No heat or no cooling right now? The emergency line is answered by a person, 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Call 000-000-0000
The three most common calls in a Queens July are a failed run capacitor, a frozen evaporator coil and a condensate switch that has done exactly what it was installed to do. All three look identical from the thermostat: the system is on, the fan is running, and nothing is cold. Which one you have decides whether this is a two-hundred-dollar afternoon or a conversation about replacement.
What we will not do is sell you a compressor when you need a capacitor. Our technicians are paid for the day, not on commission against the parts they fit, and that removes the single biggest reason this trade has the reputation it has.
What usually goes wrong, and what it usually costs
Prices below are the flat rate for the repair, including the part, the labour and returning the system to service. Anything we find that changes the scope is re-quoted before we continue.
Run capacitor failure
The most common summer failure and the cheapest to fix. Fan hums, compressor will not start. Usually under an hour.
Frozen evaporator coil
Almost always low airflow or low charge. We thaw it, find the cause, and fix the cause — replacing a filter and leaving is not a repair.
Refrigerant leak
We find it and repair it. Topping a system up year after year without finding the leak vents refrigerant into the atmosphere, which is both illegal and pointless.
Condenser fan motor
Compressor runs, head pressure climbs, the system trips out on a hot afternoon. Motor and capacitor replaced together.
Contactor and control faults
Pitted contacts, failed transformers, chattering relays and the low-voltage shorts that follow a badly wired thermostat.
Blocked condensate and float switches
The safety worked. We clear the drain, service the trap and check the pitch so it does not happen again in August.
How the visit works
There is no mystery to the invoice and no upselling script. Four steps, and you decide at the third one.
A real diagnosis
Static pressure, superheat and subcooling, amp draw, and the controls. Not a glance at the outdoor unit and a shrug.
A flat quote, before anything is touched
The whole repair, parts and labour together. You say yes or no with the number in front of you.
The repair, and the reason for it
We show you the failed part and explain what killed it, because a capacitor that failed at four years old is telling you something about the system.
An honest verdict on the system
If the repair does not make economic sense, we say so and price both options. If it does, we will tell you that too, even when the replacement would be the bigger invoice.
Repair or replace?
Nobody enjoys this conversation, so here is the honest framing we use rather than a scare tactic.
Under ten years, common part
Repair, almost always. These systems are worth keeping and the parts are available.
Twelve to fifteen years, major component
Genuinely a judgement call. We price both and show you the running-cost difference rather than deciding for you.
Failed compressor on an older R-22 system
Replace. The refrigerant is phased out, the price of it is punitive, and pouring a compressor into that system is money you will not get back.
A second significant failure in two seasons
The system is telling you. We will still repair it if that is what you want, and you have our honest opinion for free.
Questions
AC Repair — the questions we are asked most
Do you offer same-day AC repair in Woodside?
In most cases, yes. Calls that reach us before about noon on a weekday are usually seen the same day, and during a heat emergency we run extended crews. Maintenance-agreement holders go to the front of the queue as a matter of policy.
How much does an AC repair cost?
Most repairs land between $220 and $600. The diagnostic visit is $119 and is credited in full against any repair you approve on the same visit, so a straightforward capacitor replacement costs $220 in total rather than $220 plus the visit.
My AC is running but the air is not cold. What is wrong?
Most often one of three things: a failed run capacitor, a frozen evaporator coil caused by low airflow or low refrigerant, or a tripped condensate safety switch. Turn the cooling off, leave the fan running to thaw any ice, and call us — running it frozen is how a compressor dies.
Why does my air conditioner keep freezing up?
Ice on the coil means it is not getting enough heat, which means either not enough air across it or not enough refrigerant in it. A filthy filter, a collapsed flex duct, a failing blower or a leak will all do it. Clearing the ice without finding the cause guarantees it comes back.
Is it worth repairing a fifteen-year-old air conditioner?
Sometimes. A cheap part on a system that has otherwise been looked after is worth doing. A compressor or an evaporator coil on a fifteen-year-old R-22 system usually is not, because the refrigerant is phased out and expensive. We price both and let you decide with the numbers in front of you.
Do you charge extra for evenings and weekends?
There is a $189 after-hours call-out charge outside normal working hours. Total Care plan holders do not pay it. The repair itself is charged at the same flat rate whatever the hour.
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Book a visit, or call the 24-hour line
Tell us what the system is doing and we will tell you honestly whether it needs somebody tonight or whether it will keep until the morning. Diagnostics are $119 and credited in full against any repair you approve.