AC Repair in Boston, MA
Air conditioners here run from July through August. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Suffolk County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Two months of heat, then storms the rest of the year
Your air conditioner in Suffolk County only really works July and August. Afternoons average 80°F, not extreme heat, but the unit runs in short, hard bursts after sitting idle most of the year. That start-stop pattern is what wears on a capacitor or a contactor, parts that take the load of switching the system on.
The bigger risk here is what happens when it is not running. Suffolk County has logged 140 damaging wind events and 6 hail events over the past ten years, with hailstones up to 2 inches. An outdoor unit sitting exposed all year can take a hit to its fins or its fan blade long before summer, and you will not notice until the first hot day, when it turns on and does not cool the way it should.
- 2 months
- July through August, your air conditioner is on duty
- 80°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 6 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 140 wind events
- in ten years, and wind drives debris into outdoor units
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A new air conditioner would cut about $30 a year off cooling for a typical Suffolk County home.
Estimates for a typical Suffolk County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, Massachusetts 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 a dirty air filter choking off airflow across the coil. A frozen evaporator coil, a refrigerant leak, or a failing compressor can all cause the same complaint. If the filter looks clean and the vents still blow warm, a contractor will need to check refrigerant levels and the compressor itself.
- Why is my AC leaking water?
- Water usually means the condensate drain line is clogged, backing up water that should be draining outside. It can also mean the evaporator coil has frozen and is now melting and overflowing the drain pan. A dirty filter that restricts airflow is often what caused the coil to freeze in the first place.
- Why won't my AC turn on?
- Start with the thermostat batteries and the breaker for the outdoor unit, since both are common causes and easy to check yourself. A tripped breaker that won't stay reset points to an electrical problem inside the unit. Boston sees a fair number of damaging wind events each year, and a storm that knocked out power can also trip a breaker or a safety switch on the unit itself.