AC Repair in Blackfoot, ID
Air conditioners here run from July through August. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Bingham County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Two months of heat, then the unit sits until next July
Your air conditioner in Blackfoot works hard for about two months, July and August, with afternoons averaging 81°F. The rest of the year it sits outside doing nothing. A compressor that starts up after months of rest is more likely to trip or stall than one that runs every week.
Bingham County has logged 109 damaging wind events and 10 hail storms over the past ten years, one hailstone reaching 1.5 inches across. Wind that strong can bend the fins on your outdoor coil or knock the unit out of level. Hail that size can dent the cabinet or bend the fan blade, and a bent blade throws the whole thing out of balance.
- 2 months
- July through August, your air conditioner is on duty
- 81°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 10 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 109 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 Bingham County, so the repair decision comes down to the unit's condition.
Estimates for a typical Bingham County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, Idaho 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.
Idaho requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The Idaho HVAC Board issues this license to the contractor, not to each job. One license covers everything that contractor does, not a separate one for this repair.
For a repair on your air conditioner, the refrigerant line is the part that needs the most care. Any technician who opens that side of the system has to hold EPA Section 608 certification. That rule applies everywhere in the country, not just Idaho. So this repair is covered two ways. The contractor's license comes from the state. The certification on whoever handles the refrigerant comes from the federal government.
Sources: Idaho Legislature · Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses
- Why is my AC not blowing cold air?
- The most common cause is a dirty air filter choking off airflow across the coil, which can cause it to ice up and stop cooling. Low refrigerant from a leak is another common cause, and that's not something to top off yourself since it takes a licensed contractor with EPA 608 certification to open that side of the system. If the filter looks clean and the vents still blow warm, the compressor or a failed capacitor could be the problem, and that calls for a diagnosis.
- Why is my AC leaking water?
- Usually the condensate drain line is clogged, and water is backing up instead of draining outside. It can also mean the coil has frozen over from restricted airflow and is now melting and overflowing the drain pan. Either way, shut the system off so the water damage doesn't spread while you wait for a contractor to clear the line or find the real cause.
- Why won't my AC turn on?
- Check the thermostat first, since dead batteries or a setting knocked off cool will stop the system cold. If the thermostat looks right, check the breaker, since a tripped one is common after the kind of wind events that come through here. If the breaker is fine and the system still won't start, the capacitor or the contactor has likely failed, and that's a job for a licensed contractor.