Savannah, GA
AC repair in Savannah, GA
When your air conditioner stops keeping up, the cause may be airflow, a thermostat or control, an electrical part, a blocked condensate drain, the refrigerant circuit, or a fan or motor. We find out which before anything is replaced. The diagnostic is $89, quoted before we start; you approve any repair before work begins; and no-cool emergencies are answered 24/7.
- 1997
- family-owned, based in Savannah
- $89
- diagnostic, quoted before we start
- 24/7
- for no-cool emergencies
- Same day
- often available, never promised
Signs your AC needs repair.
An air conditioner needs attention when it stops cooling, blows warm air, loses airflow, will not start, cycles oddly, ices up, leaks water, makes a new noise, smells of burning, or leaves the house warm and sticky. Each of those can come from more than one fault, so the symptom is where the diagnosis starts — not proof that a particular part has failed.
It runs, but the house is not cooling
A running system can still have restricted airflow, a dirty or frozen coil, a refrigerant problem or a fault on the outdoor side. Running narrows the search; it does not prove every electrical and control part is healthy. That takes measurements at the system, not a guess from the thermostat.
AC running but not coolingIt will not turn on
Start with the thermostat setting, the breaker and the filter. Past those, a no-start can be a capacitor, a contactor, a control board, wiring or a safety switch — including the condensate float switch, which shuts the system off when water backs up.
AC not turning onThe outdoor unit has stopped
The indoor blower and the outdoor unit do not always fail together. A silent condenser can be incoming power, a capacitor or contactor, the fan motor or compressor protection. The cabinet carries high voltage and a capacitor holds its charge, so homeowner checks stop outside the panel.
Outdoor unit not runningIce on the coil or the copper line
Ice is a symptom, not the fault. Restricted airflow can cause it, and so can a refrigerant problem. Switch cooling off and let it thaw rather than letting it run frozen, which puts extra strain on the system.
AC frozen upWater around the indoor unit
Cooling pulls water out of the air, and that water has to drain away. A blocked drain or a pan problem leaks it; on a system with a float switch, it shuts the AC off instead — which looks like a sudden breakdown from the hallway.
AC leaking waterBuzzing, grinding or a burning smell
A new sound is worth tracing to where it starts: an electrical part, a fan, a motor, something loose or the compressor. A burning smell, or a breaker that trips again, is a reason to switch the system off and call — not to keep restarting it.
AC making noiseNo cooling at all? Call (912) 858-3737 rather than sending a request — no-cool emergencies are answered 24/7. Same-day visits for everything else are often available, but not promised.
Why Savannah's heat, humidity and coastal air matter.
Savannah pairs long stretches of summer heat with Southeast humidity. NOAA's 1991–2020 normals put early July at about 92°F by day and 73°F overnight, and late September is still about 84°F and 66°F. Humid air turns into water on the cooling coil, so drainage matters as much as temperature — and homes with more salt exposure deserve a closer look at the outdoor coil.
- 92° / 73°
- normal high and low in early July
- 84° / 66°
- normal high and low in late September
NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, Savannah, °F.
Heat means judging performance under real load
The useful point is not that summers are hot. It is that the AC has to keep moving heat out of the house for long stretches while it is hot outside — and that is when a restricted filter, a dirty coil, a weak fan or a refrigerant problem shows itself. The climate sets the context; the diagnosis still comes from measuring the system in front of us.
Humidity becomes water inside the AC
The cooling coil runs cold enough for moisture in the passing air to condense on it. The U.S. Department of Energy notes that hot, humid regions like the Southeast produce a lot of condensate, and it has to drain away. That is why the pan, the drain line and the float switch belong in the conversation when a Savannah AC leaks or suddenly shuts off.
A house that reaches the thermostat setting but still feels clammy needs its runtime, airflow and moisture sources looked at, not a lower setting. The EPA recommends keeping indoor relative humidity below 60%. More on humidity and comfort.
