The independent heating and cooling company across the Willamette Valley and northwest Oregon
Repair or Replace an Air Conditioner
Your air conditioner quit on the first hot week, and now you are wondering whether to fix it or start over. We repair air conditioners across Oregon and Washington, and we will tell you plainly which way we would go. The honest answer depends on the age of the unit, what actually failed, whether parts still exist, and whether the indoor and outdoor sides still match.
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Taking calls until 5:00 PM PT
By our service team · vetted by the techs who do this daily
Age is a factor, not a verdict
A cooling system that has been running a decade or more is not automatically done. We have kept plenty of older units going with a contactor, a capacitor, or a fan motor and sent the homeowner back to a normal summer. What age changes is the odds. Older equipment has more worn parts waiting behind the one that failed, and the refrigerant inside some of it is no longer easy to source. So we weigh age alongside condition. A well maintained unit in a shaded spot ages better than one that sat in full sun with a clogged filter for years.We say what we see, then let you decide.
The fault type tells us the most
What broke matters more than how old the system is. Electrical parts like capacitors, contactors, and control boards are routine repairs and usually worth doing. Motors and blower assemblies sit in the middle. The repairs that make us pause are compressor failures and refrigerant leaks inside a coil, because those are the expensive core components and a leak often means the rest of the system has been running under stress. If we find a leak, we look for where it is and how many we can expect. One accessible leak is a repair conversation. A coil weeping in several places is a replacement conversation.
Parts availability and matched equipment
We check whether the parts still exist before we recommend anything. Some outdoor units are discontinued and the boards or motors are backordered for weeks, which turns a simple air conditioning repair into a long wait in hot weather. Refrigerant type matters too. Older systems use refrigerant that is being phased down, so a large recharge becomes harder to justify over time. Matching is the other piece. If the outdoor unit needs replacing and the indoor coil was sized for the old one, a mismatched pair runs poorly and can fail early. We would rather explain that up front than surprise you later.
How we think about it on the visit
We diagnose first and quote second. That means testing the electrical side, checking airflow and filter condition, reading pressures, and looking at the coil and the connections rather than guessing from the symptom you described. Then we lay out the options in order: the repair that gets you cooling now, any repairs likely to follow it in the next couple of seasons, and what replacement would involve. You get the reasoning, not just a recommendation. If a repair buys you two or three good summers and you plan to sell, that may be the right call even if the unit is old.
Honest cases where replacement wins
There are situations where we will tell you to stop repairing. A failed compressor in an older unit is usually one of them, especially if the refrigerant is a phased down type. Repeated refrigerant leaks in the same coil is another, because you are paying to fill a system that keeps emptying. If the unit was undersized or oversized for the house from the start, no repair fixes that, and you will keep feeling hot rooms. And if heating is on the same system and also near the end, replacing both at once usually goes better than two separate projects a year apart. Call us and we will look at it with you.
Repair or Replace an Air Conditioner — fast answers
Is it worth repairing an air conditioner that is over ten years old?
Often yes, if the failed part is electrical or a motor and parts are available. It is usually not worth it for a compressor failure or repeated coil leaks. We will tell you which one you have.
Can you just add refrigerant instead of finding the leak?
A system that is low has a leak somewhere, so a recharge alone is temporary. We look for the leak first and tell you whether it is repairable or whether the coil is failing in multiple places.
Do I have to replace the indoor unit too?
Not always, but the indoor coil and outdoor unit need to be sized to work together. If your existing coil matches the new outdoor unit properly, we keep it. If not, we explain why replacing both makes sense.
How it works
- Step 1
Tell us the symptom
Call or fill in the quote form. Describe the noise, the smell, the temperature, and when it started. That detail helps us bring the right parts and gives you an honest idea of the visit ahead.
- Step 2
We diagnose on site
A technician checks the thermostat, airflow, electrical connections, refrigerant behaviour and the outdoor unit. We tell you what failed and why, in plain language, before anyone reaches for a part or a price.
- Step 3
You choose the repair
We lay out the fix, any parts on order, and what happens if you wait. Once you agree, we do the work and confirm the system holds temperature before we pack up and leave.
- A real person answers
- Open 7 days
- Written quote before work starts
Why homeowners call us
- Heat pumps are our normalIn this region heat pumps outnumber furnaces, so defrost boards, reversing valves and short cycling in wet weather are everyday work for us. We know how these systems behave in a cold December rain, not just on a test bench.
- Wet winter defrost problemsIce on the outdoor coil, a unit that runs and runs without warming the house, puddles that refreeze under the pad. We trace whether it is a sensor, a stuck valve, drainage, or airflow, then fix the actual cause.
- Filtration after smoke seasonWildfire smoke turned indoor air quality into a real conversation here. We look at filter fit, return sizing and IAQ options that your blower can actually push air through, rather than choking the system with the wrong media.
- We explain before we chargeYou get the diagnosis, the options and the trade-offs before work starts. If a repair is not worth it on an old system, we say so. No pressure, no jargon dumped on you at the door.
- All major brands, gas & electricOne independent crew for Carrier, Trane, Lennox, Goodman, Rheem and more.
- Straight answersNot worth fixing? We say that out loud, and often it saves you the visit fee.
About this guide
Safe checks done and it still misbehaves? That's a real fault
Tell us what you tried and what it did. The booking itself takes a minute.
- A real person answers
- Open 7 days
- Written quotes
- All major brands
- Gas & electric
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