What the symptom usually means
A technician will confirm with gauges and a meter. This is for reading the quote, not replacing the visit.
| Symptom | Likely cause | Typical repair range |
|---|---|---|
| Runs but blows warm air | Low refrigerant from a leak, a failed capacitor, or a dirty or iced evaporator coil. | AC refrigerant recharge: $100 – $600AC capacitor replacement: $100 – $250Evaporator coil replacement: $1,000 – $4,500 |
| Outdoor unit hums but the fan does not spin | Capacitor or condenser fan motor. | AC capacitor replacement: $100 – $250Condenser fan motor replacement: $200 – $700 |
| Indoor air barely moves | Blower motor, a clogged filter, or a duct problem. | Blower motor repair: $300 – $900 |
| Trips the breaker or will not start | Compressor drawing too much current, a failed contactor, or a wiring fault. Compressor replacement is where repair-versus-replace gets decided. | AC compressor replacement: $600 – $2,500 |
| Water around the air handler | Clogged condensate drain line or a cracked drain pan. Usually a small repair; turn the system off until it is seen. | Service call / diagnostic: $75 – $200 |
Reno-specific wear
Two things shorten AC life in the Truckee Meadows. The first is dust and cottonwood fluff on the outdoor coil, which pushes head pressure up and makes the compressor work harder through July; a rinse of the condenser fins at the start of the season is the cheapest repair there is. The second is the daily temperature swing: hot afternoons and cool nights mean more start cycles per day than a flat desert climate, and start cycles are what wear capacitors and contactors. Both show up as the first two rows in the table above.
Before you book
- Ask whether the $75 – $200 diagnostic fee is credited toward the repair.
- Ask for the NSCB license number and check it. C-21 or C-21b for anything beyond a part swap.
- Get the part name on the quote. "Refrigerant recharge" without a leak repair is a return visit waiting to happen.
- Deposit no more than $1,000 or 10% (NRS 624.970). Most repairs need no deposit at all.
Repair costs at a glance
| Item | Typical range | Reno published price | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service call / diagnostic | $75 – $200/ visit | $89 (Goettl lists an $89 service fee and says it waives it) | 2025-08-22; local 2026-11-05 |
| AC repair, typical total | $150 – $650/ job | — | 2025-08-22 |
| AC capacitor replacement | $100 – $250/ job | — | 2025-08-22 |
| AC refrigerant recharge | $100 – $600/ job | — | 2025-08-22 |
| AC compressor replacement | $600 – $2,500/ job | — | 2025-08-22 |
| Evaporator coil replacement | $1,000 – $4,500/ job | — | 2025-08-22 |
| Central AC replacement (standard efficiency) | $5,000 – $8,300/ unit | — | 2025-07-25 |
- HomeGuide, "How Much Does AC Repair Cost?", read 2025-08-22.
- Goettl (Reno location), published service-fee page, read 2026-11-05.
- HomeGuide, "How Much Does AC Replacement Cost?", read 2025-07-25.
Full table, method note and Reno-published prices: 2026 Reno AC cost report. No AC at all on a hot day? See emergency HVAC.