AC Repair in Great Falls, MT
Air conditioners here run from July through July. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Cascade County will get in touch.
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Great Falls doesn't give your AC much of a break
Summer afternoons here average 78°F, and that's the temperature your air conditioner is working against most days in July. It's not extreme heat, but it's steady, and the unit outside is built to handle it day after day without much rest.
Cascade County also sees real storm weather. Ten years of records show 55 hail events and hailstones up to 3 inches across, along with 134 damaging wind events. Hail dents the thin aluminum fins on the outdoor coil, and wind throws branches and debris into the unit. A coil with crushed fins can't move heat the way it should, and you'll notice the air coming from your vents isn't as cold as it used to be.
- 1 months
- July through July, your air conditioner is on duty
- 78°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 55 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 134 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 Cascade County, so the repair decision comes down to the unit's condition.
Estimates for a typical Cascade County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, Montana 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.
Montana requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
Montana's license is issued to the contractor, not to the individual job, and the state records who holds one. Work under $2,500 is the one exception the state carves out. Below that amount, the job can go forward without a licensed contractor.
Above that line, the license is what stands behind the repair. What applies no matter the cost is federal law. Anyone opening the refrigerant side of your air conditioner has to hold EPA Section 608 certification, and that credential comes from the EPA, not the state.
Source: Montana Legislature
- Why is my AC not blowing cold air?
- Most of the time the air is on but the cold part isn't happening because the outdoor unit isn't running or the airflow is blocked. Check the air filter first, a clogged one starves the system and can freeze the coil. If the outdoor fan isn't spinning or you hear it trying and failing, that points to the capacitor or the compressor itself. Low refrigerant from a leak will also give you warm air, and only a technician with EPA certification can legally open that side of the system to check it.
- Why is my AC leaking water?
- Water around your indoor unit usually means the condensate drain line is clogged. As the system runs it pulls moisture out of the air, and that water is supposed to drain out through a small line, algae and dirt build up in there over time and back the water up. A frozen coil that then thaws will also puddle water once the system shuts off. Either way it's worth having someone look before it stains a ceiling or floor below the unit.
- Why won't my AC turn on?
- Start with the thermostat, check the batteries and make sure it's set to cool below the room temperature. If the thermostat looks fine, check the breaker box, a tripped breaker will keep the whole system dead. Great Falls sees a fair number of damaging wind events each year, and power flickers from storms can trip a breaker without you noticing. If the breaker is fine and it still won't start, the issue is likely inside the unit and needs a contractor to diagnose.