AC repair and HVAC in Santa Monica
Air conditioners, wall heaters, furnaces, mini splits and ducts for Santa Monica houses, condos and apartment buildings. We find what is wrong, tell you in plain words and give you the price before we start.
Air Cove HVAC Santa Monica
Heating and cooling for a city that mostly runs mild
Santa Monica sits in the coastal climate zone, where morning fog rolls in from May to August and August averages about 70 degrees. The system gets its hardest test on the few days the heat pushes past the marine layer.
Most of the city was built before 1980, from the apartment buildings of Mid-City and Pico to the houses north of Montana and in Sunset Park. That mix decides the job. A top-floor unit with no ducts, a 1950s house with a wall heater and a condo with a closet air handler each need a different answer, so we look before we recommend anything.
Air Cove HVAC Santa Monica is on 12th Court. We work across the whole city and in the neighborhoods next to it, and we answer every day, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Heating, cooling and duct services
Areas we cover
Days a week, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
What we fix and install
Every heating and cooling service, for Santa Monica homes
Each card opens the full service page, with the common faults and what the visit involves.
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AC RepairRunning but not cooling, tripping the breaker or frozen at the coil.
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AC Installation & ReplacementA new system sized to the house and permitted through the city.
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AC Tune-Up & HVAC MaintenanceA spring check so the first warm week does not find the fault for you.
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Furnace & Heater RepairWall heaters, floor furnaces and forced-air systems that will not light.
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Furnace Installation & ReplacementReplacing an old furnace or wall unit, or moving to a heat pump.
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Heat Pump Installation & RepairMild winters suit a heat pump that heats and cools from one system.
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Ductless Mini SplitsCooling for rooms and apartments that never had ducts.
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Air Duct CleaningFor dusty vents, pets and the grit left behind by a remodel.
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Duct Repair & SealingLoose, crushed or leaking runs found and sealed before the test.
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Dryer Vent CleaningLong vent runs in condos and stacked laundry rooms, cleared.
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Swamp Cooler RepairPads, pumps and motors on the evaporative coolers still in service.
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Thermostat InstallationSmart or standard, wired to match the system you have.
Start with the symptom
What is going on at your place?
Start with what you notice. We work out which part of the system is behind it.
The AC runs but the air is not cold
A dirty coil, a failing capacitor or refrigerant leaking out slowly. More often than not the fix is a repair rather than a new system.
A top-floor apartment with no air conditioning
When a building has no ducts, a mini split cools the rooms that bake, and we plan where the outdoor unit can sit.
The wall heater will not stay lit
Older houses often heat with a wall or floor furnace. A thermocouple, a gas valve or a dirty burner is the usual reason it goes out.
Replacing a system that has had its day
We size the new system to the home, pull the Santa Monica permit and arrange the test the energy code asks for.
Replacing a system in Santa Monica
What the city asks for on a changeout
Santa Monica runs its own building department, so a replacement here follows Santa Monica rules, not the City of Los Angeles ones.
A Santa Monica permit
The permit comes from the City of Santa Monica Building and Safety division, usually as a single-trade permit. A straightforward changeout can get same-day plan review. We file it as part of the job.
Tenant-occupied buildings
If people are living in the building, the city wants a Means and Methods Plan approved before it issues the permit. Landlords and HOAs should expect that step, and we prepare for it.
Equipment on the outside
Exterior work on a multifamily building needs Architectural Review Board approval, and outdoor units have to meet setback and screening rules. Single-family houses are exempt from the board review.
The coastal energy test
Santa Monica is in climate zone 6. The Title 24 HERS test on a changeout here checks the ducts for leaks, while the refrigerant charge check applies in the hotter zones inland.
Cost
What changes the price here
Two Santa Monica jobs that look alike on paper can land far apart.
House, condo or apartment
A house with an attic is the simplest install. A condo or an apartment adds building rules, shared walls and less room for equipment.
Ducts, or none at all
Reusing sound ducts keeps the price down. A home that never had ducts points to mini splits, and old leaky ducts need sealing to pass the test.
Where the outdoor unit can go
Tight side yards, rooftops and screening requirements can mean a longer line set or a different unit.
The electrical panel
Older homes often have small panels. Adding cooling can mean a new circuit or an upgrade, and we tell you before we start.
How it works
How a Santa Monica job runs
You tell us what is happening
Call or send the form with the problem and your street. We pick up every day, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
We look at the whole system
Indoor unit, outdoor unit, ducts and thermostat, so the cause is found rather than guessed.
You hear the fault and the price
In plain words, with the choices laid out and the cost agreed before any work.
We finish, test and clean up
The system gets tested running before we leave. Questions first? Send us the details and we will call you.
Where we work
Santa Monica, next door and across the area
Every Santa Monica neighborhood, the Westside around it, and the rest of the areas Air Cove HVAC covers.
Questions
Santa Monica questions
Do I need a permit to replace an air conditioner in Santa Monica?
Yes. A furnace or AC replacement needs a permit from the City of Santa Monica Building and Safety division, not from Los Angeles. Most changeouts go through as a single-trade permit, and we file it for you. The Title 24 duct test follows once the new system is in.
Why is my AC running but not getting cool?
The most common reasons are a clogged filter or dirty coil, a weak capacitor that keeps the outdoor fan or compressor from running properly, and refrigerant escaping through a small leak. Check the filter first. If the air is still warm, switch the system off so the compressor is not straining, and call us.
How much is a HVAC system for a 2000 sq ft house?
It depends on more than the square footage. In Santa Monica the big factors are whether the ducts can be reused, where the equipment can go, the electrical panel and the permit and test. We price your home after we have seen it, and the Air Cove guide to AC replacement cost explains each factor.
Can you add air conditioning to a Santa Monica apartment building?
Yes. Where the building has no ducts, ductless mini splits are usually the answer. Expect the city to ask for a Means and Methods Plan if the building is occupied, and Architectural Review Board approval for outdoor equipment. We plan the units around both.
Do you also work in Brentwood, Venice and Pacific Palisades?
Yes. We work in Brentwood, Pacific Palisades, Venice and Marina del Rey as well as all of Santa Monica. Those areas are in Los Angeles or the county, so their permits come from the city or county rather than Santa Monica, and we handle that too.
Get in touch
Get your Santa Monica system working again
Tell us what is happening at your place. We find the cause, explain it and give you the price before we touch anything.