Salt air is real, but not the same across Savannah
Salt-laden coastal air can speed up corrosion on outdoor coils and metal parts. Manufacturers note that how much depends on distance from the water, wind, humidity and other contaminants, so a condenser near the marsh or the islands sees more of it than one inland. For more exposed homes, the visit can include the coil's condition, any corrosion, and whether the equipment has coastal protection.
Common AC problems and what causes them.
Most AC symptoms have more than one plausible cause. No cooling can be airflow, a coil or the refrigerant; a no-start can be controls or an electrical part; ice can be airflow or charge; and water at the air handler usually means drainage. A proper repair starts by finding which part of the system is actually failing, before anything is replaced.
- Outdoor unit
- Power
- Thermostat
- Refrigerant lines
- Ducts & vents
- Filter & return
- Indoor coil
- Blower
- Drain
Airflow
Cooling depends on enough air moving across the indoor coil and through the ducts. A clogged filter, blocked returns or registers, a dirty coil or a weak blower all cut that airflow — and a starved coil can freeze itself.
Capacitors, contactors and controls
A capacitor helps the motors and compressor start and run; a contactor switches power to them. Either can fail and cause a no-start, an intermittent fault or a silent outdoor unit. Thermostats, control boards, wiring and fan motors produce overlapping symptoms, which is why they are tested rather than guessed at.
Refrigerant and coils
The system needs the correct refrigerant charge and clean, sound coils to move heat. A system that was charged correctly and is now low has a leak to find; one that was never charged right needs correcting. A dirty or damaged coil impairs heat transfer either way. Refrigerant work is never DIY: federal rules require EPA Section 608 certification for it.
Condensate drains, pans and float switches
When the water pulled from the air cannot drain, it collects at the indoor unit. Many systems have a float switch that stops the AC before the pan overflows — so a drainage fault can look like a sudden electrical failure.
Fan motors and compressors
The indoor blower moves the air, the outdoor fan helps the condenser shed heat, and the compressor drives the refrigeration cycle. All three can begin with the same complaint — it isn't cooling — and end in very different repair bills.
How we diagnose an AC problem.
A good diagnosis starts with your complaint and confirms how the system is actually behaving before any part is replaced. The technician checks the thermostat call, power and safeties; the filter, airflow, coils and drain; the electrical components; and the refrigerant circuit when the earlier checks point there. The diagnostic price is given before it starts, and you approve any repair before work begins.
Reproduce the symptom
No cooling, weak airflow, shuts off after ten minutes, the outdoor unit is silent — each is a different starting point. We confirm what the thermostat is calling for and watch what the indoor and outdoor equipment actually do.
Check airflow and drainage
The filter, returns and registers, the blower, the indoor coil and the condensate drain explain several common symptoms without anyone assuming a refrigerant problem.
Test the electrical side
Supply and control voltage, capacitors, contactors, motors, the thermostat circuit and the safety switches. This is technician work, not a reason for anyone to open the outdoor panel.
Check the refrigerant circuit when it is indicated
Gauges are not the automatic first answer to every no-cool call. They come out when the symptom and the earlier checks point to a refrigeration or heat-transfer problem, and only in the hands of an EPA-certified technician.
Explain the finding, then price the repair
You hear what failed, what we propose, what it costs, and whether anything about the system changes whether the repair is worth making. Nothing is repaired until you approve it.
Repair, then prove it
After the repair the system runs again, so we can confirm the original complaint is actually gone — not just that a new part is fitted.
How much does AC repair cost in Savannah?
There is no honest price for "AC repair" before the fault is found. What we can tell you up front is the diagnostic: $89, quoted before we start. Once the technician knows what failed, you get the repair price and approve it before any work begins. The ranges here come from our own Savannah price list, so you can see roughly where common repairs land.
Our Savannah price list
- Diagnostic / service call
- $89
- Capacitor replacement
- From $179
- Contactor replacement
- From $189
- Condensate drain clearing
- From $149
- Basic thermostat replacement
- From $199
- Leak detection
- From $249
- Leak repair + recharge
- $499–$1,299
- Condenser fan motor
- $449–$799
- Control board
- $449–$899
- Blower motor
- $549–$1,099
- Evaporator coil
- $1,295–$2,795
- Compressor
- $1,799–$3,499
- After-hours / emergency
- +$99 dispatch
Prices are starting points for standard work in the Savannah area. Final price depends on the system and site, and is confirmed before work begins. Permits and code-required upgrades may be additional.
