AC Repair in Walla Walla, WA
Air conditioners here run from July through August. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Walla Walla County will get in touch.
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Two months of hard work, then months of sitting idle
Your air conditioner in Walla Walla County only earns its keep in July and August, with afternoons averaging 86°F. That is a short, hard push after months of sitting unused, and units that sit through fall, winter, and spring without running are the ones that struggle to start back up when the heat arrives. A capacitor that weakened over the off months can leave the compressor humming but not starting, or the fan not turning at all.
The other wear here comes from the weather itself. Thirty-seven damaging wind events over the past ten years mean debris and branches landing on or near outdoor units, bending the thin fins on the condenser coil and blocking airflow. With coil fins bent down, the unit has to work harder to shed heat, and you will notice it running longer to cool the same rooms.
- 2 months
- July through August, your air conditioner is on duty
- 86°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 2 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 37 wind events
- in ten years, and wind drives debris into outdoor units
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A new air conditioner would cut about $40 a year off cooling for a typical Walla Walla County home.
Estimates for a typical Walla Walla 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, along with proof of a bond and insurance. Nobody at the state tested this contractor's ability to fix an air conditioner. There is no trade exam behind the number on their registration, and no license to revoke if the repair goes badly.
What actually covers this repair is federal. Any technician who opens the refrigerant side of your air conditioner, to check the charge or fix a leak, has to hold EPA Section 608 certification, and that rule applies in every state whether or not the state licenses the trade. That certification is the credential that matters here, not the registration on the business.
Source: Washington State Legislature
- Why is my AC not blowing cold air?
- The most common cause is a dirty air filter choking off airflow across the coil. When that happens the coil can ice up, and once it's iced over it blows warm air until it thaws and gets airflow again. Low refrigerant from a leak is another cause, and that means a technician has to find the leak and recharge the system. A failing capacitor or a dying compressor can also leave you with air moving but no cooling.
- Why is my AC leaking water?
- Most of the time this means the condensate drain line is clogged. Algae and dirt build up in that line and back the water up until it overflows the drain pan. A dirty filter can cause it too, since it lets the coil ice up, and the water shows up when that ice melts faster than the drain can handle. Either way, a clogged line is usually a quick fix once someone gets to it.
- Why won't my AC turn on?
- Check the thermostat first. Dead batteries or a setting bumped to off or to heat will stop the system before it ever starts. If the thermostat looks right, the next place to check is the breaker, since a tripped breaker will shut the whole unit down. Beyond that it could be a bad capacitor or a failed contactor, and those need a technician to test and replace.