AC Repair in Marshalltown, IA
Air conditioners here run from June through August. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Marshall County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Three months of hard running, plus storm damage
Marshalltown only needs cooling from June through August, but those three months carry the whole load. Afternoons average 82°F, and the system runs long hours to keep the house at temperature. That steady demand wears on the compressor and the fan motor, the parts that move heat out of the house.
The other risk comes from the sky. Marshall County has seen 31 hail events and 65 damaging wind events over the past ten years, with hail up to 1.75 inches. That kind of storm bends the fins on your outdoor unit or hits the cabinet hard enough to jar loose a wire or a fan blade. Sometimes the unit keeps running afterward but puts out a weak stream of air, which is often the first sign something got hit.
- 3 months
- June through August, your air conditioner is on duty
- 82°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 31 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 65 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 Marshall County, so the repair decision comes down to the unit's condition.
Estimates for a typical Marshall 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 license is issued to the contractor, not to the job, so it is the company and the people it sends out who are on record with the Iowa Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board, not this particular repair.
For an air conditioner repair, the refrigerant side is usually where the risk sits. Any technician who opens it, in Iowa or anywhere else, has to hold EPA Section 608 certification. That is a federal rule, separate from the state license, and it applies to this repair no matter who is holding the wrench.
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, so start there before anything else. A clogged filter starves the coil of air, and the coil can ice over, which only makes the problem worse. Low refrigerant from a leak is another common cause, but only a licensed technician with EPA 608 certification can legally check refrigerant levels or open that side of the system. If the filter is clean and the vents are open, it is time to have someone look at the coil and the refrigerant charge.
- Why is my AC leaking water?
- Water around your indoor unit usually means the condensate drain line is clogged. Your AC pulls humidity out of the air all summer, and that water is supposed to drain out through a small line, but algae or dirt can block it over time. When that happens, the water backs up and drips out near the unit instead. A dirty air filter can also cause the coil to freeze and then leak water as it thaws, so check the filter first.
- Why won't my AC turn on?
- Check your thermostat first. Make sure it's set to cool and a few degrees below the room temperature, and check the batteries if the screen looks dim or blank. If the thermostat looks fine, check your breaker panel, since a tripped breaker will keep the unit from powering on at all. If the breaker is fine and the unit still won't start, a licensed Iowa HVAC contractor will need to diagnose it.