What moves the final price
The part itself, the equipment's type and age, parts availability, warranty coverage, the refrigerant involved, labor time, whether it is after hours, and how easy the equipment is to reach.
Access matters more in Savannah than people expect. An attic air handler, or equipment in a historic downtown house where the ducts and units sit in spaces nobody designed for them, can take longer to reach and work on than a closet unit in a newer build.
Should you repair or replace your AC?
Repair usually makes sense when the failure is isolated, the rest of the system is in reasonable shape, and the fix restores dependable cooling at a sensible cost. Replacement deserves a serious comparison when the equipment is older, breakdowns keep coming, comfort or efficiency has slipped, or the failed part is expensive. Age should inform the decision, not make it.
| Factor | Leans toward repair | Worth comparing replacement |
|---|---|---|
| System age | Younger and otherwise healthy | Over 10 years, especially with other problems |
| The failure | An isolated, lower-cost part | The compressor, a coil or another major part |
| Repair history | The first real repair in years | Repeated breakdowns |
| Comfort | The house was comfortable until now | Hot rooms or humidity that never settle |
| Running costs | Normal bills until the failure | Bills and runtime creeping up |
| Refrigerant | A current refrigerant, a simple repair | Older R-22 system needing major refrigerant work |
| Warranty | Parts or labor still covered | Out of warranty, with an expensive repair |
| Ducts and house | The equipment clearly caused it | Duct or airflow problems need fixing too |
ENERGY STAR suggests having an air conditioner over 10 years old evaluated, along with any system that needs frequent repairs, drives bills up or leaves rooms uncomfortable. That is a reason to compare, not an automatic verdict.
R-22 is one factor, not a scare. New R-22 has not been produced or imported in the U.S. since January 1, 2020, but the EPA allows reclaimed and previously produced R-22 to service existing systems, and no one is required to replace a working R-22 unit. What it changes is the economics of a large refrigerant repair.
Look past the outdoor unit, too. Duct leaks and airflow problems cause comfort complaints that get blamed on the equipment, and a new system on the same ducts can leave the same complaint behind.
When AC repair is an emergency.
A complete loss of cooling is urgent in dangerous heat — especially with young children, older adults, pregnant people or anyone with a chronic illness at home. A burning smell, smoke, sparking, a breaker that trips again, or water reaching electrical equipment needs action now too. No-cool emergency calls are answered 24/7, including nights, weekends and holidays, and they are prioritized.
Call rather than book online if:
- The house has no cooling in dangerous heat
- Someone at home is especially vulnerable to heat
- You smell burning, or see smoke or sparking at the equipment
- The breaker trips again after one reset
- Water is reaching ceilings, floors or electrical equipment
Smoke or fire is a 911 call first. HVAC service follows once the immediate hazard is under control.
(912) 858-3737In dangerous heat, the National Weather Service's advice is to spend time somewhere air-conditioned. If someone at home is vulnerable, get them somewhere cool while the technician is on the way.
If you smell burning or a breaker trips again, stop trying to run the equipment. Switch it off at the thermostat and leave it off until it has been checked.
What you can check before calling.
Before booking, you can safely check the thermostat, the air filter, the supply and return vents, loose debris around the outdoor unit, and whether the AC breaker has tripped. If one reset does not bring it back, or it trips again, stop there. Do not open electrical panels, touch capacitors, attach gauges or add refrigerant, and switch a frozen system off to thaw.
Confirm the thermostat
It should be on COOL, not just FAN, with the setpoint below the room temperature. Replace the batteries if it uses them. A thermostat problem can make a healthy system look dead.
Check the air filter
A heavily loaded filter restricts airflow and can help freeze the coil. Replace it with the correct size and type if it is dirty — a more restrictive filter is not automatically a better one.
