AC Repair in Hillsboro, OR
If your air conditioner quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Washington County will get in touch.
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Hillsboro doesn't ask much of an air conditioner
Summer afternoons here average 76°F, mild enough that a lot of homes get by without much cooling at all. The strain that wears out a compressor in hotter places, hours of running against high heat, day after day, just doesn't build up here.
What does turn up in Washington County is storm damage. Ten years of records show hail up to 0.9 inches and a few damaging wind events. Hail that size can dent a condenser's fins or crack a fan blade, and wind can knock a unit out of level or drive debris into the coil. If your AC is acting up after a storm, that's the more likely reason, not everyday wear.
- 76°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 2 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 3 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 Washington County, so the repair decision comes down to the unit's condition.
Estimates for a typical Washington 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 licenses the contractor, not the job, so the license on file covers the company doing the work rather than this specific repair. Work under $1,000 does not need a licensed contractor at all, so a small repair can legally be done without one.
Repairing an air conditioner means opening the refrigerant side of the system, and that requires EPA Section 608 certification, a federal rule that applies no matter the size of the job or which state the work happens in. On a repair under $1,000, that certification stands apart from the state's license and its threshold, since the two come from different rules entirely.
Source: Oregon Legislative Assembly
- Why is my AC not blowing cold air?
- The most common cause is low refrigerant from a leak, a dirty air filter cutting off airflow, or a frozen evaporator coil. A dirty filter forces the system to work against itself, and ice on the coil will block cooling until it melts. Refrigerant issues need a licensed contractor with EPA 608 certification, since only certified technicians are allowed to open that side of the system.
- Why is my AC leaking water?
- Water around your unit usually means the condensate drain line is clogged. Central air conditioners pull moisture out of the air as they cool it, and that water is supposed to drain outside through a small line. When the line clogs with algae or debris, the water backs up and drips into your home instead.
- Why won't my AC turn on?
- Start with your thermostat batteries and settings, then check the breaker for your outdoor unit. If those are fine, the problem is likely electrical, a failed capacitor, or a tripped safety switch inside the unit. A capacitor helps start the compressor and fan motor, and a bad one is a common reason a system stays silent when you turn it on.