AC problems
AC Repair
Whatever it is doing, from a hum and no air to a system that quit outright.
Most AC failures in Houston are not mysterious. A system that runs more than three thousand hours a year wears the same handful of parts: the capacitor that starts the compressor and fan, the contactor that switches them on, the blower and condenser fan motors, the drain line that carries away a gallon or more of condensate a day in August, and the refrigerant circuit that slowly loses charge through a pinhole. A good technician has seen each of them a hundred times and carries most of them on the truck.
What matters on a repair call is the diagnosis. A capacitor that has failed because the compressor is drawing too much current is a symptom, and replacing it alone buys weeks. A low refrigerant charge is a leak, and adding gas without finding it is paying for the same repair every summer. The question to ask any technician is not only what has failed, but why.
The other thing worth knowing is that in Texas, this is licensed work. The contractor must hold a TDLR air conditioning and refrigeration licence, and the number has to be on his vehicle and his advertising. If you cannot find it, ask, and if he will not give it, use somebody else.
What it looks like
- Warm or weak air from the vents
- The outdoor unit humming but the fan not turning
- The system starting and stopping every few minutes
- A breaker that keeps tripping when the AC starts
Whatever the problem turns out to be, the first step is the same: describe it, say where the house is, and one independent HVAC contractor working in your town contacts you to look at it. No charge for being connected, and no obligation once he has.
Where
AC Repair across north Houston
Humble
Subdivisions from the seventies to the nineties, so a lot of systems on their second or third replacement, with attic air handlers and original ductwork.
Kingwood
Big two-storey houses from the eighties under full tree cover, with upstairs that runs hot and air handlers in attics that reach 140.
Porter
Fast-growing Montgomery County, with builder-grade systems in the new subdivisions and older country houses on their original equipment.
New Caney
New construction along 59 beside acreage in the pines, with long power runs and surge damage after every storm.
Splendora
Rural lots, manufactured homes and older houses, where package units and window units are as common as central systems.
Crosby
East Harris County, older subdivisions near the lake, open land and salt air, which eats condenser coils faster than anywhere inland.
Dayton
Liberty County, country HVAC: heat pumps on propane-free properties, long drives for the technician, and nobody local to call.
The Woodlands
The biggest HVAC market north of Houston: large houses, often two or three systems each, and covenants on where an outdoor unit can sit.
Related
Get connected
Tell us what the AC is doing
One independent HVAC contractor working in your town gets these details and contacts you. Nobody else does, and there is no charge and no obligation.
AC problem in north Houston?
Tell us what is going on and where the house is. One independent HVAC contractor working in your town contacts you directly. No obligation.
Get connected