AC Repair in Ruston, LA
Air conditioners here run from May through September. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Lincoln Parish will get in touch.
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Five months of Louisiana heat, every year
Your air conditioner works from May through September here, and on the afternoons that hit 92°F it runs close to nonstop trying to keep up. That kind of stretch wears on the compressor and the capacitor that helps start it, since both are working hardest exactly when you need them most.
Lincoln Parish has also seen 51 damaging wind events and 16 hail storms over the past ten years, with hail up to 1.75 inches. Wind drives debris into the outdoor unit's coil and fins, and hail can dent the fins or the housing around them. Either one blocks the airflow the system needs, and you notice it as weaker cooling or a unit that runs longer than it used to.
- 5 months
- May through September, your air conditioner is on duty
- 92°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 16 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 51 wind events
- in ten years, and wind drives debris into outdoor units
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A new air conditioner would cut about $60 a year off cooling for a typical Lincoln Parish home.
Estimates for a typical Lincoln 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 tests and records the contractor, not the individual job. That license means the state has checked this contractor's qualifications and keeps a record of them, but it does not mean an inspector signs off on your repair afterward.
For an air conditioner repair, the license is what stands behind the contractor doing the work. If the repair involves opening the refrigerant lines, the technician also needs EPA Section 608 certification, a federal requirement that applies in every state regardless of what Louisiana does on its own.
Source: Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors
- Why is my AC not blowing cold air?
- The most common reason is a dirty air filter choking off airflow across the coil, which can cause the coil to ice up so the air coming out feels weak and warm. Low refrigerant from a leak is another common cause, and that's a repair only a certified technician can make since opening the refrigerant side of the system requires EPA Section 608 certification. A failing compressor can also do this, and with summer afternoons here averaging 92°F, a system that's low on refrigerant or losing compressor capacity struggles to keep up fast. Check the filter first, and if it's clean, the problem is likely inside the system.
- Why is my AC leaking water?
- Water around your indoor unit almost always means the condensate drain line is clogged, backing water up until it overflows the drain pan. Algae and dirt build up in that line over time and block it. A dirty filter can also cause the coil to freeze, and when it thaws it can produce more water than the drain pan is built to handle at once. Either way, a contractor can clear the line or find where else the water is coming from.
- Why won't my AC turn on?
- Start with the thermostat batteries and the breaker before assuming the worst. A tripped breaker or a dead thermostat is a common and simple cause, and it's worth checking both first. If those are fine, the capacitor that starts the compressor and fan motor may have failed, which is a common reason a unit won't start even though it's getting power. With 51 damaging wind events recorded here over the past ten years, outdoor units can also take a hit that knocks something loose or trips a safety switch, so a contractor should look it over if the simple checks don't fix it.