AC Repair in Salem, OR
If your air conditioner quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Marion County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Salem doesn't ask much of your AC most days
Summer afternoons here average 76°F, which is mild for a home air conditioner. It isn't working hard on a typical day, and long stretches where it barely runs are normal for this area.
When trouble shows up, it's more likely tied to a storm than to steady heat. Marion County has seen hail and damaging wind over the past ten years, and a unit sitting outside can take a hit from either one. A bent fan blade, a dented cabinet, or debris pulled into the coil after a windstorm can show up as a system that runs but doesn't cool, or one that won't start at all.
- 76°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 2 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 2 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 Marion County, so the repair decision comes down to the unit's condition.
Estimates for a typical Marion 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 issues the license and keeps the record on the contractor, not on each job they do. That covers who is allowed to run an HVAC business in Oregon, not a signoff on this particular repair. If the job comes to less than $1,000, the state does not require a licensed contractor to do it at all.
Above that amount, the license is what stands behind the person working on the system. Anyone who opens the refrigerant side of an air conditioner also needs EPA Section 608 certification, a federal rule that applies no matter what state the system is in.
Source: Oregon Legislative Assembly
- Why is my AC not blowing cold air?
- Most often the filter is clogged, or the outdoor unit's coil is dirty and can't shed heat. Low refrigerant from a leak is another common cause, and that's not something to top off yourself, since only someone with EPA 608 certification can legally open that side of the system. Check the filter first. If it's clean and air still comes out warm, the system needs a contractor to look at it.
- Why is my AC leaking water?
- The drain line that carries condensation away is probably clogged, or the drain pan has cracked or rusted through. A dirty air filter can also cause the coil to ice up, and when that ice melts it can put out more water than the pan and drain are set up to handle. Clearing a clogged line is a simple fix, but if the pan itself is damaged, it will need replacing.
- Why won't my AC turn on?
- Start with the thermostat. Check the batteries and make sure it's set to cool and below the room temperature. Next check the breaker, since a tripped breaker will keep the whole system dead. If those are fine and it still won't start, the problem is likely with a part inside the unit, like a capacitor or a control board, and that's a job for a licensed contractor.