Get Your Air Conditioner Ready for a Yakima July

Ask anyone in the Yakima Valley about a July heat wave and you will get a story. Theisen's customers have written theirs down. Niki P. wrote that it was a Saturday night, “temps of 100 all day,” and the house had hit 77 with the A/C not turning on. Tara W. wrote that her unit went out “when it was 107 out.” Susan S. wrote that hers quit during the hottest week of 2021, 109 to 115 degrees. Paul K. said it was 96 inside his house. Those are the days when everyone's A/C is running hard, and the weak ones fail.

Why spring beats the heat wave

When it is 105 outside, every HVAC company in the valley is busy. Jimbo Shepler wrote that his A/C died at 3 in the afternoon, he called five other places, and none could come before morning. Kathy Kangas wrote that Theisen “squeezed us into a packed schedule” when her A/C went out in the hottest part of summer. Good companies do their best, but no one can promise to be everywhere at once. A check in spring or early summer turns a surprise into a to-do item.

What you can do yourself

• Replace or clean the filter. A clogged filter strangles airflow and makes the system work harder.
• Clear the outdoor unit. Pull weeds and leaves back a couple of feet on all sides, and brush off cottonwood fluff, grass clippings, and debris from the outside of the coil. Turn the unit's power off at the disconnect before you do any cleaning near it.
• Check the thermostat. Swap the batteries if it uses them, and make sure it is set to cool.
• Run the system for about fifteen minutes on a mild day. Put your hand over a supply vent. The air should feel clearly cooler than the room.
• Look at the drain. If you can see a condensate line, make sure it is dripping or draining and not backed up.
• Look for ice on the copper lines or the indoor coil. Ice means switch the system off and call.

What a technician checks

Theisen lists A/C maintenance next to repair and new installation, and a service visit goes beyond what a homeowner can see. In general, a tech looks at these things.

• Refrigerant levels. Refrigerant is not used up like fuel. If the level is low, the system has usually leaked somewhere, and a tech finds the cause instead of just topping it off.
• The electrical parts: wiring, connections, the contactor, and the capacitor that helps start the motors.
• The condenser and evaporator coils for dirt and damage.
• The blower and the outdoor fan.
• The condensate drain.
• The thermostat and the overall airflow through the house.

Real fixes are often small. Jeff Wangler wrote that his A/C quit one afternoon, he called Ryan the next morning, and technician Eric “had it fixed within 20 minutes.” Susan S. wrote that Theisen came the next day and replaced a fan. Sabin Hogue wrote that the problem was an electrical issue with a circuit board, and Theisen put her in touch with an electrician they use often.

One customer, Darryl Henning, got a diagnosis from another company that he did not trust. He called Theisen for a second opinion, and wrote that the tech “explained everything as he worked.” His story is a reminder that you can ask a tech to show you what is wrong, and to explain why.

How often does it need service?

Theisen generally suggests routine service every other year. If your system is in a skip year but has been acting odd, say so when you call. Naomi Marquez-Blake wrote that Theisen called her to schedule the first maintenance visit on the heat pump she had bought from them the year before.

Signs to call now, not later

• Warm air from the vents while the system is running.
• Ice on the lines or the indoor coil.
• Water pooling around the indoor unit.
• A breaker that trips. Do not keep resetting it.
• The outdoor fan not spinning, or the unit humming without starting.
• The system turning on and off in short bursts.
• A burning smell. Shut the system off first.

If it fails in the middle of a heat wave

Call early and describe what you see. Shut the blinds on the sunny side, run fans, and stay in the coolest room. Check on older neighbors. Two customers wrote that Theisen lent them a portable cooling unit while they waited for a replacement: Paul K., whose replacement was finished the following Monday, and Naomi Marquez-Blake, for her 93-year-old mother. We can't promise that for every job, but it is fair to ask what can be done while you wait.

Schedule before the heat

Theisen serves Yakima, Selah, Moxee, Wapato, Naches, Parker, Ahtanum, and West Valley, Monday through Friday from 8 to 5. Call (509) 452-4787 in spring and ask for an A/C check, so the first 100-degree week is just another week.