AC & heat pump
AC Keeps Tripping the Breaker? Stop Resetting and Read This First
One trip is an event; repeated trips are a message. Weak capacitors, seized fans, dirty coils, shorted compressors and tired breakers, in diagnosis order.
Formerly Adam & Sam Brothers RepairAir conditioning & heat pumps
AC and heat pump repair and installation
Cooling that quits on the first hot afternoon, a heat pump wrapped in ice, a system that runs all day without catching up: our technicians repair and install central air and heat pumps across the north end, with refrigerant work kept in-house.
- $85 diagnostic, included in the repair
- Same-day visits Mon–Sat
- 5.0 on Google
- $85 diagnosticBecomes part of the repair price when you say yes. If you pass on the repair, that visit is all you pay.
- Up to $18 offAny repair requested through the online form. The diagnostic itself is never reduced.
- No-charge site visitInstalls are quoted in writing, equipment and installation work in one number.
Air conditioning used to be optional here. In 2019 fewer than half of Seattle-area homes had it, and then the June 2021 heat dome pushed Sea-Tac to an all-time record of 108°F, with an unofficial reading in Lynnwood reported even higher. Since then, central air and heat pumps have gone into houses from Shoreline to Everett, many of them added to existing furnaces. The result is a lot of equipment that sits idle for months and then works hard for a few weeks, and the parts that fail under that pattern are predictable: run capacitors, contactors, condenser fan motors, and outdoor coils clogged with the cottonwood fluff that drifts through every June. Systems that sit idle also collect spiders in contactors and leaves in coils, so the first hot day exposes every small weakness at once.
Heat pumps add a winter side to the work. Our damp air at 30 to 40°F is perfect frost weather, so outdoor coils defrost often, and when a defrost sensor, board or reversing valve fails, the unit turns into a block of ice while the backup electric strips carry the house at a painful cost. The aux light on the thermostat is the giveaway: if it glows through most of a mild day, the heat pump is not doing its share. Equipment ages vary widely, too. Older systems still running on R-22, a refrigerant no longer produced or imported since 2020, need a careful look before any leak repair. Newer inverter heat pumps bring their own diagnostics and error codes. Washington's 2021 energy code also steers new construction toward heat pumps, so we see more of them every year in Bothell, Mill Creek and Kirkland subdivisions.
AC and heat pump symptoms
Outdoor fan spins, but the air indoors is not cold
- Likely cause
- Failed run capacitor, so the compressor never starts
- What we do
- Test capacitance against its rating, replace it, inspect the contactor
Outdoor unit hums, fan blade does not turn
- Likely cause
- Capacitor or condenser fan motor
- What we do
- Meter both, replace the failed part before the compressor overheats
Ice on the copper line or indoor coil, weak cooling
- Likely cause
- Low refrigerant from a leak, or poor airflow from a filter or dirty coil
- What we do
- Check airflow first, then find the leak with instruments and repair it
Heat pump encased in thick ice in winter
- Likely cause
- Defrost board, coil sensor or reversing valve
- What we do
- Force a defrost, test the board and sensor, confirm the valve shifts
Winter bills doubled, aux heat always on
- Likely cause
- Heat pump underperforming, or the thermostat calling backup heat too soon
- What we do
- Measure heat pump output, fix the fault, correct the thermostat staging
Warm air in cooling mode, or cool air in heating mode
- Likely cause
- Reversing valve or its solenoid coil stuck
- What we do
- Test the solenoid, measure temperatures across the valve, replace if needed
How we diagnose, repair and install
A service visit starts at the thermostat and the filter, then moves outdoors with gauges, a temperature probe and an amp clamp. We read capacitor values, motor and compressor amp draws and the temperature drop across the indoor coil, and verify refrigerant charge with superheat and subcooling instead of topping off. When a system is low, we look for the leak before adding refrigerant, because charge does not wear out. On inverter equipment we also read the outdoor board's stored codes and check the communication wiring, since many faults on these systems are electronic rather than mechanical. Refrigerant work is done in-house by our technicians under EPA Section 608 rules. We service Carrier, Bryant, Trane, American Standard, Lennox, Goodman, Rheem, Daikin and Mitsubishi equipment, and the van carries capacitors, contactors, fan motors and defrost boards.
For replacements we price several paths: a central AC on an existing furnace, a heat pump outdoor unit paired with that furnace so gas becomes the backup, an inverter variable-speed heat pump, or a full heat pump with a new air handler for houses on electric furnaces. Installs include load sizing rather than copying the old nameplate, nitrogen-purged brazing, a vacuum verified with a micron gauge, a weighed refrigerant charge and a startup sheet with measured readings. Ducted heat pumps are also checked against the existing ductwork, because ducts sized for a furnace sometimes move too little air for heat pump operation without changes. Snohomish County PUD, Seattle City Light and Puget Sound Energy each run their own heat pump programs, and we check which rebates apply to your home when we quote.
