Your AC is running but your house isn't getting any cooler. The thermostat says it's set to 22 but the main floor feels like 27 and climbing. Before you assume the worst, there are a handful of things worth checking on your own and a longer list of problems that need a licensed technician to diagnose properly.
Here's what's most likely going on, what you can do about it yourself, and when it's time to call for AC repair.
Before booking a service call, run through these. They take five minutes and solve the problem more often than people expect.
Check your thermostat settings. Make sure it's set to "cool" and not "heat" or "fan only." If it's set to fan only, air blows through the vents but the compressor never kicks in, so you get airflow with no cooling. Also check that someone hasn't bumped the target temperature up.
Check your air filter. Pull out the filter and look at it. If it's grey, matted, or you can't see light through it, it's restricting airflow. A clogged filter forces the system to work harder, reduces cooling output, and can eventually cause the evaporator coil to freeze. Replace it and give the system 30 minutes to recover. This is the single most common cause of poor AC performance and it costs $10 to fix.
Check your outdoor unit. Go outside and look at the condenser (the big box with the fan on top). Is it running? If the fan isn't spinning, the system can't reject heat. Check that nothing has tripped the breaker at your electrical panel. Also clear any debris, leaves, or overgrown plants within a foot of the unit. Restricted airflow around the condenser kills cooling capacity.
Check your vents. Walk through the house and make sure all supply vents are open and unblocked. Furniture pushed against vents, closed registers in unused rooms, and blocked return air grilles all restrict airflow and reduce cooling. In homes across Surrey, Langley, and Maple Ridge where basements run cooler naturally, homeowners sometimes close upper-floor vents thinking it'll redirect cool air downstairs. It doesn't work that way and it strains the system.
Check if the coil is frozen. Open the panel on your indoor unit (or look at the refrigerant lines going into it). If you see ice buildup on the coil or the copper lines, turn the system off and let it thaw completely before running it again. A frozen coil blocks all airflow and the AC will blow room-temperature air until the ice melts. If it freezes again after thawing, there's an underlying problem (low refrigerant, bad blower, restricted airflow) that needs a tech.
If you've run through the quick checks and the system still isn't cooling properly, the problem is likely one of these. All of them require a licensed technician with the right tools and refrigerant certifications to diagnose and fix safely.
Low refrigerant. Your AC doesn't consume refrigerant the way a car uses gas. If the level is low, there's a leak somewhere in the system. The leak needs to be found and repaired before the system is recharged, otherwise you're just paying to refill something that's going to leak out again. Low refrigerant is one of the most common causes of poor cooling and frozen coils. Homes in older parts of Vancouver, Burnaby, and New Westminster with original AC systems from the 90s or early 2000s are more prone to refrigerant leaks as the line connections and coils age.
Failed compressor. The compressor is the heart of the system. It circulates refrigerant between the indoor and outdoor units. If it fails, the fan may still blow but there's no cooling happening. Compressor failures are one of the more expensive repairs because the part itself is costly and the labour to replace it is significant. Depending on the age of the unit, a compressor failure often tips the math toward replacement rather than repair.
Bad capacitor. Capacitors are small electrical components that help start and run the compressor and fan motors. When they fail (which they do regularly in hot weather), the motor they're connected to either won't start at all or runs sluggishly. A bad capacitor is one of the cheaper and faster repairs, usually resolved in a single service visit.
Faulty contactor. The contactor is an electrical switch that turns the compressor and condenser fan on and off. When it wears out or gets stuck, the outdoor unit may not engage even though the thermostat is calling for cooling. Like capacitors, contactors are a relatively straightforward repair.
Dirty evaporator or condenser coils. Over years of use, the indoor evaporator coil and outdoor condenser coil accumulate dust and grime that insulates them and reduces heat transfer. A system with dirty coils works harder, cools less, and uses more electricity. Professional coil cleaning restores performance noticeably.
Blower motor issues. If the indoor blower motor is failing, you'll notice weak airflow from the vents even though the system sounds like it's running. The motor may be overheating and cycling off, or it may have a bad run capacitor. Blower motor repairs range from simple capacitor swaps to full motor replacements depending on the diagnosis.
Ductwork problems. Sometimes the AC itself is fine but the ducts are the problem. Disconnected duct joints, crushed flex duct in crawlspaces, or poorly sealed connections can leak cooled air into your attic or walls instead of delivering it to your living spaces. Homes across Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, and Port Moody built in the 70s and 80s frequently have original ductwork that's deteriorated to the point of significant air loss.
When your AC is low on refrigerant, one of the first things we check is what type the system uses. This matters more than most homeowners realize.
