Aircon Servicing & Repair in Pasadena

A unit that trips the breaker at startup usually has a failing compressor, a shorted capacitor, or a wiring fault — all electrical faults that need a technician. Do not keep resetting the breaker; repeated tripping can damage the compressor beyond repair.

Inverter units vary compressor speed instead of switching on and off, so they hold temperature more steadily and cost 20-40% less to run for long daily use. Non-inverter units are cheaper upfront and fine for rooms cooled a few hours a day. For daily whole-day use, the inverter premium usually pays back in 2-3 years.

Once a year is the minimum for a system used seasonally; every 3-4 months if you run it daily in a hot climate. Regular servicing keeps coils and filters clean, which protects the compressor — the most expensive part to replace — and keeps energy use down.

A standard service covers cleaning or replacing filters, cleaning the evaporator coil and blower, flushing the drainage tray and pipe, checking refrigerant pressure, testing thermostat and controls, and inspecting electrical connections. It does not include repairs, parts, or refrigerant top-ups — those are quoted separately.

A chemical wash uses a cleaning solution to strip dirt and mould from the evaporator coil, blower wheel, and drain pan without dismantling the whole unit. Book one when a normal service no longer fixes weak airflow, bad smells, or water leaking from the indoor unit — typically every 12-18 months for heavily used units.

R-22 (Freon) production and import ended in the US in 2020, so systems that use it rely on reclaimed refrigerant at high per-pound prices. If your pre-2010 system has an R-22 leak, a repair plus regas can cost a large fraction of a new R-410A or R-454B system — get a replacement quote for comparison.

Yes — the federal Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit (25C) covers 30% of the cost of qualifying high-efficiency heat pumps and central AC up to annual caps, and many utilities add their own rebates. Ask the contractor for equipment that meets the qualifying CEE efficiency tiers.