Air Conditioning decisions
Honest air conditioning decision guides for Greater Seattle — the trade-offs, sourced local cost context, and the questions to ask any bidder before you sign.
Evaluate
Should I repair my AC or replace it?
This is the repair-or-replace decision framework — not the side-by-side cost table on our AC installation pricing page. Under 10 years with a first-time, named failure: repair. Past 12–15 years — or any compressor-scale failure, or a second refrigerant top-off — replacement math usually wins. In Greater Seattle, add two local inputs before you sign: whether you're on Seattle City Light or PSE (rebate paths differ), and how long you'll stay — a 12-year-old condenser on a five-year horizon often repairs; the same unit when you're planting roots in a Ballard Craftsman often funds replacement. Every AC replacement here should also price the heat pump alternative, because that's where utility money lives.
Work the decision
Evaluate
Adding cooling: central AC or a heat pump?
As cooling machines they're the same hardware — a heat pump is an AC with a reversing valve. This guide walks the decision framework: furnace age, how long you'll stay, rebate eligibility on your utility territory (Seattle City Light instant discounts vs PSE conversion or hybrid rebates), and whether you're hedging PSE gas-rate escalation. The side-by-side comparison table on our compare page is for when you already want column specs — use this page when you're still deciding which path fits your house. Straight AC costs less upfront when the furnace is staying; a heat pump replaces most of that furnace's job, unlocks utility rebates, and changes your winter fuel math.
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Evaluate
Is a smart thermostat worth it — and which homes benefit most?
This is the worth-it decision framework — not the thermostat comparison table that lines up models by feature. For households with variable schedules on forced-air systems, yes: ENERGY STAR's certification data puts typical savings around 8% of heating and cooling bills, and PSE rebates $75 ($175 income-qualified) on qualifying ENERGY STAR models with occupancy sensing. Seattle City Light customers still benefit from occupancy savings on electric heat, but the PSE rebate is PSE-territory specific — verify your utility before shopping. The honest caveats: heat pumps need heat-pump-aware setup, ductless homes often run native controls per head, and a household that already holds a disciplined manual schedule has less headroom to capture.
Work the decision
Need the fundamentals first?
Learn
How does central AC work with the furnace I already have?
Central air conditioning piggybacks on your existing forced-air heating system: an outdoor condenser unit, an evaporator coil installed above your furnace in the supply plenum, and refrigerant lines connecting the two. Your furnace's blower — not the AC compressor outdoors — moves cooled air through the same ducts that deliver heat in winter, which is why blower capability, duct sealing, and coil placement matter as much as the outdoor unit's SEER2 rating on the brochure.
Learn
How do I get my Seattle home ready for the next heat wave?
The homes that suffer worst in Puget Sound heat events are the ones that try to solve cooling during the event itself — when every HVAC shop triages no-cool calls and install decisions get made from whatever is on the truck. Preparation splits into three layers: keeping heat out through shading and sealing, moving air smartly with night flushing, and mechanical cooling bought and serviced in the off-season when calendars are open.
Learn
Why is my AC running but blowing warm air?
When an AC runs but blows warm air, work the list in order of likelihood and cost: thermostat set wrong (fan ON instead of AUTO blows room-temperature air between cycles), a tripped breaker for the outdoor unit, a clogged filter icing the evaporator coil, a failed capacitor keeping the outdoor fan or compressor from starting, or a refrigerant leak — the last two require a paid diagnostic visit, not a guess from the driveway.
Learn
What size AC does my house need — and why isn't bigger better?
The right AC size comes from a Manual J load calculation — a room-by-room accounting of your home's heat gain through windows, walls, attic, and air leaks, not a square-footage rule of thumb from a phone quote. Oversizing is the classic Seattle mistake: a too-big unit cools the thermostat quickly, shuts off before dehumidifying the air, and short-cycles itself toward an early replacement in our increasingly warm, humid Puget Sound summers.
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