Half of “my AC died” service calls end with a tech changing a filter or flipping a breaker — at service-call prices. Run this list first. It takes fifteen minutes, costs nothing, and tells you whether you're facing a free fix, a real repair, or a replacement conversation.
The Free Fixes (Check These First)
1. Thermostat settings
Cool mode, not fan-only. Setpoint below room temperature. Fresh batteries if the display is dim or blank — a dying thermostat battery mimics a dead system perfectly.
2. The air filter
A clogged filter chokes airflow until the coil freezes into a block of ice. If the filter looks like a dryer lint trap, that's likely your whole problem. Replace it, run fan-only for a few hours to thaw the coil, then try cooling again.
3. Breakers — both of them
The system has two: one for the indoor unit, one for the outdoor condenser. If the inside blower runs but the outdoor unit is silent, check the outdoor breaker and the disconnect box mounted on the wall beside the condenser.
4. The outdoor unit itself
Is the fan spinning? Is the coil packed with grass clippings, cottonwood fluff, or leaves? A smothered condenser can't dump heat. Kill power and rinse the coil gently with a hose — not a pressure washer.
5. The condensate drain
Many systems have a float switch that shuts cooling down when the drain line clogs. If there's water around the indoor unit or in the drain pan, the switch may have tripped. Clearing the line (shop vac on the outside drain stub) often restores cooling instantly.
The Maybe-Repair Zone
6. Ice on the refrigerant lines
Ice after the filter's been ruled out usually means low refrigerant — a leak. A top-off without a leak fix is a subscription, not a repair, and R-410A top-offs get pricier every year.
7. Outdoor unit hums but won't start
Classic failed capacitor — one of the most common and cheapest AC repairs ($150–$350). Worth a service call on any unit under 12 years old.
What a Service Call Should Cost
If the checklist doesn't solve it, a diagnostic visit typically runs $90–$180, credited toward the repair at most companies. Common repairs from there: capacitor $150–$350, contactor $150–$300, condenser fan motor $300–$700, blower motor $400–$900, refrigerant leak search and repair $500–$1,500 plus refrigerant. Anything quoted far above those bands deserves a second opinion — and any repair over $1,500 on an older unit deserves a replacement quote alongside it.
When It's a Replacement Conversation
- Compressor failure out of warranty on a unit 10+ years old
- A second refrigerant leak — R-410A systems leaking repeatedly are telling you their coil is done
- Repair quote over $1,500 on a system past its 10th birthday
- It cools, but weakly, and bills keep climbing — compressors fade before they fail
The Bottom Line
Filter, thermostat, breakers, coil, drain — fifteen minutes of checks beats a $150 diagnostic fee half the time. When it IS the big stuff on an aging unit, get replacement numbers before authorizing a major repair: the math has shifted hard since R-410A left new equipment. The form below gets you wholesale replacement pricing so you have the comparison in hand.
Get wholesale pricing for your home.
Real numbers on a new furnace, AC, or heat pump — shipped direct to your door anywhere in the lower 48. No contractor markup, no obligation.