AC Repair in Canton, OH
Air conditioners here run from June through August. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Stark County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Three months of heavy use, then a long rest
Your air conditioner runs hard from June through August, when Canton afternoons average 81 degrees, then sits idle the rest of the year. That stretch of standing still lets a contactor stick or a capacitor lose its charge, and you find out on the first hot day when the compressor won't start.
Canton has also seen 25 hail events and 93 damaging wind events over the last ten years, with hail up to 1.75 inches. Hail that size can bend the thin aluminum fins on your outdoor coil, and bent fins block airflow across it. Wind throws branches and debris into the same unit, and a bent fan blade or a dented cabinet can keep it from cooling the way it should.
- 3 months
- June through August, your air conditioner is on duty
- 81°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 25 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 93 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 Stark County, so the repair decision comes down to the unit's condition.
Estimates for a typical Stark 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.
Stark County sets its own rule for who can do this work, since the state leaves licensing to the counties. Ohio does define what a home contractor is, and that definition includes carrying at least $250,000 in liability insurance, but that is a definition, not a license. Nothing at the state level tests or records who repairs an air conditioner in a home.
For a repair job like this one, the credential that does apply everywhere is federal. Any technician who opens the refrigerant side of your air conditioner has to hold EPA Section 608 certification, no matter what county you're in. That covers the refrigerant work itself. Whether a contractor also needs a county license to do the job in Stark County is a separate question the state leaves entirely to the county.
Source: Ohio Legislative Service Commission
- 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 and warm instead of cold. Low refrigerant from a leak causes the same thing, but that needs a contractor to find the leak and fix it, not just add refrigerant. If the filter looks clean and the vents are blowing warm anyway, have a contractor check the refrigerant charge and the coil.
- Why is my AC leaking water?
- Water around your AC usually means the condensate drain line is clogged. The 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. When the line clogs with algae or dirt, the water backs up and drips from the unit or the drain pan overflows. A dirty filter can also cause this by icing up the coil, since the ice melts and produces more water than the drain can handle.
- Why won't my AC turn on?
- Start with your 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 fine, check your electrical panel for a tripped breaker, since AC units draw enough power that a breaker trip is common. If the breaker is fine and the AC still won't start, the problem is likely in the unit itself, like a failed capacitor or contactor, and that calls for a contractor to diagnose.