What is your AC doing? Find the symptom, see the likely cause and what the fix costs.
Leaking water, frozen lines, tripping breaker, strange noises, burning smell, short cycling, won't turn on. Owner-written symptom guides for Tempe and East Valley homes, with repair cost ranges.
AC breaker tripping
Reset it once. If it trips again, the breaker is telling you something. The common causes in Valley heat, which ones are dangerous, and what the repair runs.
Read →Common AC problemsAC burning smell
First heat-mode run of the year smells like burnt dust. Burning plastic, a hot electrical smell, or smoke is a different story. How to tell, what to do, and what the repair usually is.
Read →Common AC problemsAC freezing up
Ice on the copper line or the indoor coil at 110° outside means airflow is blocked or refrigerant is low. What to do right now, the causes in order, and what each repair costs.
Read →Common AC problemsAC leaking water
Water at the air handler, a wet ceiling, or a drip from the roof unit. Clogged drain lines cause most of it. Here's how to find the source, what to shut off, and what each fix runs.
Read →Common AC problemsAC making noise
The sound tells you which part is failing. A buzzing outdoor unit with no fan, a grinding motor, a squeal at startup, a hiss at the lines. What each means, how urgent it is, and the fix cost.
Read →Common AC problemsAC not turning on
Nothing at the vents, nothing outside, or a thermostat that won't respond. Six free checks first, then the likely failed part and what the repair runs in the East Valley.
Read →Common AC problemsAC short cycling
An AC that runs 3 minutes, shuts off, and starts again wears out the compressor and never dehumidifies. The causes, from a 10-minute fix to an oversized system, and what each costs.
Read →Common AC problemsHeat pump blowing cold air
Heat pump air feels cooler than a furnace, and a few minutes of cold during defrost is normal. Here's how to tell normal from broken, two checks to do first, and what each repair costs in the Valley.
Read →Common AC problemsThermostat blank
A dead thermostat usually isn't a dead thermostat. Batteries, a tripped float switch, a blown 3-amp fuse, or a breaker. How to check each, and what the repair runs if it's more.
Read →Common AC problemsBent AC Condenser Fins: Why They Matter and When to Fix Them (Phoenix)
Bent fins on the outdoor AC coil look cosmetic, but they choke airflow, raise head pressure and amp draw on the compressor and fan motor, and cut a heat pump's heating. What causes them in the Valley, when combing them fixes it, and when the coil is done.
Read →Common AC problemsAC Not Cooling but the Fan Is Running? What It Means in Tempe (2026)
Air is moving, nothing's getting cold. Which fan is running tells you what broke. The Tempe diagnosis by symptom, what each fix costs, and the two things to check before you call.
Read →Common AC problemsAC Blowing Warm Air? 6 Causes — and the 2 You Can Fix Yourself
Warm air from the vents in a Phoenix summer, ranked from "check this first" to "call now." Two of these you can fix in five minutes. The rest, don't touch.
Read →Common AC problemsWhy Your AC Runs Constantly in July (And What It's Costing You)
Some nonstop running is normal at 115°. Some of it is a problem burning $80 a month. How to tell the difference — and the four fixes that actually move the bill.
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