AC Repair in Mequon, WI
Air conditioners here run from July through August. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Ozaukee County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Two months of real work, and hail in between
Your air conditioner in Mequon only has July and August to earn its keep, with afternoons averaging 78°F. That is not a hard load compared to hotter places, but it means the unit sits idle most of the year and then gets asked to start up and run hard once summer hits.
Ozaukee County has logged 26 hail events and 30 damaging wind events over the past ten years, with hail up to 2.75 inches. That outdoor unit sits outside through all of it. Hail dents the fins on the condenser coil, and wind can rock the unit on its pad or drive debris into it. Bent fins choke airflow across the coil, and the system struggles to cool the house even though everything inside is working fine.
- 2 months
- July through August, your air conditioner is on duty
- 78°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 26 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 30 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 Ozaukee County, so the repair decision comes down to the unit's condition.
Estimates for a typical Ozaukee County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, Wisconsin 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.
Wisconsin requires contractors to register with the state.
That registration puts the business on file with the state. It does not mean anyone tested the contractor's work or checked their skill with a wrench. Wisconsin also keeps this the same everywhere. Counties and cities in the state cannot layer on their own HVAC license, so the rule for a contractor in Ozaukee County is the same rule that applies anywhere else in the state.
For a repair like this, the credential that actually matters is federal, not state. Your air conditioner runs on refrigerant, and any technician who opens that side of the system has to hold EPA Section 608 certification, no matter what state they work in. That certification is what says someone is trained to handle refrigerant safely and legally. Wisconsin's registration does not test for that. The 608 card does.
Sources: Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau · Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services
- 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 up, and once it's iced over the air coming through the vents turns warm. Low refrigerant from a leak causes the same thing, so does a failing compressor. A contractor can tell which one you have by checking the coil and the pressures.
- Why is my AC leaking water?
- Water around your unit usually means the condensate drain line is clogged. Algae and dirt build up in that line over a cooling season and back the water up until it overflows the drain pan instead of running outside. A frozen coil that's thawing out will also leave water pooling under the indoor unit. Either way, the fix is worth doing soon since standing water damages the floor and the unit itself.
- Why won't my AC turn on?
- Start with the thermostat. Check that it's set to cool and below the room temperature, and that the batteries aren't dead if it uses them. If that's not it, check your breaker panel, since a tripped breaker will cut power to the whole unit. Mequon sees enough wind and hail most years that a breaker trip after a storm isn't unusual. If the breaker keeps tripping once reset, stop resetting it and have a contractor look at it.