AC Repair in Hermiston, OR
Air conditioners here run from July through August. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Umatilla County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Two months of heat, and hail in between
Your air conditioner in Hermiston only has to work July and August, with afternoons averaging 81°F. That is not the kind of heat that runs a unit into the ground. What wears on it here is what happens the rest of the year outside.
Umatilla County has logged 77 damaging wind events and 15 hail events over the past ten years, with hail up to 2 inches. Wind drives debris into the outdoor unit and can bend the fins that let it release heat. Hail dents the cabinet and can damage the coil underneath it. So when you finally switch the system on in July, this is the moment problems from a storm months back tend to show up. If it is not cooling like it should, or it is running but the air is not cold, that is often storm damage catching up with your first real hot day.
- 2 months
- July through August, your air conditioner is on duty
- 81°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 15 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 77 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 Umatilla County, so the repair decision comes down to the unit's condition.
Estimates for a typical Umatilla County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, Oregon 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.
Oregon requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The Construction Contractors Board tests and licenses the contractor, not each repair, so the license on file covers the person or company doing the work rather than this specific job. In Oregon, work under $1,000 does not need a licensed contractor, so a small repair can fall outside that requirement depending on what it costs.
Whatever the license covers, anyone opening the refrigerant side of your air conditioner has to hold EPA Section 608 certification. That is a federal requirement, the same in every state, and it stands behind the refrigerant work itself regardless of what the job costs or whether the state license applies to it.
Source: Oregon Legislative Assembly
- Why is my AC not blowing cold air?
- The most common cause is low refrigerant from a leak somewhere in the coil or line set. A dirty air filter or a coil coated in dust can also block heat from transferring, so air comes out warm even though the system is running. Only a technician with EPA 608 certification can legally check the refrigerant charge and repair a leak, since that means opening the refrigerant side of the system.
- Why is my AC leaking water?
- Water around your unit usually means the condensate drain line is clogged or the drain pan has rusted through. Algae and dust build up inside that line over time and block it, so water backs up and spills out instead of draining away. A cracked or rusted pan will leak no matter how clear the line is, and at that point the pan itself needs replacing.
- Why won't my AC turn on?
- Start with the thermostat and the breaker before assuming the worst. A dead thermostat battery, a tripped breaker, or a blown fuse at the outdoor unit will all stop the system cold and are simple to check yourself. If those are fine, the problem is likely with the capacitor or the control board, and a contractor will need to diagnose which one.