After thousands of summer service calls across the Twin Ports, the same five components account for 80% of the AC failures we see. Knowing what they are, and what each one costs to fix vs. replace, can save you from the worst kind of summer surprise.
Capacitor, Contactor, and Blower Motor
The capacitor (#1 most common failure) is the can-shaped part that kicks the compressor and fan motors to life. Inexpensive to replace ($150–$300), but if it goes and you don’t catch it fast, the compressor can burn out trying to start without it. The contactor is the electrical relay that switches the compressor on, pitting causes hard starts and intermittent cooling. The blower motor moves cooled air through your ducts; failure usually shows as weaker airflow before it quits.
Four of Five Are Catchable in a Tune-Up
Of the five most common summer AC failures, four are catchable during a routine annual tune-up, capacitor weakness, contactor pitting, blower motor amp-draw drift, and refrigerant leaks before they’re catastrophic. Only outdoor fan motor failure tends to come without warning. That’s why pre-season maintenance pays.
Outdoor Fan and Refrigerant Leaks
The outdoor fan motor moves air across the condenser coil, failure usually shows as the unit running but no cooling, or the outdoor fan not spinning at all. Often catastrophic: the compressor overheats and can be damaged within an hour without outdoor airflow. Refrigerant leaks build slowly over months, symptoms include rising electricity bills, ice on the indoor coil, longer cycles, and warm air from vents on the hottest days.
