Diagnosing it
What "it is not cooling" usually turns out to be
Before you assume the worst, a few things are worth knowing — some of them you can check yourself in two minutes.
- A plugged filter. Restricted airflow freezes the indoor coil solid, and a block of ice cools nothing. Check the filter first.
- A failed run capacitor. Cheap part, very common failure, and the classic symptom is a humming outdoor unit with a fan that will not start.
- Low refrigerant. Refrigerant is not consumed — if it is low, there is a leak. Topping it up without finding the leak just means paying twice.
- A dirty condenser. Cottonwood, grass clippings and dust blanket the outdoor coil and strangle heat rejection.
- A tripped breaker or float switch. Sometimes a blocked condensate drain has done exactly what it is designed to do and shut the system down.
If a filter change and a clear breaker do not bring it back, that is the point to call. We will diagnose the actual fault and price the fix before we start.
Why sizing matters just as much in summer
An oversized air conditioner cools the air quickly, hits the thermostat setting, and shuts off — before it has run long enough to pull moisture out of the air. The house ends up cold and clammy rather than comfortable, and the compressor wears out early from constant starting.
A correctly sized unit runs longer, quieter cycles. It dehumidifies properly, holds a steadier temperature between rooms, and uses less power doing it.
We size against your home, check that the existing ductwork can actually move the air, and verify the charge on commissioning — three steps that are skipped far more often than they should be.