AC Repair in Jacksonville, FL
Air conditioners here run from April through October. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Duval County will get in touch.
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Seven months of Florida heat wears an AC down
Your air conditioner runs from April through October here, with summer afternoons averaging 91°F. That is seven straight months where the system barely gets a break, and the compressor and the fan motor put in long hours to keep up. Parts that run that much wear out faster than they would somewhere cooler.
Duval County also sees its share of rough weather. Ten years of records show 303 damaging wind events and 69 hail events, with hail up to 2.75 inches. Wind can knock debris into the outdoor unit and bend the fins that let it release heat. Hail that size can dent the cabinet or damage the coil. When either happens, the unit works harder to cool the same air, and you notice it as warm air from the vents or a system that runs longer than it used to.
- 7 months
- April through October, your air conditioner is on duty
- 91°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 69 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 303 wind events
- in ten years, and wind drives debris into outdoor units
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A new air conditioner would cut about $60 a year off cooling for a typical Duval County home.
Estimates for a typical Duval 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 tested this contractor before issuing the license. It covers the contractor as a whole. It does not cover this specific repair as a separate job.
Your air conditioner repair likely means opening the refrigerant side of the system. That work needs EPA Section 608 certification. This is a federal rule and it applies the same way in every state, on top of the license Florida already requires.
Sources: Florida Legislature · Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation
- Why is my AC not blowing cold air?
- The most common cause is a dirty air filter choking off airflow, so check that first. A clogged filter starves the coil of air, and the coil can ice over, which shuts off cooling entirely until it thaws. It could also be low refrigerant from a leak, which needs a licensed contractor since it means opening the sealed system. If the filter looks clean and air is still coming out warm, running from April through October the way units do here, the compressor itself may be the problem.
- Why is my AC leaking water?
- Water around your unit almost always means the condensate drain line is clogged. Algae and dust build up inside that line over time and block it, so the water backs up and drips out instead of draining away outside. It can also mean the coil iced up and is now melting, usually from a dirty filter or low refrigerant. Either way, shut the system off until it is looked at, since water can damage the floor or the unit itself.
- Why won't my AC turn on?
- Start with the thermostat. Check the batteries, and make sure it is set below the room temperature and on cool. If the thermostat looks fine, check your breaker panel. Jacksonville sees plenty of storms, 303 damaging wind events over the last ten years, and a power flicker during one can trip the breaker or the AC's own safety switch. If the breaker is fine and the unit still will not start, a licensed contractor will need to check the capacitor or the compressor itself.