AC Repair in Trenton, NJ
Air conditioners here run from June through September. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Mercer County will get in touch.
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Four months of real heat, every year
Trenton asks a lot of an air conditioner in a short stretch. From June through September the afternoons average 85°F, and the system runs hard to keep up, often several times a day for weeks in a row. That kind of steady demand wears on the capacitor and the compressor, the parts that carry the load every time the unit cycles on.
Mercer County also sees its share of rough weather. Ten years of records show 112 damaging wind events and 23 hail storms, with hail up to 1.5 inches. Wind can knock debris into the outdoor unit or bend its fins, and hail can dent the cabinet or damage the coil inside it. When that happens, a homeowner usually notices the air isn't as cold as it should be, or the unit outside sounds like it's straining.
- 4 months
- June through September, your air conditioner is on duty
- 85°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 23 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 112 wind events
- in ten years, and wind drives debris into outdoor units
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A new air conditioner would cut about $30 a year off cooling for a typical Mercer County home.
Estimates for a typical Mercer County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, New Jersey 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 Jersey requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The license is not per job. It belongs to the contractor, and it stays on file with the State Board of Examiners of Heating, Ventilating, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractors once the state has tested and approved them. Towns and cities in New Jersey cannot require their own separate HVAC license, so this state license is what a contractor working in Mercer County holds.
For a repair on your air conditioner, that license is what stands behind the person doing the work. If fixing it means opening the refrigerant side of the system, the technician also needs EPA Section 608 certification, a federal requirement that applies in every state and has nothing to do with New Jersey's own licensing. The state license says the contractor was tested and is on record. The federal certification says whoever handles the refrigerant in your unit is qualified to do that specific part of the job.
Sources: New Jersey Legislature · New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs
- Why is my AC not blowing cold air?
- The most common reason is a dirty air filter choking off airflow, so check that first. A clogged filter can freeze the coil, and once that happens the air coming out turns warm instead of cold. Low refrigerant from a leak is another common cause, but only a licensed technician with EPA Section 608 certification can legally check refrigerant levels or open that side of the system. If the filter looks clean and air still isn't cold, the problem is likely inside the sealed system and needs a contractor to diagnose it.
- Why is my AC leaking water?
- Water on the floor near your indoor unit almost always means the condensate drain line is clogged. As your AC cools the air, it pulls moisture out and that water is supposed to drain away through a small pipe. Algae and dirt build up in that line over time and block it, so the water backs up and spills out instead. A frozen coil that's thawing can also leave water behind, so if your air hasn't been cold lately, that's worth mentioning to whoever comes to look at it.
- Why won't my AC turn on?
- Start with your thermostat. Check that it's set to cool and the temperature is actually below the room temperature, and if it runs on batteries, try fresh ones. Next check your breaker panel, since a tripped breaker will cut power to the whole system. If the thermostat has power and the breaker is fine but the unit still won't start, the problem is likely with the system itself and a contractor will need to look at it.