AC Repair in Waukesha, WI
Air conditioners here run from June through August. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Waukesha County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Three short months, then storms on top of it
Your air conditioner in Waukesha County works hard in a short window. Summer here runs June through August, and afternoons average 80°F. A unit that sits idle most of the year is more likely to show a weak capacitor or a low refrigerant charge right when you finally need it.
The other thing this county gets is hail and wind. Ten years of records show 77 hail events and 103 damaging wind events, with hailstones up to 3.75 inches. Hail that size bends the thin aluminum fins on your outdoor unit and can crack a fan blade, and wind that strong throws branches and debris into the coil. If your AC is running rough or short-cycling after a storm came through, the outdoor unit is the first place to check.
- 3 months
- June through August, your air conditioner is on duty
- 80°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 77 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 103 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 Waukesha County, so the repair decision comes down to the unit's condition.
Estimates for a typical Waukesha 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 Department of Safety and Professional Services. Nobody tested the contractor's HVAC knowledge to get it, and the state does not license the trade. Counties and cities in Wisconsin cannot add their own HVAC license on top of it, so the registration is the same everywhere in the state, whether the address is in Waukesha or anywhere else.
For a repair like this, the protection that actually reaches into the job is federal. Any technician who opens the refrigerant side of your air conditioner has to hold EPA Section 608 certification, and that rule applies no matter what state the work happens in. Wisconsin's registration tells you the business is on record. The 608 card tells you the person handling the refrigerant was trained and tested to do it.
Sources: Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau · Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services
- Why is my AC not blowing cold air?
- The most common cause is a dirty air filter choking off airflow across the coil. When air can't move past the filter, the coil can ice up and what comes through the vents turns warm instead of cold. Low refrigerant from a leak causes the same thing and won't fix itself, since these systems don't use up refrigerant over time. A contractor can check airflow and refrigerant charge to find which one it is.
- Why is my AC leaking water?
- Warm summer air holds a lot of moisture, and your AC pulls that moisture out as it cools the air, so some water is normal. The problem is when that water ends up on your floor instead of going down the condensate drain. A clogged drain line is the usual reason, and algae or dirt can block it over a season of running. A frozen coil that then melts will also flood the drain pan faster than it can drain.
- Why won't my AC turn on?
- Check the thermostat first. Make sure it's set to cool and the temperature is set below the room temperature. If the thermostat looks right, check your breaker panel. A tripped breaker will stop the outdoor unit from running, and Waukesha sees a fair number of damaging wind events each year that can cause a power flicker strong enough to trip one, even after the power comes back on. If the breaker holds and it still won't start, a contractor will need to look at the unit itself.