R-22 (sometimes called Freon). This was the standard refrigerant in residential AC systems for decades. If your system was installed before 2010, there's a good chance it runs on R-22. The problem: R-22 production and import was banned in Canada in 2020 because of its effect on the ozone layer. The only R-22 still available is recycled supply, and the cost has gone up significantly as that supply shrinks. Topping up an R-22 system that has a leak is expensive, and you're paying a premium to keep aging equipment running on a refrigerant that's only getting harder to find.
If your AC uses R-22 and needs a recharge, it's worth having a serious conversation about whether that money is better spent toward a new system. We'll give you the honest math on both options.
R-410A. This replaced R-22 as the industry standard and is what most systems installed after 2010 use. It's widely available, reasonably priced, and doesn't deplete the ozone layer. If your system runs on R-410A and has a refrigerant leak, the repair is straightforward: find the leak, fix it, recharge the system.
Not sure which one your system uses? Check the label on the outdoor unit. There's a data plate (usually on the side panel) that lists the refrigerant type. Or just ask us during the service call and we'll tell you.
Not every AC problem is worth fixing. Here's a rough framework:
Lean toward repair if your system is under 10 years old, the problem is a single component like a capacitor or contactor, and the repair cost is well under half of what a new system would run.
Lean toward replacement if:
The 50% guideline: if the repair costs more than half of what a new AC installation would cost, replacement usually makes more financial sense. You're putting significant money into equipment that's already near end of life.
If you're on the fence, we'll give you an honest assessment during the service call. We do both AC repair and AC installation, so there's no incentive to push you toward one over the other. If a $200 repair gets you another five good years, we'll tell you that. If the unit is done, we'll explain why and walk you through your options including pricing for replacement. We wrote a full breakdown of AC installation costs in Vancouver if you want to see what new systems run.
For homeowners who are also thinking about heating, a heat pump handles both cooling and heating in one system and may qualify for provincial rebates that significantly reduce the installed cost. We cover the full comparison in our heat pump vs furnace plus AC guide.
When you call us for an AC that's not cooling, here's what happens:
We send a licensed technician to your home (same day when possible). The service call is $189 and covers the diagnostic visit. The tech inspects the full system: thermostat, air filter, electrical connections, capacitors, contactors, refrigerant pressures, coil condition, blower operation, and ductwork where accessible.
After the inspection, you get a clear explanation of what's wrong and what it'll cost to fix. If the repair makes sense, we do it on the spot using parts we carry on the truck. If the system needs a part we don't have on hand, we order it and come back to complete the repair. If the diagnosis points toward replacement being the smarter move, we provide a free estimate on a new system with no obligation.
We service all major AC brands including Trane, Lennox, Carrier, Goodman, Daikin, and others. Whatever brand is in your home, our technicians have worked on it.
The most common causes are a dirty air filter restricting airflow, low refrigerant from a leak, a failed compressor, or a tripped breaker cutting power to the outdoor unit. Start with the filter and breaker check. If those are fine, it needs a tech.
Every 1 to 3 months during cooling season depending on the filter type, whether you have pets, and how much you run the system. A standard 1-inch filter in a home with pets should be checked monthly. This is the single easiest thing you can do to keep your AC running well.
No. Refrigerant handling in Canada requires certification under federal environmental regulations. Beyond the legal issue, adding refrigerant without finding and fixing the leak first is a waste of money. The system will just leak it out again.
Not necessarily right away if it's still cooling well. But the moment it develops a refrigerant leak or needs a major repair, the economics shift hard toward replacement. R-22 is expensive, getting more expensive, and you're putting money into a system that's already 15+ years old. When that time comes, a new R-410A system will cost less to operate, less to maintain, and won't have the refrigerant availability problem.
This is extremely common in two-storey homes across the Lower Mainland. Hot air rises, and most residential AC systems are sized and designed for the main floor. The upper floor naturally runs warmer. Solutions range from balancing dampers in the ductwork to adding a ductless mini-split for the upper floor. A tech can assess what's realistic for your layout.
Most central AC systems last 15 to 20 years with regular maintenance. Vancouver's climate is actually easier on AC units than most of Canada because our summers are shorter and less extreme. Systems here tend to last toward the upper end of that range, but components like capacitors and contactors still wear out and need periodic replacement regardless of climate.
Yes. A pre-season tune-up catches failing capacitors, low refrigerant, dirty coils, and other problems before they leave you without cooling on the hottest day of the year. It's cheaper to fix a weak capacitor in May than to pay emergency rates in August when every HVAC company in Vancouver is booked solid.
If your AC isn't cooling and the quick checks didn't solve it, book a service call and we'll find the problem. Our technicians service all major brands across Vancouver, Burnaby, Surrey, Coquitlam, North Vancouver, Richmond, Langley, Port Coquitlam, Maple Ridge, and across Metro Vancouver.
Book a service call or call us at (604) 535-8434.
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