AC Repair & Heating in Kemah, TX
Kemah is best known for the Boardwalk, but most of our work here is in bayfront homes. Salt air wears out outdoor units faster than anywhere inland, and the humidity coming off the water keeps a lot of houses feeling damp even when the AC is working fine.
- ZIP 77565
- Bayfront dehumidification
- Restaurant calls
- 2,090+ Google reviews
Two problems the bay causes
First, corrosion. Salt settles on the outdoor coil and works into the fins, the cabinet and the electrical parts. A Kemah unit near the water tends to lose capacitors and contactors sooner than the same model in Pearland, and when a coil finally gives out the repair can cost enough that replacement makes more sense. A good rinse during the yearly tune-up buys time.
Second, moisture. The air off Galveston Bay is wetter than what Alvin or Manvel get. An air conditioner removes some water as it cools, but in a tight bayfront house it often reaches the set temperature and shuts off while the humidity is still high. People turn the thermostat down to 72, pay for it, and still feel clammy. A dehumidifier on its own control fixes that at a normal setting.
If your unit runs and the house still feels sticky, we'll test the system before we suggest anything. A lot of the time nothing is broken.
Boardwalk restaurants and shops
Kemah has more small commercial work than most towns its size. We service the rooftop units, walk-in cooler condensers and dining room splits along the Boardwalk and Highway 146. A kitchen that loses cooling on a Friday night can call us that night. Same rate as a weekday.
Questions we get in Kemah
My house is on the bay and it still feels sticky at 74. Is the AC broken?
Probably not. Kemah gets wetter air off Galveston Bay than the inland towns do, and a correctly sized AC can hit the thermostat setting before it has pulled enough water out of the house. We check the system first. If it is healthy, the fix is usually a whole-home dehumidifier on its own humidistat ($2,400 to $3,200 and up installed), so the AC can do its job at a normal setting.
Why does my outdoor unit look rusty after only a few years?
Salt. Bayfront air eats at the outdoor coil fins, the cabinet screws and the electrical contacts. Capacitors and contactors go more often down here, and the coil is usually what forces a replacement. A yearly rinse and tune-up slows it down, and coated coils on new equipment slow it a lot more.
Do you work on Boardwalk restaurants and shops?
Yes: rooftop units, walk-in cooler condensers and dining room splits. Call the moment it quits. Nights, weekends and holidays are the same price as a Tuesday morning, for commercial and residential alike.
What will a repair run me?
Common ones: capacitor $180 to $320, contactor $190 to $280, clogged condensate drain $150 to $250, refrigerant leak search and recharge $350 to $650. The diagnostic is $99 ($79 if you're new to us) and it is waived when you approve the repair. You get the price in writing before we touch anything.
Kemah and Clear Lake Shores share 77565. Do you cover both?
Both, every day. We come down Highway 146 from the Pearland shop, about 35 to 40 minutes when traffic is light.
Replacing a system near the water
When a Kemah system needs replacing, we quote it two ways: standard equipment and coastal spec with coated coils. The coastal option costs a bit more. For a house on the water we recommend it; a few streets back, standard equipment is often fine. You'll see both numbers side by side.
For installs we lead with Trane and Goodman. For repairs we work on whatever you have: Carrier, Lennox, Rheem, American Standard and the rest. A lot of Kemah homes heat with heat pumps, and the variable-speed ones in Lake Cove and Anchor Bay get diagnosed with gauges and a manometer before we replace any part.
We pull the City of Kemah mechanical permit. Every repair and install carries 12 months of parts and labor coverage. After that, the manufacturer covers parts for a term that depends on the brand. Texas license TACLA32678.
Where we work in 77565
Kemah shares its ZIP with Clear Lake Shores. We're on these streets most weeks: