Oildale, California
AC and furnace repair in Oildale
Oildale lies across the Kern River from downtown Bakersfield and shares its summers. It does not share its city hall, and that matters when a system is replaced.
County land with a Bakersfield address
Oildale is unincorporated. A Kern County planning notice describes a site on North Chester Avenue as lying in unincorporated Oildale, with the county as the lead agency. Homes here usually carry a Bakersfield mailing address in the 93308 ZIP code, which leads many owners to assume the city handles their permits.
It does not. Building permits for Oildale go through Kern County Building Inspection, in the Public Services Building at 2700 M Street, Suite 150, phone 661-862-8650. The county takes inspection requests on 661-862-8681.
The official thermometer is a neighbor
The weather station behind Bakersfield's official records sits at the airport on the north side of the river, close to Oildale. Its numbers describe Oildale summers as well as any.
From 2011 through 2024 that station averaged about 66 nights a year when the low stayed at 70°F or higher. A system that has to keep running through warm nights gets little rest, so capacitors and fan motors here wear on a long schedule of hours.
Station records via the National Weather Service Hanford climate pages.
Who supplies the power and gas
Oildale is inside PG&E electric territory and Southern California Gas Company territory on the Energy Commission's service maps. If a furnace problem comes with a gas smell, leave the house first and call the gas company or 911 from outside.
What to mention on the call
Say that the house is in Oildale, so the contractor plans for the county permit if the job turns into a replacement. Mention where the indoor unit lives, whether in a garage, a closet or the attic, and whether the outdoor unit is on the ground or the roof.
Common questions
Does the county permit cost more or take longer than the city's?
Fees and timing are set by each office. Ask the contractor, who will know the current county process.
Is the energy code the same in Oildale?
Yes. State energy rules apply statewide, and Oildale is in the same building climate zone as Bakersfield.
Talk it over with a contractor
Say what the system is doing and where the house is. You will be speaking with an independent HVAC contractor who works in Bakersfield and the towns around it.