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Air Conditioning Repair
Most air conditioning faults announce themselves before they stop the system entirely. This page covers what the common symptoms usually mean, what a repair visit involves, and the point at which repairing stops being the better spend — across Seattle and the Greater Eastside.
QUICK ANSWER
We repair all makes and models, central and ductless, residential and commercial. A technician diagnoses the fault, explains what failed and why, and quotes the repair flat-rate before starting work. If the honest answer is that the system is not worth repairing, we will say so. NW Mechanical has worked across Seattle and the Eastside since 1977. Call (206) 900-9231.
What the Symptom Means
None of these are diagnoses — the same symptom can have several causes, which is why we test rather than guess. But they will tell you roughly what you are dealing with before we arrive.
| It runs but the air is not cold | Most often low refrigerant from a leak, a failing compressor, or a dirty condenser coil that cannot reject heat. Topping up refrigerant without finding the leak is a temporary fix, and we will not sell you one. |
| Weak airflow from the vents | Usually a blocked filter, a failing blower motor, or duct problems. Worth checking the filter yourself first — it solves this more often than people expect. |
| It turns on and off every few minutes | Short-cycling. Commonly a thermostat issue, a refrigerant charge problem, or a system that was oversized when it was installed. |
| New noises | Grinding or squealing points at a motor or bearing. A hard clicking at startup often means a failing capacitor or contactor, which is a cheap part and a quick fix if caught early. |
| Ice on the lines or the indoor coil | Restricted airflow or low refrigerant. Switch the system off and let it thaw before we arrive — running it iced up risks the compressor. |
| Water around the indoor unit | Usually a blocked condensate drain. Simple to clear, but worth doing promptly before it damages anything around it. |
| Power bills climbing with no change in use | An efficiency problem rather than a breakdown — dirty coils, low charge, a failing component making the system work harder than it should. |
| It will not start at all | Check the breaker and the thermostat batteries first. Beyond that it is usually a capacitor, contactor or control board. |
Same-Day and Emergency
Cooling failures cluster. When we get a genuine heat event, everyone calls on the same two days, and that is exactly when a house with elderly residents, an infant, or a home office full of equipment cannot wait. We prioritise by need rather than by call order, and we will tell you honestly where you sit in the queue instead of promising a window we cannot hold. For failures that cannot wait, see emergency AC repair.
What We Repair Most
Refrigerant leaks
We find the leak and repair it rather than simply recharging the system. A recharge without a repair is money spent on refrigerant that will leak out again.
Electrical faults
Capacitors, contactors, relays and control boards. These are among the cheapest parts in the system and among the most common reasons it stops.
Motors and bearings
Blower motors, condenser fan motors and the bearings that announce themselves before they fail. Caught early, this is a repair rather than a replacement.
Thermostat and controls
Miswired or failing thermostats, and smart thermostats configured in ways the equipment was never designed for. Often the whole problem.
Drainage and freezing
Blocked condensate lines, iced coils and the airflow restrictions behind them.
Efficiency losses
Dirty coils, incorrect charge and airflow problems that do not stop the system but quietly raise what it costs to run.
Repair or Replace?
We would rather fix a good system than sell you a new one, and most of what we see is worth fixing. The calculation changes when the compressor fails, when the system runs on R-22 refrigerant that is no longer produced, or when repairs start stacking up on equipment past fifteen years. A useful rule: multiply the repair cost by the age of the system, and if that number comfortably exceeds a new system, stop repairing. Our AC replacement page works through it in detail.
What We See Around the Region
Older Seattle homes
Cooling was often added to these houses long after they were built, sometimes onto duct systems that were undersized to begin with. When a retrofitted system underperforms, the fault is frequently distribution rather than the equipment itself.
Condos and townhomes
Access is usually the constraint. Balcony and rooftop equipment, shared walls and building management schedules all shape when work can happen and how. We are used to arranging it rather than working around it.
Wooded and hillside lots
Across Woodinville, Bothell, Issaquah, Mercer Island and the Newcastle hillsides, outdoor units sit under heavy tree cover. Needles, leaves and seed debris pack into condenser coils, and a coil that cannot reject heat produces exactly the “runs but will not cool” complaint. It is one of the most common faults we clear, and the most preventable.
Smoke season
Late-summer wildfire smoke has become a regular feature here. Houses run closed up with systems recirculating, filters load far faster than usual, and restricted airflow shows up as weak cooling or a frozen coil. If your system struggled in smoke season, the filter is the first thing to check.
What we will tell you. If the fault is a filter you can change yourself, we will say so rather than invoicing you for it. If the system is beyond economic repair, we will tell you that too, with the numbers behind it.
How can we help you?
What a Repair Visit Involves
| Diagnosis | The technician tests the system rather than guessing from the symptom — charge, airflow, electrical components and controls. |
| Explanation | You get told what failed, why it failed, and whether anything else is close behind it. In plain terms, not part numbers. |
| Flat-rate quote | Priced before the work starts, so there is no meter running while the technician is in your crawlspace. |
| Repair | Most faults are fixed on the first visit. Where a part has to be ordered we will tell you the timeline honestly. |
| Verification | The system is run and measured after the repair to confirm it is performing, not just running. |
What It Costs
Repair pricing depends on the part and the labour involved, and the range is wide — a capacitor is one of the cheapest fixes in the trade, while a compressor is most of the value of the outdoor unit. What does not vary is how we price it: you get a flat-rate figure before we start, and it holds.
Where a repair is expensive enough that replacement deserves consideration, we will put both numbers in front of you rather than quietly quoting the repair. That conversation belongs to you, not to us.
Preventing the Next One
Most of the emergency calls we take in July trace back to something that would have been caught in a spring service. An annual check covers refrigerant charge, coil condition, airflow, electrical connections and the condensate drain — the five things that account for the overwhelming majority of summer failures. Our maintenance plan schedules it so you do not have to remember.
Between visits: change the filter on time, and keep the outdoor unit clear. On a wooded lot that means clearing debris off the coil more than once a year. Those two habits prevent more breakdowns than anything else an owner can do.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you repair all brands?
Yes. We are a Mitsubishi dealer, but we service and repair all makes and models, central systems and ductless alike.
My AC just needs a refrigerant top-up, right?
Refrigerant is not consumed — a system that is low has a leak. We find and repair the leak rather than recharging a system that will be empty again next summer.
How quickly can you come out?
We aim for same day on cooling failures where we can, and we prioritise by need. During a genuine heat event demand spikes, and we would rather give you an honest position in the queue than a window we cannot hold.
Is it worth repairing a system over fifteen years old?
Sometimes. A cheap electrical part on an otherwise sound fifteen-year-old system is usually worth doing. A compressor on the same system usually is not. We will give you both numbers.
Can I do anything before you arrive?
Check the breaker, check the thermostat batteries, and change the filter if it is dirty. If the coil or lines are iced, switch the system off and let it thaw — running it iced up can damage the compressor.
Do you repair ductless and mini-split systems?
Yes. See ductless mini-split repair for that specifically.
Do you handle commercial repairs?
Yes — offices, retail units, server rooms and workshops. After-hours access is usually the deciding factor rather than the equipment.
Licensed, Bonded and Insured
Each licence can be looked up individually on the Washington State L&I contractor register.
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Serving Seattle and the Greater Eastside since 1977. We diagnose before we quote, price flat-rate, and tell you when a repair is not worth doing.
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