AC Repair in Moses Lake, WA
Air conditioners here run from July through August. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Grant County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Your AC works hard in a short, hot stretch
Your air conditioner in Moses Lake really only has two months to prove itself, July and August, with afternoons averaging 85°F. That is a short window, but it is an intense one. The unit sits idle most of the year, then gets asked to run hard, day after day, right when it matters most.
That kind of start and stop use is hard on a capacitor or a contactor that has been sitting unused. A system that was struggling gets found out fast once the heat sets in, and the first sign is usually warm air coming from the vents or a unit that won't come on at all. Grant County has also seen its share of damaging wind, 30 events over the past ten years, which is worth a look if your outdoor unit sits exposed or has had debris blown into it.
- 2 months
- July through August, your air conditioner is on duty
- 85°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 1 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 30 wind events
- in ten years, and wind drives debris into outdoor units
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A new air conditioner would cut about $30 a year off cooling for a typical Grant County home.
Estimates for a typical Grant County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, Washington fuel prices and NOAA climate normals. Your home will differ.
Repair makes sense when a part like a capacitor or contactor has failed.
Replacement makes sense when the compressor has failed or the system uses R-22 refrigerant, which is no longer made.
Washington requires contractors to register with the state.
That registration puts the business on file with the Department of Labor and Industries and gives it a number you can look at, but nobody tested the contractor's skill to grant it. It is a record, not a credential.
For a repair on your air conditioner, the thing that actually stands behind the work is federal. Any technician who touches the refrigerant side of your system, opening a line or handling the charge, has to hold EPA Section 608 certification, and that requirement holds in every state including Washington. That certification, not the state registration, is what tells you someone was tested before they were allowed near the refrigerant in your system.
Source: Washington State Legislature
- Why is my AC not blowing cold air?
- The most common cause is low refrigerant from a leak somewhere in the line set or coil. A dirty air filter or a coil caked with dust can also block airflow enough that the air coming out feels barely cool. If the outdoor unit is not running at all while the indoor blower is, that points to the compressor or a capacitor rather than the refrigerant. A contractor will need to check refrigerant pressure and airflow together to find which one it is, since only someone with EPA 608 certification can legally open the refrigerant side.
- Why is my AC leaking water?
- Most water on the floor near your indoor unit comes from a clogged condensate drain line. Your AC pulls moisture out of the air as it cools, and that water is supposed to run out through a drain line and away from the house. When the line clogs with algae or dirt, the water backs up and drips out of the unit instead. A frozen coil that then melts can cause the same kind of puddle, so the drain line is the first thing worth checking but not the only cause.
- Why won't my AC turn on?
- Start with the thermostat. Check that it is set to cool and the temperature is below the room temperature, and if it runs on batteries, try fresh ones. If the thermostat looks right, check your breaker panel, since a tripped breaker will stop the whole system from starting. Summer afternoons here run around 85°F, and a unit that has been working hard for weeks is more likely to trip a breaker or fail a worn capacitor than one that barely runs. If the breaker holds and the thermostat is calling for cooling but nothing happens, the problem is inside the unit and a contractor will need to test it.