October 3, 2025
Seattle Climate & HVAC
How Seattle’s Climate Impacts Your HVAC System
Seattle’s climate is mild, wet, and full of pollen. That combo changes how HVAC systems age, where they fail, and how to maintain them. If your building treats maintenance the same way year-round, you’re leaving comfort and money on the table.
Rain and humidity: corrosion and airflow
- Coils load up with organic debris and moisture films that trap dirt and reduce heat transfer.
- Outdoor hardware corrodes faster without regular cleaning and protective coatings.
Cool summers and extended shoulder seasons
- Systems spend more time cycling at low loads; poor tuning causes short-cycling and comfort swings.
- Economizers work hard in spring and fall; sensor drift or stuck dampers spike energy use.
Pollen and urban particulates
- Filters load quickly in spring; IAQ complaints rise without a change-out plan.
- Restaurants and labs need tailored filtration to protect occupants and equipment.
Seattle-specific maintenance playbook
- Spring: clean coils, verify economizers, replace filters, check drains and pans.
- Fall: heating safety checks, combustion analysis, belts and bearings, controls calibration.
- Year-round: document delta-T, compressor starts, and alarms; review monthly.
When replacement beats repair
- Units past expected life with chronic failures may be cheaper to replace. Plan capital budgets now.
- Look for rebates and incentives for high-efficiency equipment.
Helpful Resources: ASHRAE Standards for HVAC Systems | Energy.gov – Energy Efficiency | EPA – Indoor Air Quality
CUSTOMER GOOGLE REVIEWS
Five Star Mechanical
7509 Grange St W, Lakewood
-
Debbie and Sherina are amazing. Our company refrigerator went out during the extreme 100+ temperatures and I was no showed twice by another company. After calling Five Star Mechanical they have gone above and beyond to make sure we were … More serviced. Their customer service is phenomenal. Bryan, the tech, was also very helpful. I will be a returning customer and recommending them to others!
-
Saltwater Church suddenly lost heat in their office building on a Friday. The dispatcher was knowledgeable, professional, and efficient. Caleb came out within about an hour of our call, diagnosed the problem, and got the system up and … More running. He gave us the option of replacing the part that had shorted out, or seeing if the system could work adequately without it. We asked him to locate the part and give us a quote. We got the quote just 2 days later. We are very impressed and will use Five Star again!
-
I had an emergency situation with my water chiller this morning and I work in aerospace chemical processing. So our Water Chiller is a key instrument to our processes. Without it we would be dead in the water. I made a call at 5am and the … More customer service was OUTSTANDING! Service tech was promptly here and ready to go. Service Tech diagnosed the problem explained the problem in words everyone could understand.I also received a prompt quote via email from the service manager. 5 Stars knowledge and technicians expertise is 5 STARS all the way. Thank you to Jason & Chuck!
Frequently Asked Questions
Wet, mild weather and pollen alter how coils, sensors, and economizers behave.
Check monthly in spring; adjust for actual load and IAQ needs.
Yes, if tuned and maintained. Broken ones waste energy.
Clean and coat outdoor components; keep debris off coils.
Yes, depending on occupancy and use, especially in kitchens and healthcare.
Yes, via filtration, coil cleaning, and proper ventilation rates.
We’ll compare lifecycle cost and reliability, then advise.
Yes, we’ll point you to current rebate programs.
Yes, we calibrate sensors and setpoints per season.
Yes, including scheduling to minimize disruption.
Resources:
- Commercial Appliance Repair Seattle
- Commercial Heating Repair Installation and Service
- HVAC Preventive Maintenance Seattle
- HVAC Repair & Installation in Auburn, WA