AC Repair in Los Lunas, NM
Air conditioners here run from June through September. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Valencia County will get in touch.
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Four months of hard running in Los Lunas heat
Your air conditioner works June through September here, with summer afternoons averaging 91°F. That is four straight months of long runtimes, most of it in the hottest part of the day.
That kind of steady load wears on the compressor and the capacitor that gets it started. When the capacitor weakens, the unit hums but the compressor won't kick on, or it shuts off on its own before the house cools down. Valencia County has also seen 107 damaging wind events and 13 hail storms over the past ten years, and a condenser sitting outside through that can end up with bent fins or a cracked fan blade, which shows up as weak airflow or a unit that runs but doesn't cool.
- 4 months
- June through September, your air conditioner is on duty
- 91°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 13 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 107 wind events
- in ten years, and wind drives debris into outdoor units
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A new air conditioner would cut about $40 a year off cooling for a typical Valencia County home.
Estimates for a typical Valencia County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, New Mexico 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.
New Mexico requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
New Mexico's Construction Industries Division licenses HVAC contractors. The license covers the contractor as a business, not each job. When a contractor takes on your repair, it is that license the state holds them to.
Repairing an air conditioner means opening the refrigerant side of your system. Federal law requires the technician doing that work to hold EPA Section 608 certification, in every state, regardless of what New Mexico requires on top of it. The state license is what New Mexico stands behind here. The certification is what the person handling refrigerant is required to carry no matter where the job is.
Source: New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department
- Why is my AC not blowing cold air?
- Most of the time the refrigerant charge is low, usually because of a leak somewhere in the coil or line set. A dirty filter can cause the same thing, since it starves the coil of airflow and lets it ice over. A failing compressor will also leave you with warm air blowing through the vents. With summer afternoons here running near 91°F, a system that's low on refrigerant will struggle a lot more than it would somewhere cooler, so it's worth having someone check the charge before the next hot stretch. Only a technician with EPA Section 608 certification can legally open the refrigerant side to check it.
- Why is my AC leaking water?
- Water around your unit usually means the condensate drain line is clogged. That line carries away the moisture the coil pulls out of the air, and algae or dirt can block it over time. A frozen coil that's then thawing will also leave water pooling where you don't expect it. If the pan itself has rusted through or cracked, that's a repair rather than a cleaning. A contractor can trace the line and tell you which one it is.
- Why won't my AC turn on?
- Start with the thermostat. Check that it's set to cool and the temperature is actually below room temperature, and swap the batteries if it's battery powered. If that's not it, check the breaker, since a tripped breaker will shut the whole system down with no warning. A failed capacitor or contactor in the outdoor unit is another common cause, and those aren't something to test yourself. If none of that gets it running, it's time to have a licensed contractor take a look, since New Mexico requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license for this kind of work.