Air Conditioner Repair

The Bay Area's climate is often described as mild, but tell that to anyone in San Jose, Sunnyvale, or Milpitas during a July heat wave when inland temperatures hit 100°F+. These multi-day heat events are when we see AC repair calls spike 300-400% — and they expose systems that have been quietly struggling all year. The most common emergency call during a heat wave is "AC blowing warm air," which usually traces to low refrigerant from a slow leak that went unnoticed during milder weather. Bay Area homes have a unique AC landscape. Coastal cities like San Francisco and Daly City historically didn't need air conditioning, but recent climate trends have changed the equation — we're seeing a surge in new mini-split installations and first-time AC repairs in these areas. Inland cities like San Jose, Campbell, and Milpitas have had central air for decades, but many systems installed in the 2000s are now aging into their failure-prone years. R-410A refrigerant — standard in systems installed after 2010 — operates at significantly higher pressures than the older R-22, and requires different service equipment. If your system was installed before 2010 and uses R-22 (now phased out), we'll discuss retrofit options that don't require a full system replacement. AC trouble-shooting guide: ✓ AC runs but house stays warm → check air filter first (a clogged filter restricts airflow and mimics compressor failure). ✓ AC cycles on/off every few minutes → refrigerant leak, oversized unit, or dirty condenser coil. ✓ Ice on refrigerant lines → low charge or restricted airflow causing evaporator freeze. ✓ Water pooling at indoor unit → clogged condensate drain line (algae growth is common in our mild climate). ✓ Outdoor fan not spinning → capacitor failure (the #1 same-day AC repair we perform).