Clear the vents and returns
Furniture, rugs or closed registers can starve the system of air. Keep the return grille open and unobstructed.
Look around the outdoor unit
Pull leaves and debris away from the condenser without opening the cabinet, and keep shrubs back. Do not pressure-wash the fins; it bends them.
Reset the breaker once
Your owner's manual comes first. Otherwise, switch a tripped breaker fully off, wait, and switch it back on — once. If the AC still will not start, or the breaker trips again, leave it off and call.
If you see ice, stop cooling
Switch cooling off and let the coil thaw. Do not chip at the ice. Whatever froze it is still there and needs finding.
Where DIY stops
- Removing the electrical service panels
- Testing or touching a capacitor — it can hold a charge after the power is off
- Bypassing a float switch or any other safety
- Opening, cutting or gauging refrigerant lines, or adding refrigerant — that requires EPA Section 608 certification
How to prevent repeat AC problems.
The steps that do the most are simple: keep the filter and the airflow path in good shape, keep the outdoor unit clear, take any water or drainage problem seriously, and have the system serviced before the cooling season peaks. Annual maintenance catches coil, electrical, airflow and refrigerant concerns before they become a midsummer no-cool call.
Change the filter on the filter's schedule
How often depends on the filter, the house, pets and how hard the system runs, so the filter's and the system's own instructions come first. One to three months is a common range for basic filters.
Keep both sides breathing
Leave supply registers and returns open and unblocked, and keep shrubs, leaves and debris away from the condenser.
Do not treat water as just water
In a humid climate the AC produces a lot of condensate. A drain that has backed up twice will back up again; recurring water needs correcting, not mopping.
Have it serviced once a year, before the heat
A maintenance visit covers the coils, the electrical components, the blower and overall performance, and finds the drifting capacitor or the slow drain while it is still a small job.
AC systems and brands we service.
We repair residential air conditioners and heat pumps across Savannah, and diagnose the cooling-side components that decide whether your home actually gets comfortable. Brabham is a Trane Authorized Dealer. Have a less common system? Tell us the type, make and model when you book, so we can confirm service and parts availability before the visit.
From the Historic District to the Southside
Cooling problems can look different from one Savannah property to the next. Older or awkwardly placed equipment changes how a technician reaches the ducts and components, and coastal exposure adds another consideration for the outdoor unit. The diagnosis still starts with the system in front of us, not an assumption based on the ZIP code.
Why Savannah homeowners call Brabham.
Family-owned since 1997 and based on Ogeechee Road. The diagnostic price before we start, the repair price before any work, 24/7 for no-cool emergencies — and same-day visits when the schedule allows, never promised when it does not.
Diagnostic pricing given up front, before any work starts
24/7 emergency service for no-heat and no-cool calls
Ask about financing on replacements and larger repairs
We meet or beat any verifiable quote on comparable work
If something is not right, we come back and make it right
Trane Authorized Dealer, licensed & insured, background-checked technicians
Savannah AC repair questions.
- How much does AC repair cost in Savannah, GA?
- It depends on what failed, which is why we diagnose before quoting. The diagnostic is $89, and you are told that before it starts. Once the fault is found you get the repair price and approve it before work begins. As a guide, a capacitor replacement on our Savannah price list is from $179, and a compressor is $1,799–$3,499.
- Can you come out today?
- Same-day appointments are often available, though not guaranteed on any given day. For a house with no cooling at all, call rather than send a request — emergency service runs 24/7 and those calls get prioritized.
- Do you offer 24/7 emergency AC repair in Savannah?
- Yes, for no-cool calls. Emergency service runs 24/7, including nights, weekends and holidays, and those calls are prioritized — call rather than sending a request. If there is smoke or fire, call 911 first.
- Why is my AC running but not cooling the house?
- A running AC can still have restricted airflow, a dirty or frozen coil, an outdoor fan problem, a refrigerant issue or another performance fault. A dirty filter is one common airflow cause; a low charge can point to a leak. The fact that it runs narrows the diagnosis, but it does not prove every electrical, control or mechanical part is healthy.
