AC Repair in Arlington, VA
Air conditioners here run from June through September. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Arlington County will get in touch.
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Four months of hard running, most summers the same
Your AC in Arlington works its hardest from June through September, and on afternoons that hit 86°F it runs long stretches just to hold the house steady. That kind of steady demand wears on the compressor and the capacitor that helps start it, and when one of them is failing you notice the unit struggling to keep up on the hottest afternoons or shutting off before the house cools down.
County records also show 77 damaging wind events and a few hail storms over the past ten years, one dropping hail over an inch across. Wind can knock debris into the outdoor unit's coil and fins, and hail can dent them, so it is worth a look at the unit outside if your AC's cooling less well than it used to.
- 4 months
- June through September, your air conditioner is on duty
- 86°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 5 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 77 wind events
- in ten years, and wind drives debris into outdoor units
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A new air conditioner would cut about $40 a year off cooling for a typical Arlington County home.
Estimates for a typical Arlington County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, Virginia 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.
Virginia requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The Board for Contractors tests the contractor and keeps a record of the license before any work is done. It covers the business doing the job, not the specific repair. Virginia sets a floor under this too. Work under $1,000 does not need a licensed contractor at all. Above that line, the license is what stands behind the work.
Repairing an air conditioner often means opening the refrigerant side of the system, and that brings in a second rule that applies no matter what state you are in. Anyone who opens the refrigerant side has to hold EPA Section 608 certification. That is a federal rule, not something Virginia adds on top. It exists because refrigerant is regulated by the federal government regardless of where the unit sits.
Sources: Virginia General Assembly · Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation
- Why is my AC not blowing cold air?
- Most often the filter is clogged and starving the system of airflow, or the refrigerant charge is low from a leak somewhere in the line. A dirty outdoor coil can do it too, since it stops the system from shedding heat properly. Check the filter first, since that's the one thing you can rule out yourself. If it's clean and air still isn't cold, the system needs a contractor to check the charge, and that means someone with EPA Section 608 certification, since refrigerant work requires it by federal law.
- Why is my AC leaking water?
- Water around your unit usually means the condensate drain line is clogged, or the drain pan has rusted through and is no longer holding water where it should. Algae and dirt build up in that line over time and eventually block it, so the water backs up and finds another way out. A frozen coil that then thaws can also leave a pool of water where you don't expect one. If the leak is steady rather than a one-time puddle, it's worth having someone look before it damages the floor or ceiling below.
- Why won't my AC turn on?
- Start with the thermostat. Check that it's set to cool and the temperature is actually below room temperature. If that's fine, check your breaker panel, since a tripped breaker will cut power to the whole system without any other sign. Outdoor units also have a disconnect box nearby, and if that switch got bumped or left off, the system won't start no matter what the thermostat says. If power looks fine everywhere and it still won't start, the problem is likely in the system itself and needs a contractor to diagnose.