Cities We Serve
Austin Area:
San Antonio Area:
Not seeing your area? Give us a call at (833) 656-4056
AC Repair
A Broken AC in August Is Not an Inconvenience
When it is 103 outside, an air conditioner that quits turns the house into a health problem within a few hours, and faster for babies, older adults and pets. That is why Radiant runs 24/7 and why the trucks carry the parts that actually fail in Central Texas: run capacitors, contactors, condenser fan motors, blower motors, control boards and the float switches that shut a system down when the drain backs up.
The other thing we bring is a diagnosis. “Not cooling” can be a capacitor that costs a fraction of what a compressor does, and you deserve to know which one you have before you spend a dollar. Our technician tests the system, explains what failed and why, and puts the price in writing. Nothing happens until you approve it. If the repair is a bad investment on a system that is nearly done, we say so and show you the numbers on a replacement instead.
Every repair is backed by the Home Comfort Guarantee, and Care Club members get 5% off the bill with no dispatch fee.
Looking for your local team? See AC repair in Austin or AC repair in San Antonio.
- Diagnosed, not guessed We test pressures, amp draws and capacitors before naming the fault, so you never pay for a part that was never the problem.
- No surprise fees The price you approve is the price you pay, on a Tuesday morning or a holiday weekend.
- Home Comfort Guarantee If we cannot resolve the issue, you get a 10% inconvenience refund, up to $1,000.
What to Watch For
Signs Your Air Conditioner Needs a Repair
A few of these mean shut it off and call now. The rest mean call before the next heat wave finds the weak spot.
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Warm or barely cool air from the vents
The most common call we take. Usually a failed capacitor, a compressor that is not starting, or refrigerant lost through a leak.
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Ice on the copper lines or indoor coil
Restricted airflow or low charge has frozen the evaporator. Turn the system off and let it thaw, then call. Running it frozen can kill the compressor.
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New noises: buzzing, grinding, clicking
A buzz at the outdoor unit is often a contactor or a capacitor on its way out. Grinding is a motor bearing. Both are cheaper today than next month.
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Short cycling
Starts, runs a couple of minutes, stops, repeats. It wears the compressor fast and points at airflow, charge, a control fault or an oversized system.
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Water around the indoor unit or a stain on the ceiling
A clogged condensate drain, common in our humidity. Cheap to clear now; expensive once it has soaked drywall or the attic insulation.
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The breaker keeps tripping
A compressor pulling too many amps, a shorted motor or failing wiring. Do not keep resetting it; that is how a repair turns into a fire risk.
What We Repair
Every Part of the System, Inside and Out
One licensed technician for the outdoor unit, the indoor unit and the controls between them.
- Capacitors and contactors The two parts our heat kills most often. We test the capacitor’s actual rating rather than replacing it on a hunch.
- Fan motors and compressors Condenser fan motors, blower motors and compressor diagnosis, including hard-start kits where they genuinely help.
- Refrigerant leaks and charge We find the leak and fix it. Topping off a leaking system is a repair you pay for every summer.
- Thermostats, boards and wiring Control boards, low-voltage wiring and thermostats, which are the real cause of a lot of “random” behavior.
- Condensate drains and float switches Clearing the algae plug, correcting the slope and making sure the safety switch actually stops the system before the pan overflows.
- Frozen and dirty coils Evaporator and condenser coil cleaning, and finding the airflow problem that froze the coil in the first place.
How It Works
What Happens When You Call for AC Repair
No mystery and no pressure. You know the price before we pick up a tool.
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Tell us what it is doing
Warm air, ice on the lines, a noise, a tripped breaker. We book the soonest window that works, any hour, any day.
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We find the real fault
A licensed technician tests the system: pressures, temperatures, electrical readings, airflow. The symptom points somewhere; the tests confirm it.
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You approve the price
We explain what failed, what fixing it involves and what it costs, in writing. If a repair is a poor investment, we say that too.
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We repair and verify
The parts that fail most often ride on the truck, so many repairs can be finished on the first visit. We run the system and check the temperature split before we leave.
Current Specials
Save on the work your home needs most.
No Cooling Right Now?
We answer 24/7, including holidays, with no surprise fees for after-hours calls.
What Our Customers Say
Don't just take our word for it — hear from our satisfied customers
★★★★★
Alex performed the winter service on my unit. This business along with Alex, are very professional and upfront about everything. To be transparent, this is the maintenance included with the purchase of a unit from them. I was informed about everything to include pictures as proof. I was told that my unit is 100% and very clean and again pictures to prove it. I was reccomended this business by a friend and glad he did. The initial purchase experience was also amazing. I had contacted 5 other businesses to get quotes about a new unit as my upstairs unit failed. 2 were outrageous quotes and I am technically still waiting on the other 3. On every instance of getting a quote, I waited about 1 week. Luckily my house has two units but still, un acceptable especially during the summer. I guess they all had so much business they did not care for mine. When I called this business not only did they come out the same day, I had the new unit installed with in 48 hrs. Oh and let's not forget the quote they gave me was the lowest of all. I can say enough good things about this business. Keep up the great work.
