Why You Need an AC Tune Up After a Long Hot Summer

As the Summer winds down and the Autumn colors make their arrival, many homeowners are dancing a jig and thanking their air-conditioner for making it through another busy season. Let’s face it, your AC is under a lot of stress as the temperatures have climbed the past 3+ months and as she gets up there in age, a trouble-free Summer is no given. Before your air-conditioner retires for the winter, however, it’s important to make sure it’s ready for next year with an end-of-season tune-up.

Many people believe that a Fall air-conditioner tune-up is an overkill, especially since it’s going to get one again in the Spring before firing up for next Summer’s cooling season. For the price though, end-of-the-year reconditioning is still very valuable.

Be Clean Going Into Storage 

Your AC will likely collect some dust and dirt if it is used sparingly or even stored throughout the Winter. Why add to that pile of gunk, however? A fall tune-up includes a rigorous cleaning of system components and lubricating moving parts. If these items are put away dirty, that’s just more risk of corrosion and buildup for next Spring. Plus, you want to make sure condensation lines and other hoses are cleaned out or they can get pretty funky over the offseason.

See If Any Problems Have Arisen 

With our climate, it’s very possible that your air-conditioner will be shut down only briefly. We run our air-conditioners late and start them back up very early into the new year. An end-of-season inspection is the best window to see if any problems have come up so you can have them repaired when AC technicians aren’t dealing with emergency 24/7 service calls of the Summer.

Budget For Any Big Repairs or Replacements Next Year 

Another thing an end-of-the-season inspection does is give you a good evaluation of your system’s condition. If you have costly repairs or replacements coming up, it’s much better to know early and be able to budget for them instead of getting them sprung upon you when the mercury is soaring.

Get Your Warranty Requirements Out of the Way

Most manufacturers require an annual inspection in order to maintain in good standing with your warranty. The Spring will always fulfill that, but you can also get it out of the way for next year by having it performed in the Fall. If you’ve somehow forgotten to have your system serviced back in the Spring, a Fall tuneup will help you keep your warranty (but be prepared for some finger shaming for forgetting).

The Spring tune-up will always be the most important maintenance for your air-conditioner but a fall inspection helps the two seasons work together and transition between each other.