AC Repair in Seattle, WA
If your air conditioner quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers King County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Seattle doesn't ask much of an air conditioner
Summer afternoons here average 70 degrees. Homes in King County don't need cooling most of the year, and the units that are installed rarely run hard or run long. That's an easy life for a compressor.
When an AC does fail here, it's usually not from strain. A unit that sits unused for long stretches can develop problems just from sitting, and a part can fail on its own with no long summer to blame. Either way, it's worth having someone check it over before you need it again.
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A new air conditioner would save little on running costs in King County, so the repair decision comes down to the unit's condition.
Estimates for a typical King 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.
Registration means the contractor's business is on file with the Department of Labor and Industries and carries the bond and insurance the state requires. Nobody tested the contractor's work to get that number. It tells you the business is registered, not that the work is any good.
For an air conditioner repair, the protection that matters is federal. Any technician who touches the refrigerant lines or coil on your AC has to hold EPA Section 608 certification, in Washington and every other state. That certification is what says someone checked this person knows how to handle refrigerant safely, which the state registration does not.
Source: Washington State Legislature
- Why is my AC not blowing cold air?
- The refrigerant charge is low, the coil is frozen, or the compressor has failed. A low charge usually means a leak somewhere in the line, and running the system low on refrigerant can damage the compressor over time. Anyone who opens the refrigerant side to check the charge has to hold EPA Section 608 certification, so this isn't a repair to try yourself. A frozen coil often points back to weak airflow, which can mean a dirty filter or a blower problem.
- Why is my AC leaking water?
- Most often the condensate drain line is clogged. Air conditioners pull moisture out of the air as they cool it, and that water is supposed to run out through the drain line. When the line clogs with algae or debris, the water backs up and finds another way out, usually into the house. A frozen coil that then thaws can cause the same thing, so the fix depends on which one it is.
- Why won't my AC turn on?
- Start with the thermostat and the breaker. If the thermostat has dead batteries or is set wrong, the system won't get the signal to run. A tripped breaker or blown fuse will cut power to the unit entirely. If both of those check out, the problem is likely inside the system itself, like a failed capacitor or a control board issue, and that calls for a contractor to test it.