AC Repair in Claremont, NH
Air conditioners here run from July through July. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Sullivan County will get in touch.
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One month of real heat, and storms the rest of the year
Claremont only asks an air conditioner to work through July, with afternoons averaging 77°F. That is not the kind of heat that runs a system into the ground. Most of what an AC unit in this area deals with comes from the weather around it, not the weather it is cooling against.
Sullivan County has logged 58 damaging wind events and 14 hail events over the past ten years, with hailstones up to 1.75 inches. Hail that size dents the thin fins on a condenser coil, and dented fins block airflow across it. Wind strong enough to be recorded as damaging can rock the outdoor unit on its pad or throw debris into it. If your AC is running rough or short-cycling and July has been the only real test it has faced, it is worth checking the outdoor coil and cabinet for storm damage rather than assuming the heat did it.
- 1 months
- July through July, your air conditioner is on duty
- 77°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 14 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 58 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 Sullivan County, so the repair decision comes down to the unit's condition.
Estimates for a typical Sullivan County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, New Hampshire 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.
New Hampshire has no state license for HVAC contractors.
There is no state license or registration behind that work in Sullivan County. New Hampshire does not test HVAC contractors, and it keeps no record of who does this work or how well. Whether a contractor is any good comes down to their own reputation and record, not a state file on them.
What does apply is federal. Repairing an air conditioner means opening the refrigerant side of the system, and anyone who does that anywhere in the country has to hold EPA Section 608 certification. That certification is about handling refrigerant safely, not a state's judgment on the contractor's work.
Source: New Hampshire General Court
- Why is my AC not blowing cold air?
- The most common cause is a dirty air filter choking off airflow across the coil. When that happens the coil can ice up, and the air coming out of your vents turns weak or warm. Low refrigerant from a leak causes the same thing and only a licensed technician can check that side of the system legally. Check the filter first. If it's clean, the problem is inside the system and needs a contractor to look at it.
- Why is my AC leaking water?
- Your AC makes water as it cools the air, and that water is supposed to drain outside through a condensate line. If that line clogs with algae or dirt, the water backs up and drips inside instead. A dirty filter can also cause the coil to ice over, and the water leak shows up when the ice melts. Clearing the drain line usually stops it, but if the coil is icing you'll want a technician to find out why.
- Why won't my AC turn on?
- Start with your thermostat. Check the batteries and make sure it's set to cool and below the room temperature. If the thermostat looks fine, check your breaker panel, since a tripped breaker will shut the whole system down. New Hampshire summer storms bring wind and hail that can knock out power or damage outdoor units, so if a storm passed through recently that's worth ruling out too. If power and settings both check out, the system itself needs a contractor's diagnosis.