AC Repair in Iowa City, IA
Air conditioners here run from June through August. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Johnson County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Three months of heat, and hail in between
Your air conditioner in Johnson County only gets June through August to do its job, and it runs hard those three months. Summer afternoons average 83°F, and that kind of steady load keeps the compressor running long hours to keep the house cool.
Hail is the other thing it's up against. Johnson County has seen 71 hail events over the past ten years, with stones up to 1.75 inches, big enough to dent or crack the thin aluminum fins on your outdoor unit's coil. Bent fins block airflow, and a coil that can't breathe makes the system work harder just to keep up. The area has also seen 87 damaging wind events in that same stretch, enough to knock a unit out of level or send debris into it.
- 3 months
- June through August, your air conditioner is on duty
- 83°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 71 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 87 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 Johnson County, so the repair decision comes down to the unit's condition.
Estimates for a typical Johnson County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, Iowa 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.
Iowa requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The Iowa Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board issues that license to the contractor, not to each job. The board has tested the contractor and keeps them on record, and that license covers the business wherever in Iowa it works, including here in Johnson County.
For a repair on your air conditioner, that state license is what stands behind the work. If the repair opens up the refrigerant side of the system, the technician also needs EPA Section 608 certification. That is a federal rule, not something Iowa adds, and it applies to anyone touching refrigerant in any state. On this job, the contractor answers to Iowa's board for the license and to the federal rule for the refrigerant work.
Sources: Iowa Legislature · Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing
- Why is my AC not blowing cold air?
- The most common cause is a dirty air filter choking off airflow across the coil, which can let it ice up. Low refrigerant from a leak is another common reason, and that's a repair only someone with EPA Section 608 certification can legally handle since it means opening the refrigerant side. It could also be a failing compressor. Start by checking the filter, and if it's clean, a licensed contractor will need to check refrigerant levels and the compressor.
- Why is my AC leaking water?
- Most of the time this means the condensate drain line is clogged and water is backing up instead of draining outside. A dirty filter can also cause this, since restricted airflow lets the coil ice over, and the water shows up when it melts. A contractor can clear the line and check whether the coil iced up in the first place.
- Why won't my AC turn on?
- Check the thermostat first. Make sure it's set to cool and the temperature is actually below the room temperature, and check that the batteries aren't dead if it's a battery model. If the thermostat looks right, check the breaker for the outdoor unit, since a tripped breaker will stop it cold. This area has seen 87 damaging wind events over the past ten years, so a tripped breaker after a storm is worth checking before anything else. If the breaker's fine and it still won't start, a licensed contractor will need to look at the unit itself.