AC installation in Northwest Oregon.
Trane Authorized AC installs across Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington counties. Properly sized, properly charged, properly cool.
Trusted by Portland Homeowners
Looking for ac installation in a specific city? We serve Portland, Beaverton, Lake Oswego, Oregon City, and 3 more nearby cities.
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Repair vs. replace
Six signs it's time to replace your AC.
Newer systems are usually worth fixing. Older systems with multiple symptoms below are usually not. We'll model both paths side-by-side at the estimate so you can decide with real numbers — not a sales pitch.
System is 12+ years old
AC compressors typically last 12–18 years in the Pacific Northwest climate. Past 12, efficiency drops and parts get harder to source.
Repair cost > 50% of replacement
If a quoted compressor or coil repair is more than half a new system on an aging unit, replacement usually wins on a 10-year horizon.
Bills are climbing
Cooling bills creeping up year over year? Old systems lose efficiency as coils foul and refrigerant slowly leaks. New systems can use 30–40% less energy.
Frequent repairs or short-cycling
A repair every summer, or a system that turns on and off rapidly without holding temperature, usually means the unit is past its useful life.
Loud, grinding, or banging
Compressor bearings, fan motor failures, loose internal parts. These rarely have a cheap fix on a 10+ year-old unit.
Still uses R-22 refrigerant
R-22 (Freon) was phased out in 2020 and remaining stock is expensive. If your AC needs an R-22 recharge, replacement almost always wins on cost.
What's included
What we include in every AC installation — four things most don't.
Anyone can swap a condenser. We do the work that makes the system actually run cool.
Manual J load calculation
Right-sized for your home. Oversized AC short-cycles, leaves humidity behind, and dies young — we don't guess at sizing.
Trane Authorized equipment
High-SEER Trane systems, with American Standard as a value-tier alternative. Same compressor reliability, same warranty.
Refrigerant charge by weight
We weigh refrigerant in, not "feel" it. Off-charge systems run loud, lose efficiency, and shorten compressor life.
Sound + vibration matters
Outdoor unit placement, isolation pads, and line-set routing planned to minimize neighbor and bedroom impact.
How to choose
AC installation cost — six factors that actually move the price.
An AC install isn't a one-line item — it's a system of decisions, each with a cost and a payback. Here's what we walk you through at the estimate so the number on the page makes sense.
Size + capacity
A right-sized system beats a bigger one every time. Manual J — not square-footage rule of thumb — sets the size your house actually needs.
System type
Standard central AC, high-efficiency variable-speed, or heat pump (which doubles as heating + qualifies for big rebates). We model all three at the estimate.
Ductwork condition
Old, leaky, or undersized ducts can lose 20–30% of cooling before it reaches the registers. Sealing or upgrading sometimes pays back faster than a bigger AC.
SEER2 efficiency tier
SEER2 14.3 is the new federal minimum. We typically recommend 16–18 in this market. The efficiency gain pays back inside 5–7 years for most homes.
Add-ons + features
Smart thermostats, whole-home filtration, UV-C, or zoning controls. Worthwhile when they solve a real comfort problem — skippable when they don't.
Warranty + financing
Manufacturer parts warranty (10 years), labor warranty, and Wells Fargo 0% promotional financing all factor into the real cost over time.
Right-sizing matters
Right-sizing your AC — bigger isn't cooler.
The most common AC mistake in our market is going up a tier “just to be safe.” Oversized systems short-cycle, leave humidity behind, and wear out years early. Manual J gets you the size your house actually needs.
Undersized
Runs constantly trying to catch up on a hot day, never quite gets there. Energy bills climb, the compressor wears out years early, and the house stays muggy.
Oversized
Cools the air fast but shuts off before pulling moisture out. Result: cool but clammy, short-cycle wear on the compressor, worse efficiency than a smaller right-sized unit.
Right-sized
Runs in long, steady cycles. Pulls humidity, distributes cool air evenly, runs quieter, and lasts the full 12–18 years it's rated for.
How it works
Our AC installation process — four steps from estimate to cooling on.
- 01
Free in-home estimate
Manual J load calculation, ductwork inspection, electrical check, written quote — all in the first visit.
- 02
Equipment + financing
We walk through three honest options. Wells Fargo financing applied at the kitchen table. Most decisions same day.
- 03
Install day
Same-day swap-in for most replacement jobs. Drop cloths, clean line-set runs, vacuum running. Cooling on before we leave.
- 04
Permit + warranty
We pull the permit, schedule inspection, and register the manufacturer warranty in your name.
Start-up commissioning
AC refrigerant work, done by the book.
Vacuum to 500 microns, hold the pull, charge by weight, then verify superheat and subcool on start-up. EPA 608-certified handling on every system. Skipping any of this is how installs run noisy, lose efficiency in year two, and fail the compressor before warranty.
- Triple-evacuation to 500 microns
- Refrigerant charge weighed in to manufacturer spec
- Superheat and subcool verified before we leave
Outdoor unit done right
AC condenser placement — level pad, clean line-set, quiet operation.
The outside half of an AC install is where shortcuts hide. We pour or set a level pad, route the line-set with proper insulation, and torque the service-valve connections to manufacturer spec. Quiet operation and long life come from getting these details right — not from a bigger compressor.
- Trane Authorized — manufacturer-spec install
- Refrigerant charge weighed in, not "felt"
- Service disconnect sized to the unit, code-correct
- Trane Comfort Specialist
- Manufacturer-spec installs
- Permit + inspection handled
- Wells Fargo 0% financing
After the install
Annual spring tune-ups keep the new system efficient, and the warranty valid.
Trane and American Standard warranties require documented yearly service. Our Comfort Care plans handle scheduling, tune-ups, and member-rate repairs.
AC installation questions, answered.
- Most full installs run $5,000–$11,000 for a quality Trane system, depending on size, SEER rating, and ductwork condition. We give a real number at the in-home estimate — not a guess over the phone.
- Manual J load calculation. It accounts for square footage, insulation R-values, window count and orientation, ceiling height, and duct condition. Square-footage rules of thumb are notoriously wrong — that's how most homes end up oversized. We do the calc on every install.
- Direct AC swaps are usually wrapped in a single day. New ductwork or a full system conversion can stretch to 1–2 days.
- If your furnace is on its last 2–3 years, the math almost always works out for a heat pump instead. Same cooling, plus heat, plus rebates a standalone AC doesn't qualify for.
- Modern minimums are SEER2 14.3 for new installs. We typically recommend SEER2 16–18 in our market. The efficiency gain pays for itself within the first 5–7 years for most homes. We model the math at the estimate.
- Limited — most AC-only rebates have been phased out in favor of heat-pump incentives. If your existing AC is failing, we typically run the heat-pump comparison at the estimate so you can see whether the rebate stack makes the math work.
- 12–18 years with annual maintenance. Our mild climate and limited cooling-season hours are easier on equipment than hotter regions.
- Headquartered in Oregon City, we serve the Portland metro across Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington counties: Portland, Beaverton, Gresham, Lake Oswego, West Linn, and Clackamas.
Cities we serve this in
AC Installation in 5 nearby cities.
Closest to our Oregon City shop, fastest response time. Each page below has city-specific pricing context, FAQs, and same-day diagnosis details.
Written by Jason Morris, Co-Founder
Started in HVAC at A-Temp in 1994 · CCB#247087
Thinking about a new AC?
See what an AC replacement would cost.
Free in-home estimates across Clackamas, Multnomah, and Washington counties. We compare a heat pump side-by-side so you can see whether the rebate math changes the answer.