth having a contractor check it before the drip causes damage to the floor or ceiling below.
- Why won't my AC turn on?
- Start with your thermostat batteries and your breaker panel, since those are the two most common reasons a system won't respond at all. If the breaker has tripped more than once, don't keep resetting it. That can point to an electrical problem inside the unit that needs a licensed contractor to look at. In Louisiana that contractor has to hold a state license through the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors, and if the fix involves the refrigerant side of the system, EPA Section 608 certification as well.