Other AC Services

AC not keeping up with the heat? Let’s find out why.

Fixed Before It Gets Worse

Fast & Reliable AC Repair in Simi Valley & Ventura County

It’s warmer than it should be for a day or two. Your AC runs constantly and still can’t catch up. Then it stops entirely. That’s usually the order an AC failure follows, and the first stage is the cheapest one to fix.

Dutton Plumbing, Cooling, Heating & Electrical diagnoses the cause before quoting anything, and a lot of repairs finish on the same visit. We work across Simi Valley, Ventura County, the San Fernando Valley, Santa Clarita, and Northern LA County. If your home is warmer than it should be, don’t wait; we’re ready when you need us.

Why Is My AC Running But Not Cooling the House?

1. A dirty air filter is choking airflow.

When a filter's clogged, the system can't pull enough air across the coil to cool it properly. It's the cheapest possible cause and the first thing worth checking yourself before calling anyone.

2. The refrigerant is low, which means there's a leak somewhere.

The refrigerant doesn't get used up the way gas in a car does. If the level is low, it's low because it's leaking out, and topping it off without finding the leak just means doing it again in a few months. We find the leak first.

3. The outdoor condenser coil is dirty or blocked.

That coil needs to release heat to the outside air. Dirt, debris, or plants growing too close to it trap that heat instead, and the system ends up fighting itself.

4. The thermostat is telling the system the wrong thing.

Sometimes the AC is working fine, but the thermostat is miscalibrated, poorly placed, or simply set wrong. It’s always worth ruling out before assuming the mechanical side has failed.

We’ve Seen It All

Common AC Problems We Repair

AC runs constantly, but the house never quite cools down
Warm air coming from the vents
Short cycling, where the unit turns on and off in quick bursts
Ice forming on the refrigerant lines or the indoor coil
Water pooling near an indoor unit
A noticeable jump in the energy bill with no change in how the system's used
A musty smell coming through the vents
The outdoor unit is running, but the indoor side is doing nothing

Some of these are a quick fix. Others point to something failing inside the system. The symptom alone usually isn't enough to tell which, which is why we check before we quote.

Other AC Services

AC Maintenance to catch these problems before they become a repair call
AC Installation & Replacement when repair no longer makes sense
Ductless Mini-Split Installation for room-by-room cooling
Heating Services for the other half of the year
Electrical Services if the issue turns out to be electrical rather than mechanical

Diagnosing a Broken AC

What to Expect From an AC Repair Visit

We Rule Out the Simple Cause First

A lot of AC complaints have a cheap fix hiding behind an expensive-sounding symptom. We check the parts that fail most often and cost the least to fix before assuming the compressor or the coil is the problem.

Older Systems Sometimes Need a Different Refrigerant Entirely

R-22 refrigerant, common in AC systems installed before the early 2010s, hasn't been produced or imported in the U.S. since 2020 under federal regulation. If your system still runs on it, a leak repair may cost more simply because the refrigerant itself is scarce, which is worth knowing before you decide between repairing an older system and replacing it.

The Dutton Standard

What You Get On Every Call

At Your Door in 60 Minutes or Less

Most emergency calls get a technician out within the hour, and there is no surcharge for the speed.

Priced by the Job, Not the Hour

You hear the number before the work starts, and it holds until we pack up. A slow job costs us, not you.

Technicians You Can Trust in Your Home

Background-screened, drug-tested, and trained every week. Boot covers go on at the door, and the house gets left the way it was found.

Know Before You Call

Common AC Repair Questions From Simi Valley Homeowners

How much does AC repair cost?

Cost always depends on what's actually wrong. An $89 dispatch fee covers the visit and diagnosis, credited toward the repair if you move forward. From there, we price the repair itself by the job, so the number you approve is the number you pay.

Should I repair or replace my AC unit?

Age and the specific failure both matter when deciding between AC repair and AC replacement. A capacitor or a contactor on a five-year-old system is almost always worth repairing. With a major compressor failure on a system past twelve to fifteen years, the money is often better spent on a replacement, especially if it's still running on older R-22 refrigerant.

Why does my AC keep turning on and off?

That's called short cycling, and common causes include a clogged filter restricting airflow, low refrigerant, a failing capacitor, or a thermostat placed somewhere that's picking up the wrong temperature. Short cycling wears the system down faster than normal operation, so it's worth addressing rather than waiting out.

Why is there ice on my AC unit?

This usually points to restricted airflow or low refrigerant, both of which can cause the coil to get cold enough to freeze moisture out of the air. Running the system with ice on it can damage the compressor, so the right move is to shut it off, let it thaw, and get it looked at rather than running it through the ice.

Can you repair my AC the same day I call?

Often, yes, particularly for common failures like capacitors, contactors, and refrigerant leaks with accessible access points. More involved repairs sometimes require a part that isn't standard stock, and we'll tell you that up front.

Ready When You Are

Let's Get Your Home's Ducks in a Row

An AC that’s struggling in the middle of summer isn’t something to put off. Tell us what’s going on, and we’ll take it from there.