★★★★★
We needed a new air conditioning system because ours was over 15 years old. I decided to get several estimates from different companies here in San Antonio. Each company seemed to have outrageous prices and wanted to put me into something that was above what I needed. I decided to try one more company, Schmidt Mechanical. I went on their website early in the morning and filled out my information asking for someone to contact me. By the end of the same day, Jared was sitting at our table. I told him specifically what I wanted and what I did not want, since I had gained quite a bit of information from my interaction with other companies. We had a lot of fun sitting at the table and talking about many things, but when he put pen to paper, and gave us three choices of product, service, warranties, etc., we knew right away that Schmidt Mechanical was far superior to other companies in town. We sealed the deal and decided that the following Monday would be installation day. Keeping in mind, that would be one week from the day that we sat down and closed. The very next night, our old unit decided to call it quits and we still had six more nights to go until we get the new system. I called the after hours service line and they sent someone out by 10 o’clock that night, but unfortunately the unit couldn’t even carry electricity to be repaired. They didn’t even charge me for that service call. The next morning I called the company to ask if they had any suggestions on what we could do in the meantime. They put their heads together to come up with a solution. We were very thankful to Keith when he called to tell us they were able to rearrange schedules and carve out time in order to have our new AC unit installed two days later. Schmidt Mechanical - professional, honest, dependable, excellent customer service -- a company you will not regret doing business with. Thank you Team Schmidt!
★★★★★
I would highly recommend Radiant Plumbing. After our 17 year old system broke we bought a new AC unit from Radiant. All the people I dealt with were highly professional, explained everything well and were thorough in their inspection. They were very easy to contact, including a number customers can text with concerns or questions. They kept me well informed through the whole process. They even installed at no cost a portable AC to keep us cool before the installation. The installers, Arturo and Rene, were prompt; they arrived at the exact time we were told, and were very respectful of our home.
Radiant helped us quickly; the AC broke Thursday evening, we scheduled the repairman to come Friday, and Saturday they installed the new unit. I know it isn't always able to happen that fast but it was an extra bonus and relief to finally find an AC company that is actually available and answers the phone, unlike A US Air Conditioning, and is efficient and thorough with no high pressure salesmen, unlike ARS.
Thank you Radiant!
11/4/2020 - update
Had CJ out for the system check and he was very professional, informative, and respectful. He had some recommendations and was able to get us a replacement part for free even though we were just outside the 2yr warranty. It was a very unexpected blessing and I greatly appreciate him and the whole Radiant team.
Radiant helped us quickly; the AC broke Thursday evening, we scheduled the repairman to come Friday, and Saturday they installed the new unit. I know it isn't always able to happen that fast but it was an extra bonus and relief to finally find an AC company that is actually available and answers the phone, unlike A US Air Conditioning, and is efficient and thorough with no high pressure salesmen, unlike ARS.
Thank you Radiant!
11/4/2020 - update
Had CJ out for the system check and he was very professional, informative, and respectful. He had some recommendations and was able to get us a replacement part for free even though we were just outside the 2yr warranty. It was a very unexpected blessing and I greatly appreciate him and the whole Radiant team.
Maintenance Membership
Join the Care Club
Home maintenance for $9.99 a month.
Care Club members get two HVAC tune-ups and a plumbing safety inspection every year, priority scheduling, no dispatch fees — ever — and 5% off every repair.
- Priority scheduling
- Seasonal HVAC tune-ups
- Annual safety inspection
- Exclusive member discounts
- Free dispatch on repairs
- No long-term contracts
AC Repair Questions
Why is my AC blowing warm air?
Start with the easy checks: the thermostat is on cool and set below room temperature, the filter is not packed solid, and the breaker for the outdoor unit has not tripped. If those are fine, the usual causes are a failed run capacitor (the outdoor fan or compressor will not start), a compressor that has stopped, or refrigerant lost through a leak. A frozen evaporator coil also blows warm once the ice blocks airflow. Each one has a different repair and a very different price, so we test rather than guess. If the outdoor unit is humming but the fan is not spinning, shut the system off at the thermostat and call. Running it that way can take out the compressor.
Is it safe to keep running an AC that has ice on it?
No. Ice on the copper lines or the indoor coil means the coil is running below freezing, usually because airflow is restricted or the refrigerant charge is low. Keep running it and the ice thickens, airflow drops further, and liquid refrigerant can make it back to the compressor, which is the most expensive part of the system. Turn the cooling off at the thermostat, set the fan to “on” to help the coil thaw, and check the filter. Then call us. If the cause is a dirty filter, thawing may get you through the night. If it is low charge, it will freeze again until the leak is found and fixed.
Do you charge more for AC repair on nights, weekends or holidays?
No. Radiant is available 24/7, and our upfront pricing means no surprise fees, even on weekends and holidays. You get a written price before the work starts and that is the price you pay. Care Club members also get 24/7 emergency service at standard rates with no after-hours trip fees, no dispatch fees at any time, and 5% off the repair. When a system quits on a Saturday in July, the last thing you should have to worry about is whether the bill doubled because of the calendar.
Will you try to sell me a new system when I call for a repair?
Only if the numbers say you should hear it. Our technician’s job on a repair call is to fix the fault you called about, and most of the time that is exactly what happens. If the system is old, the repair is expensive and the next failure is predictable, we will show you what the repair costs against what a replacement costs and let you decide. The quote is honored for 72 hours, so there is no deciding under pressure. Plenty of our customers choose the repair and we are glad to do it.
How fast can you get to me when the AC stops cooling?
We answer 24 hours a day and dispatch from offices in Austin and San Antonio, so a technician is coming from your side of the region, not across it. During the hottest weeks of summer, when every phone in Central Texas is ringing, Care Club members move to the front of the line with priority service. While you wait, close the blinds on the sunny side of the house, keep the doors shut, run ceiling fans, and if the outdoor unit is buzzing but not running, switch the system off so it does not do more damage before we arrive.
*Offers cannot be combined with other promotions or applied to dispatch fees. No cash value. Must present offer at time of service. Call for details.
