AC Repair in Quincy, MA
Air conditioners here run from July through August. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Norfolk County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Two months of real heat, then long stretches doing nothing
Quincy only asks its air conditioners to work in July and August, with afternoons averaging around 81°F. That short season is part of the problem. A system that sits idle most of the year has to start up cold when the first hot week hits, and that's when a weak capacitor or a contactor that's been sitting unused finally shows it can't do the job.
Norfolk County has also logged 462 damaging wind events and 15 hail events over the past ten years, with hail up to 2 inches. Wind can knock debris into the outdoor unit or rattle loose the electrical connections at the disconnect box. Hail that size can dent the condenser cabinet or bend the fins on the coil, and a coil that's not sitting flat doesn't move air the way it should. If your AC is running rough or not cooling right after a storm rolls through, that's often where to look first.
- 2 months
- July through August, your air conditioner is on duty
- 81°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 15 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 462 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 Norfolk County home.
Estimates for a typical Norfolk 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 cause is a dirty air filter choking off airflow, so check that first since it's the easiest fix. If the filter is clean, the refrigerant level could be low, which usually means a leak somewhere in the line. A dirty outdoor coil can also stop the system from moving heat out of your house. A contractor can check the refrigerant charge and find any leak, since that part isn't something you can safely do yourself.
- Why is my AC leaking water?
- Most of the time this means the condensate drain line is clogged, and water is backing up and finding another way out. Algae and dirt build up in that line over time, especially with two months of steady cooling each summer. A frozen evaporator coil can also cause this, dripping water as it thaws. Either way, shut the system off until it's checked, since water can damage the floor or ceiling around the unit.
- Why won't my AC turn on?
- Start with the thermostat. Check that it's set to cool and the temperature is below the room temperature, and that its batteries aren't dead. If the thermostat looks right, check the breaker, since AC units trip breakers more than people expect. With 462 damaging wind events recorded here over the past ten years, a brief power interruption or surge is a common reason a unit won't restart on its own. If the breaker is fine and it still won't turn on, the capacitor or a safety switch may be at fault, and a contractor can test those directly.