AC Repair in Taos, NM
If your air conditioner quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Taos County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Taos doesn't ask much of your AC
Summer afternoons here average just 76°F, and most homes don't run cooling on any kind of regular basis. That's easy on a system. Less runtime means less wear on the compressor and fan motor than you'd see in a hotter place.
The bigger risk to your air conditioner in Taos County is what's outside it, not what's inside it. The area has logged 44 damaging wind events and 4 hail events over the past ten years, with hail up to 1 inch. Wind can bend the thin fins on the outdoor coil or rock the unit on its pad. Hail that size can dent the cabinet and flatten fins enough to choke off airflow. If your AC is struggling, look at the outdoor unit first.
- 76°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 4 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 44 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 Taos County, so the repair decision comes down to the unit's condition.
Estimates for a typical Taos 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.
The Construction Industries Division tests and licenses HVAC contractors before they can work in New Mexico. The license belongs to the contractor, not to any single job. The same license that qualifies someone to install a furnace covers a repair like this one.
Your air conditioner has a refrigerant side, and any technician who opens it needs EPA Section 608 certification. That is a federal requirement. It applies no matter where you live. On this job two things stand between you and bad work. One is the state license behind the company. The other is the federal certification behind the person actually handling the refrigerant.
Source: New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department
- Why is my AC not blowing cold air?
- Most often the filter is clogged and starving the system of airflow, or the refrigerant level is low from a leak somewhere in the line. A dirty outdoor coil can do the same thing, since it stops the system from shedding heat properly. A contractor licensed to open the refrigerant side, which federal law requires no matter who does the work, can tell you which of these it is.
- Why is my AC leaking water?
- The drain line is probably clogged, so condensation backs up instead of draining outside. It can also mean the condensate pan has rusted through, or the coil has frozen and is now thawing and dripping. A frozen coil usually points back to weak airflow or low refrigerant, so it is worth having someone look at the whole system, not just the leak.
- Why won't my AC turn on?
- Start with the thermostat batteries and the breaker before assuming the worst. If those check out, the capacitor may have failed, which is a small part that gives the compressor and fan the jolt they need to start. A licensed contractor can test it in minutes and knows whether the fix is that simple or something more.