AC and heat pump starting prices
AC and heat pump repair starts at $285; run capacitors, contactors and defrost boards are the everyday jobs, and sealed-system work sits at the upper end. For installs, an inverter variable-speed heat pump starts at $6,000, with equipment and installation both included. That repair figure is a starting point for the region rather than a quote; the written estimate after the diagnostic carries the real number. For a new system, the site visit and the written quote cost you nothing, and the final price depends on sizing, ducts, electrical capacity and permits. When an older R-22 system needs an indoor coil, a reversing valve or a compressor, we price the repair and a replacement side by side.
- AC / heat pump capacitorfrom $285
- Contactorfrom $285
- Heat pump defrost boardfrom $300
- Outdoor fan motorfrom $425
- Refrigerant leak repair and rechargefrom $500
- Heat pump reversing valvefrom $1,100
- Indoor (evaporator) coilfrom $1,500
- Compressor (out of warranty)from $2,200
- Diagnostic visit$85, included in the repair
Starting prices for the north Seattle area, 2026. The $85 diagnostic is included in any repair you approve, and the exact price is in the written estimate before work starts.
System, installed
- Central air conditionerfrom $5,000
- Heat pump outdoor unit onlyfrom $5,250
- Inverter (variable-speed) heat pumpfrom $6,000
- Heat pump with air handlerfrom $7,000
Install prices start here, equipment and installation included, before any utility program. Multi-zone systems are priced after a visit. We do not charge for the site visit or the written quote.
From Sam’s repair notes
AC & heat pump
The Small Part That Kills Most ACs in a Heat Wave: Capacitor Failure Explained
Humming outdoor unit, a fan that needs a stick-start, breaker trips, cooling that quits late in the day: the run capacitor's tells, and the right fix.
AC & heat pump
Outdoor AC Fan Not Spinning: Capacitor, Motor or Contactor — the Stick Test Tells
A still fan on a humming condenser points to one of three parts. Why the stick-start trick is a warning, not a fix, and what each repair involves.
Common questions
Should I repair or replace an AC that uses R-22?
If the problem is electrical, such as a capacitor, contactor or fan motor, repair it; those parts do not care which refrigerant is in the lines. When the sealed system leaks or the compressor fails, the cost of reclaimed R-22 changes the math, and on a system fifteen or more years old, replacement usually wins. We price both options in writing.
Is a heat pump worth it in western Washington?
Our mild, damp winters suit heat pumps well, since most heating hours fall in the 35 to 50°F range where they run efficiently. Homes on electric baseboards or electric furnaces see the biggest change in winter bills. On gas heat the savings are smaller, and pairing a heat pump with a healthy furnace is often the sensible middle path. We run the numbers for your house.
Why is steam coming off my heat pump in winter?
That is the defrost cycle. The unit briefly reverses, warms the outdoor coil and melts the frost, which leaves as steam with a hiss or a whoosh. It is normal every 30 to 90 minutes in cold, damp weather. Thick ice that stays on the coil, or a fan scraping through ice, is not normal and calls for service.
What can I check before calling about no cooling?
Make sure the thermostat is set to cool and below room temperature, the filter is clean, and both the indoor breaker and the outdoor disconnect are on. Clear leaves and debris around the outdoor unit. If the unit was struggling, switch it off for twenty minutes to let it reset, then try again. Do not add refrigerant or bypass any switch.
Which utility rebates apply to a new heat pump?
It depends on where you live and what heats your home now. Snohomish County PUD serves the Snohomish County cities, Seattle City Light serves Seattle, Shoreline and Lake Forest Park, and Puget Sound Energy serves Kenmore, Kirkland, Woodinville and King County Bothell. We check which programs and rebates apply when we quote, without promising amounts that change through the year.
Talk to Adam & Sam
Hot house, or a heat pump frozen solid? Call the shop, or book online and take up to $18 off a repair. The $85 diagnostic is included in any repair you approve, and the site visit for a new system costs nothing.
Schedule a repair
Request a visit from Adam & Sam
Send the basics and we call you back with an arrival window, most days the same morning.
- $85 diagnostic Becomes part of the repair price when you say yes. If you pass on the repair, that visit is all you pay.
- Up to $18 off Any repair requested through the online form. The diagnostic itself is never reduced.
- $10 off A second appliance’s diagnostic when we check it during the same trip.