- Running but not cooling — Started today, house is climbing past 80°F
- Likely a tripped capacitor, low refrigerant, or a frozen evaporator coil. On a 105°F+ day, every hour matters. Indoor temps above 85°F become a health risk for kids, seniors, and pets. We dispatch in under 60 minutes across the valley.
- Running but not cooling — Has gotten worse over the last week or two
- Most likely a slow refrigerant leak, dirty condenser coil, or aging compressor. Slow-decline symptoms point to a chargeable repair, not a system replacement. We do a Free 2nd Opinion if another shop has already quoted you a new system.
- Running but not cooling — Always struggles when it's over 100°F outside
- Likely an undersized system, leaky ductwork, or end-of-life equipment. If your AC is 10+ years old and can't keep up at 108°F, a tune-up alone won't fix it. We'll check static pressure, refrigerant charge, and run the rebate math on a high-efficiency replacement.
- Making a strange noise — Grinding or metal-on-metal sound
- Failing motor bearings or a loose blower wheel. Shut the system off and call us. Running it through a bearing failure usually destroys the motor, turning a $400 fix into a $1,200 fix.
- Making a strange noise — Hissing or bubbling near the indoor coil
- Refrigerant leak, often at the evaporator coil or a copper line. On older R-410A systems, refrigerant runs $180–$250/lb and rising. We'll find the leak and tell you straight whether the repair pencils against replacement.
- Making a strange noise — Loud humming when AC tries to start
- Almost always a bad start capacitor or seized compressor. Capacitors are a $250–$400 repair and the most common Vegas-summer breakdown. Seized compressor is a different conversation. A 30-minute diagnostic tells you which.
- Won't turn on at all — Outdoor unit has no power, indoor blower also dead
- Tripped breaker, blown disconnect fuse, or a failed control board. Reset the breaker once. If it trips again, stop — there's a short somewhere. We'll find it without guessing.
- Won't turn on at all — Indoor blower runs, outdoor unit silent
- Failed contactor, dead capacitor, or low-voltage control issue. This is usually a $250–$500 fix and we have parts on every truck. Most calls cleared in one visit.
- Won't turn on at all — Thermostat screen is blank
- Dead thermostat batteries, blown low-voltage fuse, or condensate float switch. Check thermostat batteries first — that's a 60-second free fix. If batteries are good, the float switch in the air handler may have tripped from a clogged condensate drain.
- Tripping the breaker — Trips immediately, every single start
- Short to ground in the compressor, fan motor, or wiring — possibly a hard-fail compressor. Stop resetting the breaker. Each reset risks an electrical fire. We'll megger-test the compressor and tell you exactly what failed.
- Tripping the breaker — Trips after running for a while on hot days
- Compressor is drawing high amps from a refrigerant or coil problem, OR an undersized breaker. We'll measure run amps under load. If they're over the unit's RLA spec, it's a refrigerant or coil issue (not a breaker upgrade).
- Strange smell from vents — Burning or electrical smell
- Overheating motor winding, melted wire insulation, or fan-belt friction. Shut it off immediately. This is the only symptom on this list where you should not wait — burning smells in HVAC are a fire risk.
- Strange smell from vents — Musty or moldy smell
- Mold or biofilm on the evaporator coil or in the ductwork. Common in Vegas during monsoon season. A coil clean + UV light installation usually solves it. Indoor air quality service handles the duct side.
- Strange smell from vents — Sweet chemical smell (like acetone)
- Refrigerant leak — possibly inside the air handler. Refrigerant is a respiratory irritant. Ventilate the area, shut the system off, and we'll do a leak search the same day.