Central A/C · Portland Metro & SW Washington
Comfort through every Portland heat wave.
Bungalows and mid-century ranches that did fine on a cross breeze for fifty years now hit 87 degrees indoors by 6 p.m. in July. We size the cooling to your home's real load, charge the refrigerant to the weight your equipment specifies, and measure it again before we call the job done.
- $72Diagnostic, credited to the repair
- Same-dayHeat advisory priority
- 1 yearLabor warranty on install
For many Portland homes a heat pump is the better answer than a traditional AC. We model the math and you decide.
The Portland cooling standard, in five facts
- $72Diagnostic, credited to the repair.
- Same-dayTypical when you call before 2 pm.
- By weightRefrigerant charge, on the invoice.
- 1 yearLabor warranty, plus manufacturer parts.
- Manual JOn every replacement.
- Oregon CCB #40820
- WA Contractor #LARSEMS742D7
Pick the call you're making.
Three shapes. All three start with a measurement.
The AC quit and it's 99 degrees
A cooling failure during a heat advisory is a safety problem, not a comfort one. The 24/7 line is answered by a real person, and capacitors, contactors and condenser fan motors ride on the truck, so first-visit repair is the rule. Tru Comfort members move to the front of the queue with a guaranteed 24-hour repair response.
You're replacing the system
Costs, rebates and federal credits are applied to both paths at the quote, a traditional AC and a heat pump, so you see the actual math for your home.
The house has no ducts
Ductless mini-splits cover homes without ductwork and the zones a central system can't reach.
Tell us what you're noticing.
Most cooling calls start with one of these, not with the equipment.
The house reads 87 by dinner.
A home built for a cross breeze, in a July that stopped providing one.
The kids' bedrooms still read 84 at midnight.
Upstairs never comes back down, and nobody sleeps through the heat dome.
It runs forever and never cools.
Usually airflow, not the equipment.
Some rooms are fine. Some never are.
Static pressure and coil temperature differential, before the condenser.
It quit on a 95-degree afternoon.
The capacitor that read 15% off spec in April picked its day.
The same refrigerant bill repeats every summer.
A top-up without a leak search buys twelve months, then repeats.
Should you even be looking at AC?
A modern heat pump cools just as well as a traditional central AC and heats efficiently in winter, on one electric platform. A qualifying ducted heat pump earns $1,000 in Energy Trust incentives, or $3,000 for a rental, an attached home or a Savings Within Reach household, plus any federal tax credit you qualify for. AC-only installs don't get the same incentive stack.
Three reasons systems fail during heat waves.
And the measurements that catch them on a calm day, not a 99-degree one.
The refrigerant is wrong.
Refrigerant pressures and superheat or subcool readings measured against manufacturer spec, then charged by weight. Charge is the single biggest determinant of efficiency and compressor lifespan.
What it means: the right amount of refrigerant is the difference between a system that cools well for 15 years and one that wears out in 8.
The capacitor is failing.
The capacitor is a small electrical component that starts the compressor and the fan. Tru72 measures the actual microfarad rating against the spec on the nameplate. A reading 15% off is still working, but on its way out.
What it means: this is the most common reason an AC quits on a 95-degree afternoon. Measured, you swap it on your schedule. Unmeasured, it picks the worst possible moment.
The airflow is choked.
Static pressure across the system, temperature differential at the coil, blower amp draw. Poor airflow makes a healthy compressor work as if it were broken.
What it means: if rooms feel uneven or the AC seems to run forever without cooling, this is usually why. And replacing the equipment doesn't fix it.
Two ways to service an AC.
One sells you a refrigerant top-up. The other finds the leak.
| What is being compared | Typical service | Tru72 service |
|---|---|---|
| Refrigerant leaks | "Low on refrigerant. Adding a pound." The leak is never located. You pay for refrigerant that burns off again. The same bill repeats every summer. | The leak is found and repaired first. Electronic leak detector, soap test, or pressure-decay test. You fix the cause, not the symptom. The repair holds. |
| Charge | Charge added "until the gauges look right." No exact charge documented. System runs 10 to 20% below design efficiency. Higher bills, shorter compressor life. | Charge weighed in to manufacturer spec. Exact amount recorded on the invoice. The system you bought runs at the efficiency you paid for. |
| Capacitor | Capacitor "looks fine." Visual inspection only. The weak capacitor passes until the 95-degree afternoon when it doesn't, and you're on the emergency line. | Capacitor reading taken in writing. Real microfarad reading against the nameplate. Marginal capacitors flagged so you swap them on a calm day, not a heat advisory. |
| Sizing | Replacement sized "same as the old one." Often oversized to begin with. New system short-cycles, doesn't dehumidify, and wears out faster than it should. | Replacement sized to your actual home. Manual J load calculation room by room. Equipment matches the home you live in, not the installer's guess from 2008. |
| The options | AC vs heat pump conversation skipped. New AC installed without modeling the alternative. You miss the Energy Trust incentive a qualifying heat pump could have earned — $1,000, or $3,000 in a rental or attached home — and the federal tax credit with it. | Both options modeled at the quote. Costs, rebates, and federal credits applied to both paths. You see the actual math for your home and pick the one that fits your life, not ours. |
Five steps. Measured at each.
