AC Repair in Durango, CO
If your air conditioner quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers La Plata County will get in touch.
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Durango doesn't ask much of an air conditioner
Summer afternoons here average 79°F. That is mild enough that heat itself is not what usually wears out a system in this county.
What this area sees instead is hail and wind. Ten years of storm records show 8 hail events, one dropping a stone 1.75 inches across, and 30 damaging wind events. That kind of weather hits the outdoor unit directly, since it sits outside exposed to whatever comes through. Hail can dent or bend the thin aluminum fins on the condenser coil, and flying debris in high wind can do the same. Once those fins are crushed down, the coil can't move heat the way it should, and the system struggles to cool even on a mild afternoon.
- 79°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 8 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 save little on running costs in La Plata County, so the repair decision comes down to the unit's condition.
Estimates for a typical La Plata County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, Colorado 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.
- Why is my AC not blowing cold air?
- A clogged air filter is the most common cause. It chokes off airflow across the indoor coil, and that coil can ice up, so warm air is all that gets through. Low refrigerant is another common cause, and it almost always means a leak somewhere in the line set or coil, since these systems are sealed and don't use up refrigerant over time. A dirty condenser coil outside can also keep the system from cooling properly. A contractor can check pressures and airflow to find which one it is.
- Why is my AC leaking water?
- The most common cause is a clogged condensate drain line. As your AC cools the air, it pulls moisture out of it, and that water is supposed to drip into a pan and run out through a small drain line. Algae and debris build up in that line over time and block it, so the water backs up and overflows the pan instead. A dirty air filter can also cause this by making the indoor coil freeze up and then thaw, sending more water than the pan can handle.
- Why won't my AC turn on?
- Check your thermostat first. A dead battery or a setting bumped to off will stop the whole system before it even tries to start. If the thermostat looks fine, check the breaker panel, since a tripped breaker will cut power to the outdoor unit. This area sees damaging wind often enough that a tripped breaker after a rough afternoon isn't unusual. If the breaker keeps tripping when you reset it, that points to an electrical problem inside the unit, and a contractor should look at it before you try again.