AC Blowing Warm Air in Las Vegas: Causes and Repair Cost
Warm air from the vents on a 110-degree day is the most common AC call in the valley. Some causes you can check in two minutes; most need a technician. Here is the order to think about it.
Check these first (free)
- Thermostat. Set to Cool, not Fan or Heat, and below the room temperature. Replace the batteries.
- Filter. A filter packed with Las Vegas dust starves the system of air; the coil freezes and the air goes warm. Swap it and give the unit an hour with the system off to thaw.
- Breaker and outdoor unit. If the indoor fan runs but the outdoor unit is silent, check the breaker and the disconnect box by the condenser.
What a technician finds most often
| Cause | Las Vegas repair range |
|---|---|
| Failed capacitor (outdoor unit hums, fan will not start) | $150 to $450 |
| Dirty condenser coil (unit runs, cannot shed heat) | $100 to $300 cleaning |
| Low refrigerant from a leak | $300 to $1,500 depending on the leak and refrigerant type |
| Condenser fan motor | $400 to $900 |
| Compressor failure | $1,500 to $2,800, or replacement on an older unit |
Refrigerant warning
If the fix is "add refrigerant," ask where it went. Refrigerant does not get used up; low means a leak. A recharge without a leak repair is the same bill again next summer, and on an older R-22 system it is an expensive bill.
When it is replacement time
A compressor or coil failure on a unit 12 or more years old usually makes a new system the better buy. Ask for both prices on the same visit.
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