AC Repair in Brunswick, OH
Air conditioners here run from June through August. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Medina County will get in touch.
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It takes about a minute.
Three months of heat, and hail in between
Brunswick only asks its air conditioner to work June through August, but those afternoons average 81°F, and a unit that sits idle most of the year has to start up strong when the heat hits. A capacitor or contactor that was already weak from last summer is what gives out first, and the house stops cooling on the hottest afternoon of the year.
The outdoor unit also sits through whatever the sky does the rest of the year. Medina County has seen 64 damaging wind events and 13 hail storms over the past ten years, with hailstones up to 2.25 inches. Hail like that can bend the fins on the outdoor coil, and bent fins block the airflow the system needs to cool the house.
- 3 months
- June through August, your air conditioner is on duty
- 81°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 13 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 64 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 Medina County, so the repair decision comes down to the unit's condition.
Estimates for a typical Medina County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, Ohio 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.
In Ohio, HVAC licensing for homes is left to the counties.
Medina County sets its own rule for who can do this work, and whether a contractor needs a county license depends on the county the house sits in. Ohio's definition of a home contractor calls for at least $250,000 in liability insurance, but that is a definition written into state law, not a license or a test anyone has to pass.
Since there is no state license standing behind this job, the protection that does apply everywhere is federal. Any technician who opens the refrigerant side of an air conditioner, which a repair usually calls for, has to hold EPA Section 608 certification. That certification is about handling refrigerant safely and is required nationwide, regardless of what Medina County does or does not require on top of it.
Source: Ohio Legislative Service Commission
- Why is my AC not blowing cold air?
- Most of the time this means the airflow across the coil is blocked, either by a dirty filter or by ice that has formed on the coil itself. It can also mean the refrigerant charge is low, which usually points to a leak rather than the refrigerant running out on its own. If the vents are blowing air that just isn't cold, check the filter first. If the air is weak or the coil looks frosted, that points to airflow, and a contractor will need to look at the refrigerant side either way.
- Why is my AC leaking water?
- Your AC makes water as it cools the air, and that water normally drains away through a condensate line. When you see water leaking, that line is usually clogged or the drain pan has rusted through and is letting water escape where it shouldn't. A dirty filter can also cause the coil to ice up, and water shows up around the unit when that ice melts. Either way it's worth having someone look at it soon, since water sitting near the unit can damage the floor or the ceiling below it.
- 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 if it runs on batteries, try fresh ones. If the thermostat looks right, check the breaker for the outdoor unit, since a tripped breaker will keep it from starting at all. If power is reaching the unit and it still won't start, the problem is inside the unit and a contractor will need to diagnose it.