AC Repair in Clermont, FL
Air conditioners here run from March through November. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Lake County will get in touch.
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Nine months of cooling wears an AC down fast in Clermont
Your air conditioner runs from March through November here, and on summer afternoons it's working against 91 degrees outside. That is nine months a year the compressor and the fan motor don't get much rest. Parts that are built to cycle on and off end up running long stretches instead, and that shortens their life.
Lake County has also seen 41 damaging wind events and 23 hail events over the past ten years, with hail up to 2.75 inches. That kind of weather hits the condenser coil and the fins on the outdoor unit, since that part sits outside and takes the impact directly. If your air is blowing warm or the outdoor unit sounds different than it used to, it's worth having someone look at both the wear from all that summer running and any damage the unit has taken from storms.
- 9 months
- March through November, your air conditioner is on duty
- 91°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 23 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 41 wind events
- in ten years, and wind drives debris into outdoor units
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A new air conditioner would cut about $70 a year off cooling for a typical Lake County home.
Estimates for a typical Lake County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, Florida 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.
Florida requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The Construction Industry Licensing Board tests and keeps records on the contractor, not on each job the contractor does. So the license you're checking covers the company or individual, and it carries over from one repair to the next.
For an air conditioner repair, that license is what stands behind the work, but the refrigerant side of the job has its own rule too. Any technician who opens the refrigerant lines to repair your air conditioner has to hold EPA Section 608 certification, and that rule applies no matter what state you're in.
Sources: Florida Legislature · Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation
- Why is my AC not blowing cold air?
- The most common reason is a dirty air filter choking off airflow across the coil. When that happens the coil can ice over, and once it's iced the air coming out feels warm no matter what the thermostat is set to. It can also mean the refrigerant charge is low, which points to a leak somewhere in the system. With summer highs around 91°F here and cooling needed nine months of the year, a system running low on refrigerant shows it fast, so it's worth having a contractor check the charge and the coil rather than waiting.
- Why is my AC leaking water?
- Water around your unit usually means the condensate drain line is clogged. Algae and dirt build up inside that line over time and block it, so the water that's supposed to drain outside backs up and drips inside instead. A dirty air filter can also cause the coil to ice up, and water shows up on the floor when that ice melts. Either way, the fix is for a contractor to clear the line or address whatever is icing the coil.
- Why won't my AC turn on?
- Start with your thermostat batteries and your breaker panel, since a dead battery or a tripped breaker are the simplest reasons a system won't respond at all. If those are fine, the outdoor unit's capacitor may have failed, which stops the compressor and fan from starting even though power is reaching the unit. Wind events are common here, 41 of them over the past ten years, and a power flicker during one can trip a breaker without you noticing. If the breaker keeps tripping once it's reset, that points to an electrical problem and a licensed contractor should take a look before you try again.