My air conditioner is not working and I'm afraid of taking it in because I have heard it's going to be a lot to fix it. I have also heard that it might be the freon. Is there a way to check myself?

Your best bet would be to find a reputable contractor to come and perform a diagnostic. There is normally a charge to get the technician to your home (diagnostic) and then additional charges may be incurred depending on the repairs that may be needed. Some contractors charge a flat rate (recommended) and some charge and hourly rate. If it does indeed need a freon charge, they usually charge by the pound (3lb. freon, etc.).

If you can get a referral from a friend, great. If not, definitely call a couple of contractors before making a choice. Besides the internet, you can always rely on the good old fashioned yellow pages. Good luck!

An air conditioner cools your home by pumping cold refrigerant through a series of coiled tubes, one inside your house called the evaporator, the other outside your house called condenser. The evaporator and... keep reading →

What do you mean by taking it in? It may be easier for you call a specialist to do diagnostics and tell you what is wrong before repair. Some AC contractors will come to you and tell you what's wrong then you can make a smart decision about what you want to do next. Which city are you in? If you are in Houston, you may want to contact http://www.rastx.com for some advice. If not, let me know which city and I may be able to make some other recommendations.