AC Repair in Lexington-Fayette urban county, KY
Air conditioners here run from June through September. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Fayette County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Four months of hard work, then storms on top of it
Your air conditioner in Lexington-Fayette County runs June through September, and summer afternoons here average 85°F. That is a short season, but a hot one, and the unit runs hard through all of it. Compressors and fan motors take the brunt of that heat, cycling on and off for months with little rest.
The county has also logged 108 damaging wind events and 15 hail storms over the past ten years, with hailstones up to 3 inches. Wind can bend the thin fins on the outdoor coil or knock debris into the unit. Hail that size can dent the cabinet and damage the coil fins directly. You might notice the system running longer than it used to, or airflow that feels weaker than it should.
- 4 months
- June through September, your air conditioner is on duty
- 85°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 15 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 108 wind events
- in ten years, and wind drives debris into outdoor units
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A new air conditioner would cut about $40 a year off cooling for a typical Fayette County home.
Estimates for a typical Fayette County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, Kentucky 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.
Kentucky requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
Kentucky licenses HVAC contractors through the Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction. That license belongs to the contractor, not to the single job, so it covers the business you hire rather than being issued fresh for this repair.
For work on your air conditioner, that state license is what stands behind the contractor doing the job. If the repair means opening the refrigerant side of the system, whoever does that work also has to hold EPA Section 608 certification, the federal rule that applies to refrigerant work in every state. Kentucky's license covers the contractor. The federal certification covers the technician handling the refrigerant itself.
Sources: Kentucky Legislative Research Commission · Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction
- Why is my AC not blowing cold air?
- The most common reason is a dirty air filter choking off airflow across the coil. When that happens the coil can ice up and the air coming out turns weak or warm. A low refrigerant charge from a leak will also do this, and so will a compressor that has failed. Check the filter first, and if it is clean, a contractor will need to check the refrigerant charge, since that means opening the sealed system and only an EPA 608 certified technician can legally do that.
- Why is my AC leaking water?
- Your AC makes condensate as it cools the air, and that water is supposed to drain outside through the condensate line. If the line clogs with algae or dirt, the water backs up and drips inside the house instead, often near the indoor unit. A dirty filter can cause this too, by icing the coil, which then melts and overflows the drain pan. Clearing the line usually solves it, but a contractor should check for a cracked drain pan or a coil problem if the leaking keeps coming back.
- Why won't my AC turn on?
- Start with the thermostat batteries and the breaker panel, since a dead battery or a tripped breaker is the most common cause. If those are fine, the outdoor unit itself may have failed to start, which can point to a bad capacitor or a wiring problem. Kentucky summer afternoons average 85°F, and a system that won't start on a day like that needs a look soon rather than later. A licensed contractor can test the electrical components and tell you what failed.