AC Maintenance in San Marcos, TX
Air conditioners here run from April through October, so March is the time for a tune-up. Tell us about your system, and a licensed contractor who covers Hays County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Seven months of heat wears on an AC
Your air conditioner runs April through October here, seven months straight. On afternoons averaging 94°F, it doesn't get much rest between cycles. That kind of run time wears on the capacitor and the contactor, and it makes the coil work harder to do its job.
Hays County has also logged 59 hail events and 36 damaging wind events over the past ten years, with hail up to 3 inches. A hit like that can bend the fins on the outdoor unit or dent the cabinet, and either one can choke off airflow without you noticing. A tune-up checks the condenser for that kind of damage and catches a weak capacitor or a dirty coil before it leaves you without cooling.
- 7 months
- April through October, your air conditioner is on duty
- 94°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 59 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 36 wind events
- in ten years, and wind drives debris into outdoor units
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
Book your AC tune-up in March, before homes here start needing cooling in April.
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
A tune-up checks the refrigerant charge, cleans the coils, tests the capacitor and tightens the electrical connections.
Texas requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation tests contractors before it licenses them, and the license stays tied to that contractor, not to any single job. So the license you check is the company's, and it covers the work no matter whose home it is.
For a maintenance visit on an air conditioner, that state license is what stands behind the person in your home. If the technician opens the refrigerant side of the unit to check the charge, federal law also requires that person to hold EPA Section 608 certification, the same rule that applies in every state.
Source: Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation
- What does AC maintenance include?
- A contractor checks refrigerant charge, tests the capacitor and contactor, and cleans the condenser coil outside. Inside, they check the evaporator coil, change or check the filter, and test airflow across the system. They also check the condensate drain, since a clogged drain is one of the more common reasons an AC stops cooling in summer. On top of that, they check electrical connections and amp draw on the compressor and fan motor, since a motor pulling too many amps is often close to failing.
- How often does an air conditioner need maintenance?
- Once a year, ideally before the heat sets in. Homes here run the AC from April through October, so spring is the right time to catch a weak capacitor or a dirty coil before it has to work through a 94°F afternoon. A system that goes into summer already strained is more likely to fail on the day you need it most.
- Is AC maintenance worth it?
- Yes, mainly because it catches small problems while they are still small. A weak capacitor or a coil coated in dust makes the system work harder and raises the chance of a breakdown in the middle of summer. It also matters more here than in a lot of places, since hail and high wind are common enough that a contractor checking the outdoor unit each year is worth having, especially with the area's storm history over the past decade.