A tune-up is an hour with the system while it still works. The technician spots the component that is close to failing and the buildup that is making everything else run hot, and you deal with it on a scheduled visit instead of on the hottest Saturday in July.
What Is Included
- Capacitor and contactor tested under load, not just by eye
- Refrigerant pressures with superheat and subcooling
- Outdoor condenser coil washed from the inside out
- Indoor evaporator coil inspected for buildup
- Condensate drain flushed and the float switch tested
- Compressor and motor amp draw recorded
- Temperature split measured across the coil
- Electrical connections tightened, disconnect checked
- Thermostat operation and filter condition
Before he leaves, the technician goes over what he found: the readings, what looked fine, and what is not going to make it through another summer. If nothing needs attention, that is what you hear.
Why It Matters More Here
Wedgwood lots have mature trees, and the cottonwood and live oak debris ends up packed into condenser fins by June. A coil that cannot shed heat makes the compressor run longer at higher pressure. The photo above is a used filter pad next to a new one. Airflow through the dirty side is a fraction of what the system was designed for, and the same thing happens to a coil behind a filter that never gets changed.
The capacitor is the other item. It reads weak in April on a scheduled visit. It fails on a July weekend when every shop in Fort Worth is backed up for days. Same part, very different afternoon.
How Often
Once a year in spring covers most systems. Units past ten years, or ones on the west side of the house in full sun, benefit from a fall visit to the heating side too. We do not sell maintenance contracts that renew on their own. Call when you want the visit.
Questions About Tune-Ups
- Is an AC tune-up worth it?
- On a system under five years old with a clean coil, the main value is catching a weak capacitor. On anything older, or anything sitting in afternoon sun, the coil wash and the refrigerant check pay for themselves in run time. If the technician finds nothing, the sheet says nothing was found.
- What do they actually do during an AC tune-up?
- The list above is the whole visit: capacitor and contactor under load, pressures with superheat and subcooling, coil wash, drain flush, amp readings, temperature split, electrical connections, thermostat and filter. About an hour on a single system.
- Do you really need an AC tune-up?
- You can skip it. Plenty of people do, and their systems run until something fails on the hottest day of the year. The tune-up exists so the capacitor that is about to go gets replaced in April on a scheduled visit instead of in July. Skipping it does not break anything. It just moves the repair to a worse day.
- How long does an AC tune-up take?
- About an hour per system. Longer if the outdoor coil is packed with cottonwood and needs a real wash, or if the technician finds something and you want it handled on the same trip.
- How much does an AC tune-up cost?
- It depends on the number of systems and what condition they are in. Call and we will tell you what a tune-up on your house involves.
Between Visits
- Change the filter every 30 to 60 days in summer. Attic returns in this neighborhood load up fast.
- Keep two feet of clearance around the condenser. Shrubs planted against the unit cut airflow.
- Pour a cup of white vinegar down the condensate drain line once a month to slow algae.
- If you hear the outdoor unit hum but the fan does not spin, shut it off at the thermostat and call. Running it that way damages the compressor.