AC Repair in Montrose, CO
Air conditioners here run from July through August. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Montrose County will get in touch.
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Short summers here still take a toll
Montrose County only asks your air conditioner to run through July and August. Two months a year, and summer afternoons averaging 83°F. That is not a hard load compared to hotter places, but it means your system sits idle most of the year, then gets switched on hard when the heat arrives.
The storm record here matters more than the heat does. Ten years of data show 53 damaging wind events and 4 hail events, one dropping stones 1.5 inches across. Wind can rock an outdoor unit on its pad or drive debris into the coil and fins. Hail that size can dent a cabinet or bend the fins enough to choke airflow. You notice it as an AC that runs but cools poorly, or one that trips off when you need it most.
- 2 months
- July through August, your air conditioner is on duty
- 83°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 4 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 53 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 Montrose County, so the repair decision comes down to the unit's condition.
Estimates for a typical Montrose 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?
- The most common reason is low refrigerant from a leak, but a dirty air filter or a frozen evaporator coil can cause the same thing. If the coil has iced over, the fix is to shut the system off and let it thaw before anyone can diagnose the actual cause. Check the filter first since that's the one thing you can rule out yourself, then have a contractor look at the refrigerant charge and the coil.
- Why is my AC leaking water?
- Water around your AC usually means the condensate drain line is clogged. Warm, humid air passing over the evaporator coil produces a steady drip of water, and that water is supposed to run out through the drain line and away from the house. When the line clogs with algae or dirt, the water backs up and comes out where you can see it instead. A contractor can clear the line and check whether the drain pan has any damage from sitting water.
- Why won't my AC turn on?
- Start with the thermostat and the breaker before assuming the worst. A dead thermostat battery, a tripped breaker, or a blown fuse at the outdoor unit will all keep the system from starting and none of them mean the AC itself is broken. Summer storms here bring damaging wind often enough that a tripped breaker after a storm is worth checking first. If the breaker keeps tripping when you reset it, that points to an electrical problem inside the unit and it's time to call a contractor.