AC Repair in Lincoln, NE
Air conditioners here run from June through September. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Lancaster County will get in touch.
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Four months of hard use, and hail besides
Your air conditioner in Lincoln only has June through September to earn its keep, and it runs hard those four months. Afternoons averaging 85°F mean the compressor cycles on and off all day long, and every cycle puts a load on the parts that start it. A weak capacitor or a failing contactor tends to show up right in the middle of summer, when the unit is working the most.
Lancaster County has also seen 132 hail events and 151 damaging wind events over the past ten years, with hail up to 5 inches recorded. That kind of storm can bend the thin fins on the outdoor coil or knock the unit around enough to loosen a wire or a connection. If your air conditioner ran fine before a storm and is struggling now, the outdoor unit is worth a look.
- 4 months
- June through September, your air conditioner is on duty
- 85°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 132 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 151 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 Lancaster County, so the repair decision comes down to the unit's condition.
Estimates for a typical Lancaster County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, Nebraska 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.
Nebraska requires contractors to register with the state.
That registration puts the business on file with the state. Nobody tested the contractor's work and no trade exam sits behind the listing, so the number on file tells you the business exists, not that it passed anything.
For a repair that involves refrigerant, the protection you're actually looking for is federal. Any technician who opens the refrigerant side of your air conditioner has to hold EPA Section 608 certification, and that rule applies in Nebraska the same as it does everywhere else in the country.
Source: Nebraska Legislature
- Why is my AC not blowing cold air?
- The most common reason is a dirty air filter cutting off airflow across the coil, and that can cause the coil to freeze over. A refrigerant leak will also leave the air feeling warm or barely cool. That's not something you can top off yourself, since anyone opening the refrigerant side has to hold EPA certification. If the outdoor unit isn't running at all while the indoor blower is, that points to the compressor or a failed capacitor. A contractor can check the filter first, since that's the easiest thing to rule out, then look at refrigerant charge and the outdoor unit.
- Why is my AC leaking water?
- Water around your indoor unit usually means the condensate drain line is clogged. Algae and dust build up inside that line over the years and block the path the water is supposed to take outside, so it backs up and drips out near the unit instead. A cracked drain pan or a frozen coil that's now thawing can also cause it. Lincoln has seen 132 hail events over the last ten years, so if the leak started after a storm, it's worth having the outdoor unit checked for damage to the coil or housing too.
- Why won't my AC turn on?
- Start with your thermostat. Check that it has power and is set to cool, below the current room temperature. If the thermostat looks fine, check your breaker panel, since a tripped breaker will shut the whole system off. Lincoln has seen 151 damaging wind events in the past ten years, and power interruptions from storms can trip a breaker without you noticing. If the breaker is fine and the thermostat is calling for cooling but nothing happens, the problem is likely inside the unit itself, and a contractor will need to look at it.