AC Repair in Burlington, VT
Air conditioners here run from July through August. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Chittenden County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Two months of real work, then months of sitting still
Your air conditioner only earns its keep in July and August here. Summer afternoons average 77°F, which is not brutal heat, but the unit still has to start up reliably after sitting idle most of the year.
That long idle stretch is hard on a system in its own way. Capacitors and contactors weaken from sitting unused, and when the first hot week finally comes, that is when a weak part gives out. Chittenden County has also logged 124 damaging wind events and 15 hail storms over the past ten years, with hail up to 1.75 inches. Wind can knock debris into the outdoor unit, and hail that size can dent or bend the fins on the coil, so it is worth a look outside if your AC has been running rough since the last storm.
- 2 months
- July through August, your air conditioner is on duty
- 77°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 15 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 124 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 Chittenden County, so the repair decision comes down to the unit's condition.
Estimates for a typical Chittenden County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, Vermont 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.
Vermont has no state license for HVAC contractors.
There's no state licensing board keeping a list of approved HVAC contractors in Vermont, and no registration process either. A contractor working on your air conditioner here isn't tested or recorded by the state before taking the job.
What does apply is federal. Repairing an air conditioner means opening the refrigerant side of the system, and any technician who does that, anywhere in the country, has to hold EPA Section 608 certification. That's the one credential that's actually required for this job in Vermont.
Source: Vermont Department of Public Safety, Division of Fire Safety
- 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 coil has frozen over, which happens when airflow is restricted and blocks heat exchange. A dirty filter or a failing compressor can cause the same symptom, so a contractor needs to check pressures and airflow to know which one it is. Only someone with EPA Section 608 certification can legally open the refrigerant side to look for a leak or add refrigerant.
- Why is my AC leaking water?
- Water around your AC usually means the condensate drain line is clogged. Your air conditioner pulls moisture out of the air as it cools, and that water is supposed to run out through the drain line to the outside. When the line clogs with algae or debris, the water backs up and drips inside or pools near the unit. A frozen coil that then thaws can also flood the drain pan faster than it can drain.
- Why won't my AC turn on?
- Start with your thermostat. Check that it has power, the batteries are good if it uses them, and it is set below room temperature. If the thermostat looks fine, the problem is likely a tripped breaker or a blown fuse at the outdoor unit. Storms bring the kind of wind and power interruptions that can trip a breaker, and Burlington has seen 124 damaging wind events over the past ten years, so that is worth ruling out before assuming the unit itself has failed.