Service
AC repair in Vancouver, WA
Summers here are no longer mild, and an air conditioner that cannot keep up on a 95°F afternoon usually has a reason you can measure.
Not cooling, or not starting
If the outdoor unit hums but the fan sits still, that is typically a capacitor. If it starts and trips, a contactor or a compressor drawing too much. If everything runs and the air is barely cool, it is refrigerant charge, a dirty condenser coil, or airflow — and those three get confused for each other constantly.
Low refrigerant is not a consumable. It means a leak, and topping it up without finding the leak is a bill you pay again next summer. We look for it.
What we check
Refrigerant pressures and superheat, the condenser and evaporator coils, the filter and return path, the blower wheel, the capacitor and contactor, the line set and its insulation, and the temperature split across the coil — the number that actually tells you whether the system is doing its job.
Ductless mini-splits get the same treatment, plus the indoor blower wheel and drain, which is where most of their faults live.
Heat waves and timing
When the valley hits a stretch of 90°F-plus, everyone calls at once. We aim for same day on no-cooling calls when the schedule allows and tell you straight if we cannot. A tune-up in spring is the cheapest way to avoid being in that queue at all.
You get the price before the work starts, and the diagnostic charge comes off the bill if you go ahead with the repair.
Common questions
Why is my AC running but not cooling the house?
The three common causes are a refrigerant leak, a condenser coil packed with cottonwood and dust, and restricted airflow from a filter or blower. They look identical from inside the house, which is why the measurement matters.
How often does an AC need refrigerant?
Never, in a sealed system. If it is low, there is a leak. Adding refrigerant without repairing the leak is a temporary fix that costs you again the following season.
Can you add air conditioning to a house with a furnace?
Usually yes. Either an AC coil on the existing furnace, or a heat pump that uses the same ductwork and also cuts your heating bill. We size it from a load calculation, not from square footage.