HVAC Maintenance & AC Tune-Ups
The visit that keeps your system from quitting in August
Seasonal AC and heating maintenance for homes and businesses in Magnolia, The Woodlands, Spring, Tomball, Conroe and North Houston.
Why maintenance matters more here than most places
A system in Magnolia runs cooling for the better part of eight months. That is thousands more run hours a year than the same equipment would see up north, on top of humidity, pollen and the dust that comes with new construction going up everywhere around here.
What that adds up to is simple: coils load up, capacitors weaken, drains clog, refrigerant charge drifts. None of that fails the day it starts. It fails on the first 100 degree afternoon, which is also the day every HVAC company in the county is booked.
Maintenance is not magic and we are not going to tell you it prevents every breakdown. What it does is catch the cheap problems while they are still cheap, and give you a straight answer about how much life the system has left before you are making that decision in a hurry.
What we actually do on a maintenance visit
Plenty of companies sell a “tune-up” that is a filter change and a sticker. Here is the real list:
Cooling side
- Wash the condenser coil and clear the area around the unit
- Check refrigerant charge by measurement, not by feel
- Read temperature split across the evaporator
- Test capacitor microfarads against the rating on the label
- Check contactor for pitting and amp draw on the compressor and fan
- Clear the condensate drain and test the float switch
- Inspect the secondary pan, especially on attic air handlers
Heating side and the rest
- Inspect heat exchanger and burners, check flame and ignition
- Verify safety controls and limit switches
- Check static pressure and blower performance
- Tighten electrical connections and inspect the disconnect
- Replace or check the filter and confirm it is the right size
- Verify thermostat operation and staging
- Write down the readings so next year we can compare
When to schedule it
Spring, before the first real heat. March through May is the window for the cooling side. Get it done then and you find the weak capacitor in April instead of July.
Fall, before the first cold snap. October through November for the heating side. Gulf Coast winters are short, but the first freeze is exactly when a furnace that has sat idle since February decides not to light.
If you have only had one visit a year, do it in spring. Cooling is what carries the load here.
What maintenance will not do
It will not make a fifteen-year-old system act new. If your equipment is at the end of its life, we will tell you that during the visit rather than selling you another tune-up every year until it dies. When that is the case, here is how we handle replacement, and financing is available if you need it.
It also will not fix a duct system that was undersized from the day the house was built, or a room that has never been comfortable. Those are separate conversations, and we will be straight with you about which one you are having.
Common questions
How often should I have HVAC maintenance done?
Twice a year is the standard: once in spring for the cooling side and once in fall for heating. On the Gulf Coast, if you are only doing it once, do it in spring, because cooling carries most of the run hours here.
How long does a tune-up take?
Usually about an hour for a single system if nothing is wrong. If we find a problem we will stop, explain it and give you the price before doing anything about it.
Will maintenance stop my AC from breaking down?
No, and nobody can promise that. What it does is catch the parts that are drifting out of spec while they are still a cheap fix, keep the drain from flooding your ceiling, and tell you honestly how much life the system has left.
Do you service commercial systems too?
Yes. Rooftop units and packaged systems for offices, retail and small commercial buildings. See our commercial HVAC page.
My system is old. Is maintenance still worth it?
Sometimes. If it is running fine and you are trying to get a couple more seasons out of it, yes. If it is failing repeatedly, the money is better spent on the replacement quote. We will tell you which situation you are in.
Where we work
Magnolia · The Woodlands · Spring · Tomball · Conroe · North Houston
We also cover Montgomery, Willis, Shenandoah, Oak Ridge North and Cypress.
Get on the schedule before the season turns
Spring for cooling, fall for heating. Book it now and you are not calling us on the worst week of the year.