Commercial AC Repair and Installation in Los Angeles

Rooftop units, VRF systems, split systems, and packaged units for offices, restaurants, retail, warehouses, hotels, and data centers across Greater Los Angeles. C-38 licensed. 40+ years in the field.

Los Angeles hits 115 degrees in the San Fernando Valley every summer. That is not a typo and it is not an outlier — it happens in Woodland Hills, Chatsworth, and Northridge like clockwork. When your commercial AC fails on one of those days, the consequences are immediate. A restaurant without cooling empties out in fifteen minutes. A retail store closes its doors because employees cannot legally work in those conditions. A server room at 95 degrees starts corrupting data within the hour. This is not residential comfort we are talking about — this is revenue, liability, and sometimes health code enforcement showing up with a clipboard.

Arctic Cool Refrigeration has been installing and repairing commercial air conditioning systems in Greater Los Angeles since 1984. We hold a C-38 Refrigeration license from the California Contractors State License Board, and every technician on our team carries EPA 608 Universal certification and NATE credentials. We are not a residential shop that occasionally takes a commercial call. Commercial AC is a different animal — bigger tonnage, three-phase electrical, economizers, building automation tie-ins, rooftop access, crane lifts — and we have been doing this work for over four decades across every building type in LA County.

Common Commercial AC Problems

Commercial systems fail differently than residential units. The loads are heavier, the run times are longer, and the consequences hit your bottom line within hours. Here are the six problems we see most often across LA commercial buildings.

Commercial AC Systems We Install & Repair

Every building in LA has different cooling demands. A 2,000-square-foot restaurant kitchen generates more heat than a 10,000-square-foot office. We match the right system type to the actual load — not the square footage on a lease agreement.

Rooftop Package Units (RTUs)

The workhorse of commercial AC in Los Angeles. Self-contained units that sit on the roof, deliver conditioned air through ductwork, and range from 3-ton units for small retail to 25-ton-plus units for warehouses and big-box stores. We install and repair Carrier WeatherExpert, Trane Precedent and IntelliPak, Lennox Energence, York Predator, and Rheem Commercial series. RTU work means rooftop access, sometimes crane lifts for changeouts, and always proper curb adapter sizing. We handle the full scope — structural review, gas piping, electrical, controls, and Title 24 compliance.

Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) Systems

The most efficient commercial AC technology available today. One outdoor condensing unit serves dozens of indoor zones, each with independent temperature control. We are authorized installers for Daikin VRV, Mitsubishi City Multi, and LG Multi V systems. VRF is ideal for office buildings, hotels, medical offices, and mixed-use properties where different tenants need different temperatures simultaneously. Installation requires refrigerant piping design, branch selector box placement, and commissioning through the manufacturer's diagnostic software — not something a general HVAC company can wing.

Commercial Split Systems

Outdoor condenser paired with an indoor air handler — the standard setup for medium-size commercial spaces like dental offices, restaurants, and small retail. We install Carrier, Trane, Lennox, and York commercial split systems from 3 to 20 tons. These systems require proper line set sizing, nitrogen brazing (not air), vacuum to 500 microns, and a verified refrigerant charge. Sounds basic, but we see botched installs constantly from companies that treat a 7.5-ton commercial split like a 3-ton residential unit.

Packaged Terminal AC (PTAC)

Through-the-wall units you see in hotels, motels, assisted living facilities, and dormitories. Each room gets its own self-contained unit — simple to replace, but when you have 80 of them in one building and half are failing, you need a company that can handle the volume. We work with Amana, GE Zoneline, Friedrich, and LG PTAC units. We also do sleeve replacements when the original wall sleeve has corroded from years of coastal salt air — common from Santa Monica to Malibu.

Ductless Mini-Splits (Commercial Applications)

Not just for residential additions. We install commercial ductless systems for server rooms that need dedicated 24/7 cooling independent of the building HVAC, supplemental cooling in historic buildings where ductwork cannot be run, add-on zones for tenant improvements, and restaurant kitchens that need spot cooling at the line. Mitsubishi, Daikin, LG, and Carrier are our go-to brands for commercial ductless. Multi-zone systems can serve up to 8 indoor heads from one outdoor unit.

