AC Repair in The Dalles, OR
Air conditioners here run from July through August. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Wasco County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Two months of heat, then long stretches doing nothing
Your air conditioner only earns its keep in July and August here, with afternoons averaging 80°F. That is not extreme heat, but it means the system sits idle most of the year and then gets asked to start up and run right when it's needed most.
Wasco County has also seen its share of hail and wind, including 43 damaging wind events and hail up to 1.75 inches over the past ten years. A hard storm can dent the condenser's fins or bend the cabinet enough to block airflow. If your AC is struggling or short-cycling once summer hits, a look at the outdoor unit is a good place to start.
- 2 months
- July through August, your air conditioner is on duty
- 80°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 3 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 43 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 Wasco County, so the repair decision comes down to the unit's condition.
Estimates for a typical Wasco 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.
Oregon's Construction Contractors Board licenses the contractor, not the job. That means the business behind the work has met the state's requirements and is on record with the board, and that record stays with them from one repair to the next. Work under $1,000 falls outside this requirement, so a small repair on your air conditioner may not need a licensed contractor at all.
Your repair likely involves the refrigerant side of the system, and that part is covered separately. Any technician who opens refrigerant lines, in Oregon or any other state, has to hold EPA Section 608 certification. That's a federal rule, not a state one, and it applies no matter what the job costs or who is doing it.
Source: Oregon Legislative Assembly
- Why is my AC not blowing cold air?
- The most common cause is a dirty air filter choking off airflow across the coil. When air can't move past it, the coil can ice up and what comes through the vents feels warm or weak. Low refrigerant from a leak causes the same thing, but only a licensed technician can check refrigerant, since opening that side of the system requires EPA certification. If the filter looks clean and air is still warm, the compressor or a failed capacitor could be the reason, and that needs a contractor to diagnose.
- Why is my AC leaking water?
- Most of the time this means the condensate drain line is clogged. Algae and dust build up inside that line over a cooling season and block the water that the coil pulls out of the air, so it backs up and drips or pools near the unit. A cracked drain pan or a coil that's frozen and then thawing can also cause it. Since cooling season here only runs July and August, a clogged line is often the first thing to check if the system hasn't run in months.
- Why won't my AC turn on?
- Start with the thermostat. Check that it's set to cool and the temperature is below room temperature, and replace the batteries if it has a blank screen. If the thermostat looks fine, a tripped breaker or a blown fuse at the outdoor unit is the next likely cause. Storms with damaging wind pass through this area, and a power surge from one can trip a breaker or damage electrical parts, so if the outage followed a storm that's worth mentioning to whoever comes to look at it.