Frequently asked questions

No. We don't run our own crews. AC Repair Chandler is a referral service: we connect you with an independent local heating and cooling contractor, which diagnoses the system, gives you the price and does the work. See our referral disclosure.

No. Our service is free to you. The contractor may pay us for the referral. Whatever you agree with them is between you and that company.

Yes. Contractors in Arizona are licensed by the Arizona Registrar of Contractors. Ask for the ROC licence number and look it up before work starts. Technicians who handle refrigerant also need EPA Section 608 certification.

It depends on the age of the system, the repair cost, how often it has failed and whether it uses R-22. A good contractor gives you the numbers for both and lets you decide. The AC guide walks through it.

Not necessarily. On the hottest afternoons many systems run nonstop and the house drifts a few degrees above the setting. If it keeps getting warmer into the evening, the air from the vents isn't cool, or it never shuts off at night, have it checked.

Usually the landlord, if the AC came with the home. Under the Arizona Residential Landlord and Tenant Act, cooling the landlord supplies is treated as an essential service. Tell the landlord in writing right away and keep a copy.

No. Reset it once. A breaker that trips again is protecting a short, a failing motor or a failing compressor, and repeated resets can make the damage worse.

Common causes are a dirty filter, a frozen coil, a failed outdoor fan, a bad capacitor or low refrigerant from a leak. A technician needs to measure the system to know which.

Close blinds on sunny windows, run fans, avoid the oven, drink water and move anyone at risk somewhere cool. If someone shows signs of heat illness, call 911.

Often less than in milder climates because of the long cooling season. Many systems are replaced somewhere between 10 and 15 years, depending on maintenance, installation quality and how hard they run.

Sometimes, but mismatched indoor and outdoor parts can lose efficiency and warranty coverage, and a refrigerant change usually requires a matched system. Ask the installer to explain the trade-off.

No. An oversized system cools in short bursts, wears faster and leaves the house clammy. The right size comes from a load calculation.

They can, and it will cool for a while, but the leak continues. Repeated top-ups cost more over time than finding the leak, and running low on refrigerant can damage the compressor.

It depends on the age, the leak and the price of R-22, which is no longer produced. For many older R-22 systems a significant leak is the point where replacement makes more sense.

In normal use it stays sealed in the system. Leaks are mainly a cost and an environmental problem. Leave handling to a certified technician.

Yes, during a defrost cycle. The unit briefly reverses to melt frost from the coil and the meltwater can steam. It should stop after a few minutes.

Electric backup heat strips may be running more than they should, because of a thermostat setting, a defrost fault or a heat pump that isn't keeping up. A technician can check.

Because it runs all year, a heat pump often wears out sooner than an AC that only cools. Age, repair cost and refrigerant type are the main factors.

Once a year before summer is the usual advice. Heat pumps that run all year often benefit from a second visit before winter.

They can be, if they include a real coil cleaning and electrical checks rather than a quick look. Compare what a plan includes with the price of a single tune-up.

Every one to three months during the cooling season, depending on the filter type, pets and dust. After a big dust storm, check it.

Cleaning on its own usually makes little difference to energy use. Repairing and sealing leaking ducts in a hot attic is what saves energy.

Common reasons are a disconnected or crushed duct, a duct that is too small for the room, west-facing windows, or a room over the garage. Airflow testing narrows it down.

There is no fixed schedule. Consider it after a remodel, a pest problem or when there is visible debris in the ducts.

Yes, if it is sized for it. An uninsulated garage gains a lot of heat, so insulating the door and walls makes a big difference to the size and running cost.

Most do. They are heat pumps, so the same unit cools in summer and heats in winter.

DIY kits exist, but refrigerant work requires EPA certification, electrical work may need a permit, and many manufacturers require professional installation for the warranty.

A dusty smell for the first few minutes of the season is common as dust burns off. A smell that lasts, an electrical burning smell, or any smell of gas is not. Turn the system off and get it checked; for gas, leave and call from outside.

Often a dirty flame sensor or a clogged filter that makes the furnace overheat. Both are quick for a technician to check.

A check before the first cold spell is sensible for gas furnaces, mostly for safety: venting, the heat exchanger and carbon monoxide.