- Why won't my AC turn on?
- Check that the thermostat is on COOL with the setpoint below room temperature, and that the breaker has not tripped. Beyond that, a no-start can be a capacitor, a contactor, a control or wiring fault, or a condensate float switch that has shut the system off. If one breaker reset does not work, or it trips again, leave it off and call.
- What should I check before calling an AC technician?
- The thermostat setting and batteries, the air filter, the supply and return vents, debris around the outdoor unit and the breaker. Stop before opening electrical panels, touching capacitors or working on refrigerant lines — refrigerant work requires EPA Section 608 certification.
- Why is my AC coil frozen?
- Usually an airflow or refrigerant problem. A dirty filter, blocked returns or a weak blower can starve the coil of warm air; a low charge is the other common cause. Switch cooling off and let it thaw rather than letting it run frozen. If the ice comes back, the underlying cause needs diagnosing.
- Why is my AC leaking water?
- Cooling pulls moisture out of the air, and that water should leave through the condensate drain. A blocked drain, a pan problem or a failed condensate pump can make it leak — or, on a system with a float switch, shut the AC off. In a humid climate like Savannah's the system makes a lot of water, so the drain has to work reliably.
- Does Savannah's humidity affect my AC?
- Yes. An air conditioner does two jobs at once: it cools the air and pulls moisture out of it. Southeast summer humidity means a lot of condensate at the coil and a lot of work for the drain. If the house reaches the setpoint but still feels clammy, the runtime, airflow and moisture sources are worth looking at before simply turning the thermostat down.
- Can coastal salt air damage an outdoor AC unit?
- It can, where a property has real salt exposure. Manufacturers document salt-air corrosion on outdoor coils, but how severe it is varies with distance from the water, wind, humidity and other contaminants. In Savannah it is an inspection point that depends on where the house is, not something every condenser suffers equally.
- Should I repair or replace my AC?
- Weigh the failed part, the repair cost, the system's age, warranty, condition, repair history, comfort and running costs together. ENERGY STAR treats an age over 10 years, frequent repairs, rising bills or persistent comfort problems as reasons to evaluate replacement — not automatic rules. A small repair on a healthy system is a very different decision from a failed compressor.
- Do I have to replace an AC that uses R-22?
- No. New R-22 has not been produced or imported in the U.S. since January 1, 2020, but existing systems can still be serviced with reclaimed or previously produced R-22, and the EPA does not require you to replace a working system. What it affects is the cost of a large refrigerant repair, which is part of the repair-or-replace comparison.
- What AC brands do you repair?
- We repair residential air conditioners and heat pumps, and Brabham is a Trane Authorized Dealer. For anything less common, tell us the make and model when you book, so we can confirm service and parts availability before the visit.
- Do you work on historic Savannah properties?
- Yes. Historic downtown homes often have equipment and duct routes in places nobody designed for them, which changes how the system is reached and diagnosed. The technician works from the actual layout rather than assuming the equipment is the only cause of a comfort problem.
- How can I reduce the chance of another AC breakdown?
- Keep the filter clean and right for the system, keep supply and return airflow unblocked, keep debris and plants away from the outdoor unit, fix recurring water problems rather than cleaning up after them, and have the system serviced once a year before the peak of summer.
Work it out first:Repair or replace?System sizing guideHumidity & comfortSEER2 explained
Sources: Climate: NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, Savannah. Condensate in hot, humid climates: U.S. Department of Energy. Refrigerant certification and the R-22 phaseout: U.S. EPA, homeowner questions on R-22. Indoor humidity: U.S. EPA, A Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture and Your Home. Replacement guidance: ENERGY STAR. Page updated .
Where to go next.
The rest of what we do here, and the same work in the towns next door.
AC not keeping up? Start with a diagnosis.
Schedule AC repair in Savannah, or call. For a complete no-cool emergency, call — emergency service runs 24/7. We find the fault, explain the repair, and you approve it before any work starts.
No heat, or no cooling at all?Call rather than send a request — (912) 858-3737 is answered around the clock.