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A compressor that runs only in summer and spends the rest of the year standing still is as likely to fail from inactivity as from use. Homes in Lincoln County, CO run cooling about two months a year, from July through August. Contactors corrode, capacitors lose charge, and refrigerant lines develop slow leaks that go unnoticed until the first hot day anyone turns the system on. A contractor working a repair here checks the electrical components and refrigerant charge before assuming the compressor itself is the problem, because a short season gives a lot of room for faults to develop quietly.
Ductwork in a house this old was sized and routed for whatever system was running when the house was new, and that original equipment has likely been repaired more than once since. Half the homes in Lincoln County, Colorado were built in 1967 or earlier (2020-2024 ACS 5-year). A contractor who opens a central AC unit in stock like this is looking at components that may have accumulated a long service history, and the practical question is whether the parts that system takes are still manufactured. When they are not, repair becomes a longer conversation about what a replacement part actually fits.
The Parts of a Central AC a Contractor Checks During Repair
The outdoor condenser unit sits outside the house, usually on a concrete pad beside the foundation, and it holds the compressor and condenser coil. These are where a contractor starts. A failed compressor, a refrigerant leak at the coil, or a burned-out condenser fan motor are the pieces most likely to stop the system cold.
Inside the house, the air handler or furnace cabinet holds the evaporator coil and the blower motor. The evaporator coil is a frequent source of frozen coils and refrigerant problems, while the blower motor and its capacitor are common electrical failure points. The thermostat, mounted on a wall and wired back to both units, rounds out what a contractor tests when diagnosing why the system is not performing.
The drawing shows a typical central AC layout, and a licensed contractor determines which components apply to your specific house and situation.
Get matched in Lincoln CountyLincoln County, by the numbers
265 severe weather events were recorded in Lincoln County, Colorado between 2015 and 2024.
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, bulk CSV export, events 2015-01-01 through 2024-12-31.Half the homes in Lincoln County, Colorado were built in 1967 or earlier (2020-2024 ACS 5-year).
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesLincoln County, Colorado holds 2,382 housing units (2020-2024 ACS 5-year).
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesOwners occupy 71.7% of the occupied homes in Lincoln County, Colorado (2020-2024 ACS 5-year).
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesRules & Standards Behind Central AC Work in Lincoln County, Colorado8 sourced rules and standards
What the repair work looks like in Lincoln County
Split-system central air conditioners rated below 45,000 Btu/h manufactured on or after January 1, 2023 must meet a federal minimum of 13.4 SEER2.
Split-system central air conditioners rated at or above 45,000 Btu/h manufactured on or after January 1, 2023 must meet a federal minimum of 13.4 SEER2.
Split-system central air conditioners manufactured between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2022 had to meet 13 SEER, the metric that preceded SEER2.
Single-package central air conditioners manufactured on or after January 1, 2023 must meet a federal minimum of 13.4 SEER2.
Space-constrained central air conditioners manufactured on or after January 1, 2023 must meet a federal minimum of 11.7 SEER2.
Federal efficiency standards for split-system central air conditioners and heat pumps are set on each certified combination of outdoor unit and indoor coil rather than on the outdoor unit alone.
Residential and light commercial air conditioning and heat pump systems assembled in the field, including mini-splits and unitary systems, may not be installed on or after January 1, 2025 using a refrigerant with a global warming potential above 700.
A field-assembled system whose specified components were all manufactured or imported before January 1, 2025 carries no installation compliance date under the refrigerant restrictions and may still be installed.
Severe Weather Events in Lincoln County
Extreme weather puts real hours on HVAC equipment. Knowing the local pattern helps a contractor size up what the system has been through and what kind of repair work is likely ahead.
265 severe weather events, 2015–2024. Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database.