AC Repair in Wenatchee, WA
If your air conditioner quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Chelan County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Your air conditioner sits idle more than it runs
Summer afternoons in Wenatchee average 72°F, so your air conditioner is not working hard most days it turns on. That changes what usually breaks it. Instead of a unit worn out from constant use, you are more likely dealing with a system that sat through a Chelan County storm.
The outdoor unit lives outside year round, and the ten years of records show 5 hail events and 29 damaging wind events in this area, with a hailstone as large as 1.25 inches. Hail that size can bend the thin aluminum fins on the outdoor coil, and wind can pull at the refrigerant lines or knock debris into the cabinet. If your air conditioner is blowing warm air or making noise it did not make before, a storm may be the reason rather than age.
- 72°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 5 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 29 wind events
- in ten years, and wind drives debris into outdoor units
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A new air conditioner would save little on running costs in Chelan County, so the repair decision comes down to the unit's condition.
Estimates for a typical Chelan 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. Nobody tested their work to get on that list. It is a record that the business exists and is on file with the state, not proof that anyone checked what they know about air conditioners.
For this job, the credential that actually means something is federal. Any technician who opens the refrigerant lines on your air conditioner has to hold EPA Section 608 certification, and that rule applies in every state, Washington included. That certification is what says someone is qualified to handle refrigerant, not the state registration.
Source: Washington State Legislature
- Why is my AC not blowing cold air?
- The most common reason is low refrigerant from a leak somewhere in the lines or coil. A dirty filter or a coil caked with dust can also block airflow enough that the air coming out feels warm. A failing compressor will do it too, since that's the part that actually cools the refrigerant. Only a technician with EPA Section 608 certification can open the refrigerant side to check the charge and find a leak, so that's the right call once you've ruled out a dirty filter.
- Why is my AC leaking water?
- Most of the time it's a clogged condensate drain line. As the system runs, the coil pulls moisture out of the air and that water is supposed to drain outside, but algae or dirt can block the line and back the water up into your house. A frozen coil that then thaws will also flood the drain pan faster than it can drain. Either way, a contractor can clear the line or find what's causing the coil to freeze in the first place.
- Why won't my AC turn on?
- Start with the thermostat. Check that it's set to cool, the temperature is below the room temperature, and it has power or working batteries. If the thermostat looks fine, the problem is likely a tripped breaker, a blown fuse at the outdoor unit, or a bad capacitor that's supposed to start the compressor. A contractor can test the electrical side and tell you which one it is.