AC Repair in Reno, NV
Air conditioners here run from July through August. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Washoe County will get in touch.
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Two months of work, ten months of rest
Reno only asks your air conditioner to run in July and August. Summer afternoons average 84°F, which is not extreme heat, but after sitting idle most of the year, the system has to start right up and hold steady through the hottest part of the afternoon. That long rest followed by sudden demand puts strain on the parts that get it running, more than the heat itself does.
The outdoor unit sits outside through all of it, in every season, not just summer. Washoe County has logged 343 damaging wind events over the past ten years, and wind like that pushes dust and debris into the coil and fan. If your AC is blowing warm air or struggling to keep up on a hot afternoon, a coil caked with debris or a fan motor that has taken a beating outside is often why.
- 2 months
- July through August, your air conditioner is on duty
- 84°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 3 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 343 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 Washoe County, so the repair decision comes down to the unit's condition.
Estimates for a typical Washoe County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, Nevada 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.
Nevada requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The Nevada State Contractors Board tests and licenses HVAC contractors before they can legally take on work like this. That license belongs to the contractor, not to any single repair, so it is the contractor's record you are relying on, not a one-time approval for this job.
For an air conditioner repair, that license is what stands behind the person doing the work. Most AC repairs involve opening the refrigerant side of the system, and any technician who does that has to hold EPA Section 608 certification, a federal requirement that applies everywhere in the country regardless of state licensing.
Sources: Nevada Legislature · Nevada State Contractors Board
- Why is my AC not blowing cold air?
- Usually the problem is the refrigerant level, a dirty filter, or the compressor. A low refrigerant charge almost always means a leak somewhere in the line, and it will not fix itself by adding more. A filter clogged with dust blocks airflow across the coil, which can freeze it up and cut off cold air entirely. If the compressor itself has failed, the system will run but only push room-temperature air through the vents. A contractor working on the refrigerant side needs EPA Section 608 certification to legally diagnose or repair that part of the problem.
- Why is my AC leaking water?
- Most often the condensate drain line is clogged. Your AC pulls moisture out of the air as it cools, and that water is supposed to run out through the drain line to the outside. Algae and dust build up inside that line over time and block it, so the water backs up and drips inside instead. A frozen evaporator coil can cause the same thing once it thaws, so if the system was also blowing warm air before the leak started, that is worth mentioning to whoever looks at it.
- Why won't my AC turn on?
- Start with the thermostat and the breaker before assuming the worst. Check that the thermostat is set to cool and the temperature is below room temperature, and check the breaker panel for a tripped switch. If both look fine, the capacitor is a common failure point. It stores the electrical charge that starts the compressor and fan motors, and when it fails the system stays silent even though power is reaching it. A licensed contractor can test the capacitor and the rest of the electrical components to find which one is actually at fault.