AC Repair in Idaho Falls, ID
If your air conditioner quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Bonneville County will get in touch.
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Idaho Falls summers don't push your AC hard
Summer afternoons here average 77°F. That's mild work for an air conditioner, nothing like the strain of triple-digit heat. But Bonneville County gets hail and wind, and that's a different kind of problem. Ten years of records show 20 hail events and 118 damaging wind storms in the area.
A condenser sits outside, and its coil and fan are exposed to whatever comes through. Hail can dent the fins on that coil, and wind can throw debris into the fan or knock the unit out of alignment. When that happens, the system may still turn on, but it won't cool the way it should, or it will struggle to run at all.
- 77°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 20 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 118 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 Bonneville County, so the repair decision comes down to the unit's condition.
Estimates for a typical Bonneville 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.
Idaho licenses HVAC contractors through the Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning Board. The license is held by the contractor, not issued job by job, so it covers the company doing the work rather than this specific repair.
For an air conditioner repair, the refrigerant lines are the part that calls for more than the state license. Anyone opening that side of the system to recover, add, or replace refrigerant has to hold EPA Section 608 certification, a federal rule that applies in every state regardless of what Idaho requires on top of it.
Sources: Idaho Legislature · Idaho Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses
- Why is my AC not blowing cold air?
- The most common reason is low refrigerant from a leak somewhere in the line. It can also mean the coil has frozen over, usually because airflow is restricted by a dirty filter or a blower that isn't moving enough air. A dirty outdoor condenser coil can cause the same problem, since it can't release heat properly. Only a licensed technician with EPA 608 certification can check refrigerant and open that side of the system, so that part isn't something to diagnose yourself.
- Why is my AC leaking water?
- Most often the drain line is clogged and water is backing up instead of draining outside. It can also mean the condensate pan has rusted through, or the coil has frozen and is now melting and overflowing as it thaws. A clogged filter that starves airflow is a common cause of that frozen coil. Clearing the drain line often solves it, but a cracked pan needs to be replaced.
- Why won't my AC turn on?
- Check the thermostat first, since a dead battery or a setting that's off or set above room temperature will stop the system before it starts. If the thermostat looks fine, a tripped breaker or a blown fuse at the outdoor unit is the next likely cause. Idaho Falls sees a fair number of damaging wind events, and outages or power surges from storms can trip a breaker without any other damage. If power is reaching the unit and it still won't start, the capacitor or the contactor may have failed, and that's a repair for a licensed technician.