AC Repair in Dover, NH
Air conditioners here run from July through August. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Strafford County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Two months of real work, then months of sitting idle
Your air conditioner in Dover only earns its keep in July and August, with afternoons averaging 79°F. That is a short season, but hail and wind have hit Strafford County 9 times with hail and 43 times with damaging wind over the past ten years, and one hailstone measured 2.5 inches. A unit that sits idle most of the year and then gets hit by hail or a wind-driven branch shows the damage the next time it's asked to run.
What you notice is the system not cooling the way it did last summer, or a fan that rattles or won't spin. After a storm, that is worth a look before the next hot stretch, since a bent fin or a cracked fan blade will not fix itself.
- 2 months
- July through August, your air conditioner is on duty
- 79°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 9 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 43 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 Strafford County, so the repair decision comes down to the unit's condition.
Estimates for a typical Strafford 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.
New Hampshire has no state license or registration for HVAC contractors. There is no state record of who does this work and no state test anyone has to pass to do it.
For an air conditioner repair, the protection that exists comes from the federal government, not the state. Any technician who opens the refrigerant side of your system, to recover it, recharge it, or get to a failed part, has to hold EPA Section 608 certification. That rule applies in every state, New Hampshire included, and it covers the one part of an AC repair where a careless job does real harm.
Source: New Hampshire General Court
- Why is my AC not blowing cold air?
- The most common cause is low refrigerant from a leak somewhere in the line. It can also mean the compressor has failed, or airflow is blocked by a dirty filter or a coil covered in ice. A contractor needs to check pressures and airflow to tell which one it is, since a system low on refrigerant and one with a bad compressor can feel similar at the vent. Anyone touching the refrigerant side to check this has to hold EPA Section 608 certification, which is a federal rule everywhere.
- Why is my AC leaking water?
- Most of the time the drain line is clogged and condensation 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 the pan as it thaws. A blocked drain is usually a quick fix. A cracked pan means replacing the pan.
- Why won't my AC turn on?
- Start with the thermostat and the breaker, since those cause more no-start calls than anything inside the unit. If the thermostat has power and the breaker hasn't tripped, the problem is likely a failed capacitor or a bad contactor, both of which stop the compressor from starting. New Hampshire has no state license for HVAC contractors, so ask about training and experience directly when you're choosing who does the repair.