AC Maintenance in Waco, TX
Air conditioners here run from May through October, so April is the time for a tune-up. Tell us about your system, and a licensed contractor who covers McLennan County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Six months of Waco heat wears on a system that never gets a break
From May through October your air conditioner is either running or about to be. Summer afternoons here average 94°F, and on those days the compressor cycles on again and again just to hold the house steady. That kind of steady demand wears on parts a system with an easier summer would barely touch.
McLennan County has also seen 102 hail events and 56 damaging wind events over the past ten years, with hail as large as 4.5 inches. That kind of weather can bend the fins on an outdoor coil or knock a unit out of level without leaving damage you'd notice from the yard. A tune-up checks the coil, the refrigerant charge, and the electrical connections before six more months of heat asks more of them than they have left to give.
- 6 months
- May through October, your air conditioner is on duty
- 94°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 102 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 56 wind events
- in ten years, and wind drives debris into outdoor units
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
Book your AC tune-up in April, before homes here start needing cooling in May.
- 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.
Texas requires that license through the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, and it belongs to the contractor, not to any single visit. It covers the business you hire, not a stamp on this particular maintenance call.
For a maintenance visit on your air conditioner, that license is what stands behind the person doing the work. If the visit involves opening the refrigerant side of the system, such as checking the charge, the technician also needs EPA Section 608 certification. That is a federal requirement, separate from the state license, and it applies in every state regardless of what that state licenses.
Source: Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation
- What does AC maintenance include?
- A contractor checks refrigerant pressure, cleans the condenser coil outside, and tests the capacitor and contactor that start the compressor. They also check the evaporator coil, clear the condensate drain so it doesn't back up and cause water damage, and check airflow across the coil. That coil is working against 94°F afternoons for six months here, so a clean coil and correct refrigerant charge matter more than in a place with a shorter cooling season.
- How often does an air conditioner need maintenance?
- Once a year, before the cooling season starts. Homes here run their AC from May through October, so getting it checked in early spring means a weak capacitor or a dirty coil gets caught before the summer heat asks the system to work hardest.
- Is AC maintenance worth it?
- Yes, especially somewhere that runs an AC six months out of the year. A dirty coil or a weak capacitor makes the compressor work harder, and that is how a small problem turns into a breakdown during the hottest stretch of summer. Waco has also logged 102 hail events and 56 damaging wind events over the past ten years, so a yearly check is a reasonable time to have the outdoor unit looked over for storm damage.