If your central air conditioning system or ductless AC unit breaks down this summer, you’ll need to call an HVAC repair company to diagnose and service the air conditioner. An HVAC technician is a skilled HVAC professional who will be able evaluate symptoms produced by your air conditioning unit or heat pump like the home AC blowing warm air, high energy bills, reduced energy efficiency, strange noises, or not enough cool air to pinpoint the exact AC system components experiencing difficulties.
Air conditioner repair can involve HVAC repair or replacement of the evaporator coil, fan motor, circuit board, circuit breakers, AC compressor, condensate pump, condensate drain line, AC capacitor, Freon leak, or Puron refrigerant leak, AC thermostat, condensing unit, or another common AC part. Once the repair solution is identified, HVAC technicians are able to share the repair cost or replacement cost for the unit repair job needed.
Air conditioning repair cost varies quite a bit, depending on the severity of the problem with your air conditioning, which repair is needed, and if replacement AC parts need to be installed instead of making a simple correction to the system. The cost to repair air conditioners versus the cost to replace parts can be a difference of hundreds or even thousands of dollars. While the average AC repair cost is around a few hundred dollars, you just won’t know the cost to fix AC units or the cost you can expect to pay for air conditioning unit replacement until you get free estimates.
Even though we can’t give you a ballpark average cost for your air conditioner repair without knowing more, Williams Comfort Air does take some of the repair cost uncertainty out of fixing an air conditioning unit. Find out what AC repair costs you may pay to fix various HVAC system problems.
When you first notice something amiss with your air conditioner, like strange noises, higher than normal energy bills, or the AC unit blowing warm air, contact a local repair company that performs HVAC services for your central AC or heat pump unit brand and model. An HVAC professional will schedule a service call, dispatching a licensed HVAC technician to your home at the specified appointment day and time.
During the service call, HVAC technicians perform diagnostics and tests to determine just what is wrong with the air conditioning equipment requiring an air conditioner repair. Your HVAC technician will share your HVAC system diagnosis as well as the suggested air conditioning repair or replacement part needed that will correct the problem. The technician will also give you an estimate of the repair cost, which may include replacement cost for buying new components to install within the system. At this point, you can choose to pay the AC unit repair cost and have the technician repair your air conditioner, or choose not to move forward with AC repair at this time.
While you can often get free estimates when you’re ready to buy a new air conditioning unit for system replacement, your HVAC repair company probably won’t visit for free to price out AC repair costs. This is because sending HVAC technicians out on a repair service call isn’t cheap.
The company has to cover the service vehicle and mileage expenses as well as pay the technician per hour for his or her work. Since the average cost of air conditioner repair is much lower than the replacement cost of a new air conditioning unit, it just isn’t sustainable to send someone to your home without cost so you can get free estimates on just a few hundred dollars’ worth of cooling unit repair work.
So, when you reach out to schedule a service call and have an HVAC technician come take a look at their air conditioner, expect to pay a service call fee. The service call fee is the cost you pay just to get a professional through your door to look at your system. Expect to pay between $50 to $250 depending on the company you call and whether or not you needed emergency attention.
Some HVAC businesses include the costs related to diagnostic testing in the service call fee, while others do not and diagnostics are a separate cost. A diagnostic charge would cover the skilled testing and inspection performed by the technician to diagnose what is wrong with your air conditioner. If a diagnostic fee is charged separately from a service call, the diagnostic fee may be waived if you go ahead and have the technician make the AC repair. If you don’t have the company start the HVAC repair, a diagnostic fee may be assessed.
Outside of the service call fee and diagnostic costs is the actual air conditioner repair cost. The repair cost is the price you agree to pay to have the tech do the necessary repair work, pickup replacement parts if needed, and test the quality of the air conditioning repair. While you may be given a flat cost to fix AC units, the total AC repair cost will include a per-hour cost for labor as well as replacement cost for any new AC unit parts that are needed.
Air conditioners are affected by all different types of malfunctions over the years. Overall, the average AC repair cost people pay no matter what air conditioning work is needed is between $150 and $600. While $150 is on the very low end of just about any repair cost, anticipate that your repair costs may be a little bit higher than this price range, depending on where you are in the country.
To give you a better idea of the cost to fix certain AC unit issues, learn the average cost of various repairs for your air conditioner.
Whether your air conditioner has a Freon leak or is leaking Puron refrigerant, the leak repair process is essentially the same. The tech examines the refrigerant lines and internal AC unit components that move refrigerant, looking for damage and strange sounds like hissing that indicate this AC system issue. Leak repair reseals the AC system so no further coolant is lost from the system.
After a leak repair, refrigerant recharge must be done to supply your air conditioning unit with enough refrigerant to produce cool air. AC recharge cost will differ greatly depending on the type of refrigerant used by your air conditioner and the capacity of your air conditioner. AC recharge cost is much lower for air conditioners using Puron, while AC recharge is much more expensive when Freon is needed as Freon is no longer produced and a finite amount is available for this sort of repair.
The circuit board within the furnace or air handler runs the blower fan motor while the air conditioning system is on. The circuit board can be damaged by an electrical surge or wear out due to old age.
If use of the air conditioner causes home circuit breakers to constantly trip, eventually replacement will be needed. A circuit breaker can go bad, which can produce scorch marks and burning smells around the circuit breaker, nearby wire fraying, and cause circuit breakers to feel hot when touched.
The AC thermostat that controls your air conditioner can be expected to last about 10 years before replacement is needed, though you may wish to replace it sooner to take advantage of new technology and features. Thermostat replacement costs vary widely based on the new AC thermostat model you choose. Manual thermostats will be the cheapest, programmable thermostats cost around $100 to $200, while Wi-Fi and smart thermostats can cost up to several hundreds of dollars. Thermostat replacement cost includes equipment price and labor cost per hour for installation.
If the condensate drain isn’t removing moisture from your AC unit, a new condensate pump may be needed to push fluid out of the system and away from your home to avoid humidity and water damage issues.
The condensate drain line is a piece of PVC pipe that carries moisture out of the air conditioning system and away from the home. Repair service can remove clogs but when the condensate drain line is damaged, replacement is a quick and easy solution.
Clogs preventing condensation from exiting the air conditioning unit need to be flushed out. Flushing the drain line may be done from different access points using tools like a cleaning wire brush or water hose.
The AC capacitor sends energy to the fan motor when a cooling cycle starts. If the AC capacitor goes bad, the motor will not run. The capacitor is a small component that should be replaced rather than repaired.
When bearings within the condensing unit fan motor go bad, strange noises like screeching is often produced. It’s best to replace the fan motor as it may not be possible to fix the bearings – the fan motor may be sealed, depending on your unit.
When the AC compressor goes bad, refrigerant isn’t correctly pressurized to produce cool air. Pistons, bearings, and other components inside the AC compressor can wear down or malfunction, but it is easier and more cost-effective to choose compressor replacement rather than attempt to repair it.
Damage to the evaporator coil cause refrigerant to leak from the air conditioning unit. The coil cannot be repaired – instead, the entire evaporator coil must be replaced.
Refrigerant leaks from the condenser coil can warrant the replacement of the condensing unit coil. The cost of this HVAC repair will depend on the capacity of your central AC system.
Air conditioning repair cost can come as a surprise if you don’t know what to expect in terms of cost. Call Williams Comfort Air today and we will walk you through the repair process and share repair cost upfront so you are completely comfortable with our work.