Brands We Install & Service

We are brand-agnostic — whatever is already on your roof or in your mechanical room, we can fix it. For new installations, we recommend based on the building, the budget, and the application, not a dealer incentive.

• Carrier — WeatherExpert RTUs, commercial splits, 50XC series. The most-installed commercial AC brand in LA.
• Trane — Precedent, IntelliPak, Voyager rooftop units. Built for long run times and heavy-duty commercial loads.
• Lennox — Energence RTUs, commercial splits. Highest-efficiency rooftop units on the market at 18+ IEER.
• Daikin — VRV systems, applied rooftop units, Rebel series. Dominant in VRF and rapidly expanding in RTU market share.
• Mitsubishi — City Multi VRF, commercial ductless. Industry leader in variable-speed inverter technology.
• LG — Multi V VRF systems, commercial ductless. Strong in multi-zone applications for hotels and offices.
• York — Predator rooftop units, commercial splits. Johnson Controls brand with deep parts availability in LA.
• Rheem / Ruud — Commercial package units and splits. Reliable mid-market option with fast parts sourcing.
• Goodman / Amana — Budget-conscious commercial units and PTACs. Solid for multi-unit hotel and motel replacements.
• American Standard — Same Trane parent company, commercial-grade RTUs and splits at a competitive price point.
• Bard — Wall-mount and ceiling-mount package units for commercial spaces where rooftop mounting is not an option.

Industries We Serve

Commercial AC requirements vary dramatically by industry. A restaurant kitchen with six burners and two fryers generates a completely different heat load than a medical office with an MRI suite. We size, install, and maintain systems specifically for each application.

• Offices & Corporate — multi-zone comfort, conference room demand, after-hours scheduling, BAS integration
• Restaurants & Bars — kitchen makeup air, exhaust balancing, high-heat kitchen environments, dining room comfort
• Retail Stores — storefront entry air curtains, large open-floor cooling, display case heat rejection
• Hotels & Hospitality — PTAC replacements, central chilled water systems, VRF conversions, guest comfort
• Medical & Dental Offices — precise temperature and humidity control, operating room standards, equipment cooling
• Warehouses & Industrial — high-bay cooling, evaporative systems, dock door air management, spot cooling
• Data Centers & Server Rooms — redundant cooling, 24/7 monitoring, precision temperature and humidity, hot aisle/cold aisle
• Churches & Houses of Worship — large-volume spaces with intermittent occupancy, rapid cool-down requirements
• Gyms & Fitness Centers — high internal heat gain from occupants and equipment, ventilation-heavy applications

Service Areas in Greater Los Angeles

We dispatch from Calabasas and cover the full Greater Los Angeles area. The western corridor — Calabasas to Malibu to the Valley — is our home turf, and we extend east through Beverly Hills, Hollywood, Downtown, and Pasadena.

• Calabasas — our home base, typically on-site within 1-2 hours for commercial clients
• Woodland Hills & West Hills — west Valley commercial corridor, heavy restaurant and retail density
• Chatsworth & Northridge — industrial parks, warehouses, and commercial strip centers
• Sherman Oaks & Encino — Ventura Blvd office buildings and restaurant row
• Tarzana — medical offices, retail centers, and food service operations
• Thousand Oaks & Westlake Village — corporate campuses and commercial retail
• Agoura Hills — 101 corridor restaurants, breweries, and professional offices
• Malibu — coastal commercial properties where salt air accelerates condenser coil corrosion
• Beverly Hills — luxury retail, fine dining, and high-end office buildings with zero downtime tolerance
• Santa Monica — beachfront hotels, high-volume restaurants, and office complexes
• Burbank — studio lots, production facilities, and a dense commercial restaurant district
• Glendale — Galleria-area retail, office towers, and restaurant corridor
• Pasadena — Old Town commercial district, hospitals, and institutional facilities