From assessment to commissioning, the math runs the install.
In-home assessment
Walk the home. Inspect existing equipment, ductwork, refrigerant lines, electrical service. Free, no obligation.
Manual J load calc
Real cooling load room by room. AC vs heat pump options modeled against your gas rate and rebate eligibility.
Itemized quote
Equipment matched to the load. Refrigerant line scope itemized. Electrical work scoped. Permits passed at cost.
Install day
Two-person crew. Refrigerant lines properly sized. Coil matched. Electrical to code. Permits pulled.
Commissioning
Refrigerant weighed in. Pressures verified. Airflow tested. Temperature drop measured. Numbers on the invoice.
Keep reading.
Heat Pumps
The electric alternative to traditional AC. Rebates and tax credits favor it.
Ductless Mini-Splits
For homes without ducts or zones the central system can't reach.
Tru Comfort Maintenance
Spring tune-up catches capacitor and refrigerant issues before the first heat advisory.
Common questions about central A/C.
Plain answers from a diagnostic-first crew.
Does Portland really need air conditioning?
Increasingly, yes. Portland summers have warmed measurably over the last two decades, and the region has seen multiple heat domes with sustained temperatures above 100°F. Many older Portland homes were built without AC and rely on cross-ventilation that no longer cuts it during heat advisories. Central air conditioning, or a heat pump configured to serve as the cooling system, is now standard in new construction and a common retrofit in older homes.
Should I install a traditional AC or a heat pump?
For most Portland homeowners, a heat pump is the better answer. A modern heat pump cools just as effectively as a traditional central AC in summer and provides efficient electric heating in winter, replacing or supplementing the furnace. The Energy Trust of Oregon rebate and state and federal credits may also apply for heat pumps than for AC-only installs. We'll model both options against your home's load and your gas rate so you see the math.
Why does Tru72 charge refrigerant by weight?
Refrigerant charge is the single biggest determinant of an AC system's efficiency and longevity. Charging "by feel" with the gauges looking about right can leave a system meaningfully over- or undercharged, hurting efficiency 10 to 20% and shortening compressor life. Tru72 charges by weight or by subcool against manufacturer specification, depending on the manufacturer's recommendation for the specific equipment, and documents the actual charge on the invoice.
What does Tru72 check on an AC service call?
Every Tru72 AC service call includes instrumented diagnostics. We measure refrigerant pressures (high-side, low-side, superheat, subcool), capacitor microfarad rating against manufacturer spec, voltage and amperage at the compressor and condenser fan, temperature differential across the evaporator coil, static pressure across the system, and visual inspection of the condenser coil, drain line, and electrical components. Numbers go on the invoice.
When does an AC need replacement rather than repair?
Common replacement triggers: a failed compressor on a system already past 10 years (compressor replacement cost approaches new-system cost), refrigerant leaks on R-22 systems (no longer sold; conversion cost is significant), age past 15 years with rising repair frequency, or a system that was wrong-sized originally and is short-cycling regardless of repairs. The diagnostic visit measures actual condition and we recommend repair or replacement based on what the numbers show.
How much does central air conditioning installation cost in Portland?
Installation cost varies with home size, existing ductwork condition, equipment tier (entry, mid, premium), and whether you're choosing a traditional AC or a heat pump configured for cooling. The free in-home assessment includes a Manual J load calculation and an itemized written quote so you see the actual number for your home. Heat pump installs benefit from significant Oregon and federal rebates that traditional AC-only installs do not.
What SEER rating should I choose?
SEER2 (the current efficiency rating) options range from 14.3 (federal minimum for the PNW) to 20+ for premium variable-speed equipment. The payback math depends on your home's cooling hours per year, your electric rate, and the difference in upfront cost. For Portland's heating-dominant climate, a midrange SEER2 with strong variable-speed performance often beats a higher-SEER fixed-speed unit on real-world bills. We'll model it before you choose.
How long does an AC installation take?
Most central AC replacements paired with an existing furnace are a one-day install (8 to 10 hours, two-person crew). New AC installs that require running new refrigerant lines, modifying the plenum, or upgrading the electrical service add time. Ductwork remediation is scoped at quote.
Schedule before you need us.
The next heat dome is a question of when, not if. A technician arrives on a calm day and measures the system properly: capacitor reading, refrigerant charge, airflow, all documented in writing. The marginal parts get fixed on your schedule, not on a 95-degree afternoon.
- Portland Metro & SW Washington(541) 652-6299
Air conditioning across the Portland metro and SW Washington
Tru72 Heating & Cooling services and installs central air conditioning in Portland, Lake Oswego, Beaverton, Tigard, Tualatin, West Linn, Oregon City, and across the Columbia in Vancouver, Camas, Washougal, Battle Ground, Ridgefield and La Center, from the Lake Oswego dispatch at 5 Centerpointe Dr, Ste 87. Refrigerant charged by weight. Manual J on every replacement. Authorized Daikin and Goodman dealer. $72 diagnostic, credited toward the repair. Oregon CCB #40820 · WA #LARSEMS742D7.
