AC Repair in Garrison, ND
Air conditioners here run from July through August. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers McLean County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Two months of heat, then hail and wind the rest of the year
Garrison only asks an air conditioner to run through July and August, with afternoons averaging 79°F. That is a short season, but the unit still has to start strong after sitting idle most of the year, and a system that was struggling last summer will show it again the first hot week.
McLean County has logged 57 hail events and 88 damaging wind events over the past ten years, with hail up to 1.75 inches. The outdoor unit sits outside through all of that. Hail bends the thin aluminum fins on the condenser coil, and wind can pelt it with branches and debris. Bent fins choke off airflow across the coil, so the system runs longer to cool the same house, and the coil can ice up or the compressor can overheat. If the air coming out feels weak or the unit outside looks dented or has fins pressed flat, that storm damage is worth checking before the next hot stretch.
- 2 months
- July through August, your air conditioner is on duty
- 79°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 57 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 88 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 McLean County, so the repair decision comes down to the unit's condition.
Estimates for a typical McLean County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, North Dakota 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.
North Dakota requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
North Dakota's license is held through the Secretary of State, and it covers the contractor, not the job in front of them. That means the state has vetted the business itself, not this particular repair. Work under $4,000 does not need a licensed contractor at all, so a smaller repair can fall outside that requirement depending on what it ends up costing.
Whatever the license does or does not cover, anyone opening the refrigerant side of your air conditioner has to hold EPA Section 608 certification. That is a federal rule, not a state one, and it applies whether the job is above or below the $4,000 line. On a repair like this, that certification is what says the person handling the refrigerant is qualified to do it.
Sources: North Dakota Legislative Branch · North Dakota Secretary of State
- 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. A dirty outdoor coil can cause the same thing, since it stops the system from shedding heat properly. Check the filter first. If it's clean and air still isn't cold, the system needs a contractor to check the refrigerant charge, since that means opening the refrigerant side and requires EPA certification to do legally.
- Why is my AC leaking water?
- Water around your AC usually means the condensate drain line is clogged or the drain pan has rusted through. Algae and dirt build up in that line over years and eventually block it, so water backs up and drips out instead of draining away. A frozen evaporator coil that's thawing out can also cause a sudden puddle. Either way, a contractor needs to find where the water is actually coming from before clearing or replacing anything.
- Why won't my AC turn on?
- Start with the thermostat batteries and the breaker before assuming the worst. If those check out, the capacitor may have failed, which is a common reason the outdoor unit won't start even though the thermostat calls for cooling. A tripped safety switch, often from a clogged drain line, will also shut the system down as a precaution. A contractor can test which of these it is fairly quickly.