AC Repair in Laurel, MS
Air conditioners here run from May through October. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Jones County will get in touch.
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Six months of heat, and storms in between
Your air conditioner runs from May through October here, and on a lot of those afternoons it is working against a high near 91°F. That means long run times, day after day, for six months straight. The compressor and the fan motor carry that load, and a unit that rarely gets a real break shows wear sooner than one that cycles on and off in mild weather.
Jones County has also seen 160 damaging wind events and 35 hail events over the past ten years, with hail up to 2.5 inches. Wind can bend the fins on your outdoor unit or knock it out of level. Hail that size can dent the cabinet or damage the coil inside it. If your AC struggled right after a storm, or has been working harder every summer, that history is likely part of why.
- 6 months
- May through October, your air conditioner is on duty
- 91°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 35 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 160 wind events
- in ten years, and wind drives debris into outdoor units
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A new air conditioner would cut about $60 a year off cooling for a typical Jones County home.
Estimates for a typical Jones County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, Mississippi 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.
Mississippi requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The Mississippi State Board of Contractors licenses HVAC contractors statewide. That license belongs to the contractor, not to any single job, so the one covering a repair in Jones County is the same one that covers their work anywhere else in Mississippi.
For a repair like this, that license is what stands behind the person coming to your house. Because the job means opening the refrigerant side of your air conditioner, the technician also has to hold EPA Section 608 certification, the federal rule that applies no matter what state you're in. That certification covers how the refrigerant itself is handled. The state license covers the contractor doing the work.
Source: Mississippi State Board of Contractors
- Why is my AC not blowing cold air?
- The most common reason is a dirty air filter choking off airflow, so check that first since it is the easiest to rule out. Low refrigerant from a leak is another common cause, and that takes a licensed technician to find and fix since it means opening the sealed system. A failing compressor or a frozen evaporator coil can also leave you with warm air coming through the vents. With summer afternoons here averaging 91°F, a unit that is not cooling right needs attention quickly.
- Why is my AC leaking water?
- Most water leaks come from a clogged condensate drain line, which backs up and sends water somewhere it should not go. Algae and dirt build up in that line over a cooling season and block it. A dirty air filter can also cause the evaporator coil to freeze, and the water shows up when that ice melts. Either way, a contractor can clear the line or find the actual source rather than just wiping up the water.
- Why won't my AC turn on?
- Start with the thermostat, since dead batteries or a wrong setting are a common cause and cost nothing to check. A tripped breaker or a blown fuse at the outdoor unit is another frequent reason and is worth checking before assuming the worst. If those check out fine, the problem is likely electrical inside the unit itself, like a bad capacitor or contactor, and that needs a licensed technician to diagnose safely. Storms are common here, with 160 damaging wind events recorded over the last ten years, and a power surge from one can be enough to knock out a unit's electrical components.