Professional ac repair services for homes and businesses in Charleston and surrounding South Carolina communities.
KIC Refrigeration delivers expert air conditioning repair in Charleston, SC, diagnosing compressor failures, refrigerant leaks, frozen evaporator coils, and electrical faults using superheat, subcooling, and amp draw measurements. Our EPA Section 608 certified technicians restore rated SEER output through manufacturer-guided repair procedures across all major AC brands.
Properties throughout Charleston (pop. 160,965) face unique demands when it comes to ac repair. South Carolina heating loads, cooling calculations, and the insulation levels and duct configurations found in Charleston homes all influence the approach we take. KIC Refrigeration tailors every ac repair project to the conditions your property actually faces — no generic solutions.
Choosing the right contractor for ac repair in Charleston, SC makes all the difference between efficient comfort and a system that short-cycles. KIC Refrigeration uses Manual J load calculations, installs to manufacturer specifications, and backs every project with a warranty. Call (866) 858-2961 to schedule your free assessment.
How our NATE-certified technicians deliver quality ac repair results from start to finish.
Our Charleston technician listens to your description of the problem, inspects the thermostat settings and wiring, checks the electrical disconnect and breaker, and performs a visual inspection of the outdoor condenser and indoor air handler for obvious issues like a frozen coil, tripped safety switch, or burned wiring.
KIC Refrigeration diagnoses AC failures in Charleston, SC with precision electrical and refrigerant testing. We check capacitors within 6 percent of rated microfarads, measure contactor coil resistance, verify compressor winding resistance for shorts and opens, and test the refrigerant circuit — comparing suction pressure, discharge pressure, subcooling, and superheat to the manufacturer target values for the current outdoor ambient temperature.
We replace the failed component — capacitor, contactor, fan motor, compressor, or metering device — using parts rated for your system. For refrigerant leaks, we locate the leak, repair or replace the leaking component, evacuate, and recharge the system by weight.
Our Charleston technician verifies the repair by running the AC through a full cooling cycle. We measure supply and return air temperatures at the air handler to confirm a 16 to 22 degree split, check that suction pressure produces 35 to 45 degree evaporator saturation temperature, and verify the system cycles cleanly on and off.
Get answers to the ac repair questions our customers ask most often.
AC repair in Charleston typically costs $150 to $500 for common component failures including run capacitors ($150 to $250), contactors ($150 to $350), condenser fan motors ($250 to $500), and blower motors ($300 to $600). Compressor replacement is the most expensive repair at $1,500 to $3,500 depending on unit tonnage and whether the system uses R-410A or older R-22 refrigerant. Evaporator coil replacement runs $800 to $2,500 including the refrigerant recovery and recharge. KIC Refrigeration provides a detailed written estimate with itemized parts and labor costs before beginning any AC repair at your Charleston property so there are no surprises on the invoice.
KIC Refrigeration repairs every major air conditioning brand installed in Charleston homes and commercial properties — Carrier, Trane, Lennox, Rheem, Goodman, Daikin, York, Bryant, Amana, Ruud, Heil, and all other manufacturers. Our technicians hold EPA Section 608 Universal certification for refrigerant handling and are trained to work with R-410A, R-22, R-32, R-454B, and all other regulated refrigerants found in residential and light commercial systems. Whether your AC is a 2-ton window package unit or a 5-ton split system, a 20-year-old R-22 unit or a brand-new inverter model, KIC Refrigeration has the diagnostic capability and parts access to repair it correctly at your Charleston property.
An AC that repeatedly trips the circuit breaker is a safety issue that should not be ignored or reset repeatedly. The most common causes are a shorted compressor winding drawing excessive amperage, a failing run capacitor that cannot provide the boost needed for compressor startup, a locked rotor condition from a mechanically seized compressor, a ground fault from damaged wiring or a grounded compressor motor, or an undersized breaker that cannot handle the inrush current. Each reset on a breaker weakens it over time. KIC Refrigeration performs thorough electrical diagnostics at your Charleston property — including megohm resistance testing on compressor windings and amperage measurements — to identify the root cause and repair it safely.
AC refrigerant recharge in Charleston costs $200 to $500 for R-410A systems at roughly $50 to $80 per pound, and $400 to $1,200 for older R-22 systems at $80 to $150 per pound due to the phaseout-driven supply shortage. However, simply adding refrigerant without finding the leak is a temporary and wasteful fix — the charge will leak out again in weeks or months and you will be back in the same situation. KIC Refrigeration always locates the leak first using electronic leak detectors and UV dye, repairs the leaking component, evacuates the system to remove moisture and air, and recharges by weight to the manufacturer specification. This approach fixes the problem permanently.
Our reputation is built on certified technicians, honest pricing, and results that last.
"KIC Refrigeration is the only HVAC company I will use going forward. They have done our furnace maintenance for three years without a single issue."
"AC repair was fast and fairly priced. The compressor was failing and they had the part on the truck. Done in about ninety minutes."
"Heat pump tune-up went fine. Technician was a bit late but called ahead to let me know. The actual service was thorough and professional."