Most AC failures come down to a handful of parts: a weak capacitor, a dirty coil, a clogged drain, a low refrigerant charge or a failing fan motor. The work is finding which one it is before anything gets replaced.
A technician tests the system, shows you what failed and gives you the price in writing. You decide from there. If the unit is not worth repairing, we say so and show you why.
The two summer failures we see most are a run capacitor that has drifted below its rating and an outdoor coil matted with dust and debris. Both are cheap to catch on a maintenance visit and expensive to discover on the hottest afternoon of the year, when every shop is busy.
Why people call us for AC repair
- System blowing warm air
- Unit runs but never reaches temperature
- Water or ice around the indoor unit
- Grinding, rattling or buzzing
- Breaker trips when the AC starts
$69 diagnostic, credited toward the work
- Full system inspection and test
- Refrigerant pressure and leak check
- Capacitor and contactor test
- Airflow and filter check
- Written repair options with prices
How an AC repair visit goes
An owner answers the phone, 6am to 10pm, seven days, and we usually get to you within a few hours. Tell us what the system is doing and where it is. If it is not safe to run, we say so before anyone drives out.
On arrival the technician puts instruments on the system, not just eyes: refrigerant pressures, the capacitor and contactor, airflow, the temperature split across the coil, both coils and the drain. That takes a while, and it is the part a driveway diagnosis skips. When the fault is found, you see what failed and why.
Before any work starts you see a written price. Go ahead and the $69 diagnostic is credited toward it. Our labor carries a one-year warranty on top of the manufacturer's. Many repairs are finished on the same visit. If a part has to be ordered, you hear how long it will take before you decide.
We repair, maintain and install these brands. Logos identify the equipment we work on and do not imply endorsement by the manufacturer.
Before you call
Turn it off if it is icing or leaking
A frozen indoor coil keeps making water as it thaws, and a compressor pushing against ice is working against itself. Switch the system off at the thermostat and let it thaw before the visit. The tech needs it thawed to test it anyway. Read more
One breaker reset, then stop
A single trip on a very hot afternoon can be a fluke. Repeated trips mean the compressor is drawing too much current, usually from a dirty coil or a weak start component, and the breaker is protecting it. Leave it off after the second trip. Read more
Warm air has three usual causes
A tripped breaker or a thermostat set to fan, a dirty filter starving the airflow, or an outdoor unit that has stopped. Check the first two yourself. If the outdoor fan is not spinning while the indoor blower runs, that is the call. Read more
Age changes the math
Central air conditioners typically last roughly 12 to 17 years, and long cooling seasons in hot attics push toward the lower end. Past that range, a repair buys fewer summers, and we say so before you spend on it. Read more
A backordered part does not have to mean a wait
Condenser fan motors and control boards are the two parts suppliers run out of first. We keep tested, Boost Certified ones on our own shelves. Read more
Often booked with a repair
Seasonal air conditioning tune-ups
A yearly tune-up finds weak capacitors and dirty coils before they fail on a hot day.
Coil cleaning
A coated outdoor coil is behind a lot of breaker trips and high bills.
Replacing an air conditioner that has run its course
When the repair costs more than the system is worth, this is the next conversation.
Common questions
$69, and we tell you before you book. It covers a full inspection and a written quote. If you go ahead with the repair, it is credited toward the work.
That is short cycling. The most common cause is a dirty filter choking the airflow. Low refrigerant, a failing capacitor and a system too big for the house do it too. Change the filter first. If it keeps happening, the compressor is starting far more often than it should, and that wears it out early. Read more
The indoor coil pulls moisture out of the air and drains it outside. Water on the floor means the drain line is clogged, the pan has failed, or the coil froze and is melting. A clogged drain line is the most common by far. Turn the system off so it stops making water, then call. Read more
Reset it once. One trip on a very hot afternoon can be a fluke. Two or three in a week is a fault: usually a dirty outdoor coil, a weak start component or a loose wire. The breaker is protecting the compressor, so leave it off and have it checked. Read more
Compare the repair against the life the system has left, not against the price of a new one. The same repair on a six-year-old unit can buy ten more summers. On a fifteen-year-old unit it might buy one. We check the compressor, the refrigerant charge and both coils so you can judge. Read more
Usually within a few hours. We are open 6am to 10pm, seven days.
On a real heat wave a properly sized system can run nearly continuously and that is normal. What is not normal is a small temperature split at the registers: air that comes out barely cooler than it went in. That points at low charge, a dirty coil or leaky ducts, and it is measurable on the visit. Read more
“David was great and super helpful, got our AC back and running within an hour! He was also very flexible with my rescheduling which I really appreciated.”
Schedule service
Fill in the form or call. We are on the phones 6am–10pm.
818-277-5056Licensed #1119892 · Veteran-owned · Pasadena & Reseda