Commercial AC FAQ

Why Businesses Choose Arctic Cool for Commercial AC

There are hundreds of HVAC companies in Los Angeles. Most of them are residential shops that will take a commercial call if it comes in. Here is what separates Arctic Cool from that crowd:

• 40+ years of commercial-only experience. We have been doing this since 1984. Our technicians have worked on every building type in LA County, from strip mall retail to 20-story office towers. That is not a marketing claim. It is four decades of showing up.
• CSLB #1062503 (C-38 license). This is a California Refrigeration contractor license, not a general contractor who subcontracts HVAC. We pull our own permits and stand behind our own work.
• 847 five-star reviews. Real customers, real jobs. Check Google.
• Same-day dispatch, 7 days a week. When your restaurant AC dies on a Saturday afternoon in August, you need someone who answers the phone and shows up. We do.
• Parts on every truck. Contactors, capacitors, fan motors, belts, filters, control boards. Most repairs complete on the first visit because our trucks are stocked for the most common failures.
• Written estimates before work begins. No surprises. You approve the price, then we start. If the repair does not make financial sense versus replacement, we will tell you that too.

Related Commercial Services

What Is Commercial AC Repair?

Commercial AC repair is the diagnosis and fix of air conditioning systems used in businesses, not homes. Commercial systems are larger, more complex, and serve spaces like restaurants, offices, retail stores, warehouses, hotels, and medical facilities. Common commercial AC equipment includes rooftop package units (RTUs) from 3 to 25+ tons, Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) systems, commercial split systems, packaged terminal air conditioners (PTACs), and ductless mini-splits for server rooms. Arctic Cool Refrigeration (CSLB #1062503) has been repairing commercial AC systems across Greater Los Angeles since 1984. Call (800) 685-5590.

How Much Does Commercial AC Repair Cost?

Commercial AC repair costs in Los Angeles depend on the system type, the problem, and parts needed. Here are typical price ranges from Arctic Cool Refrigeration:

• Capacitor or contactor replacement: $150 to $350
• Fan motor replacement: $300 to $700
• Refrigerant recharge (R-410A): $250 to $600 depending on charge size
• Compressor replacement: $1,200 to $3,500 depending on tonnage
• Control board replacement: $400 to $900
• Full rooftop unit replacement (5-ton): $5,000 to $10,000 installed
• Full rooftop unit replacement (15-ton): $12,000 to $18,000 installed (includes crane)
• VRF system installation (10,000 sq ft): $25,000 to $60,000

Written estimates are provided before any work starts. No surprise charges. Call (800) 685-5590 for a free on-site assessment.

Signs Your Commercial AC Needs Repair

Waiting until your commercial AC completely fails costs more in lost business than catching problems early. Here are the warning signs our technicians see most often:

• 1. Warm spots or uneven cooling in the building. One zone is comfortable, another is 10 degrees warmer. This points to a failing zone damper, low refrigerant, or a compressor that can no longer keep up with the load.
• 2. Unusual noises from the rooftop unit. Grinding, squealing, or rattling usually means a failing fan motor, loose belt, or compressor bearing. These do not fix themselves and will get worse.
• 3. Electric bills climbing without usage changes. A system losing efficiency forces longer run times. If your summer electric bill jumped 20%+ year over year with no other explanation, the AC is struggling.
• 4. Frequent cycling on and off. Short-cycling wears out compressors and drives up energy costs. Causes include low refrigerant, oversized equipment, or a failing control board.
• 5. Water pooling around the unit or inside the building. Clogged condensate drains, frozen evaporator coils, or a cracked drain pan. Left unfixed, this causes ceiling damage, mold, and slip hazards for employees and customers.
• 6. Strange smells from the vents. Musty smells mean mold in the ductwork or on the coil. Burning smells could be an electrical issue. Neither should be ignored.

Arctic Cool dispatches same-day for commercial AC emergencies, 7 days a week. Call (800) 685-5590.