AC tune-ups in San Mateo County
Is your AC due for a tune-up?
A tune-up is a yearly check of the whole cooling system: electrical parts, refrigerant readings, coils, drain and airflow. Done before summer, it finds small problems like a slow leak or a dirty coil while they are still cheap to fix.
What a tune-up visit covers
A tune-up is a diagnosis you do while nothing is broken. We look for what is wearing, dirty or drifting, and tell you what we find before anything gets fixed.
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Electrical parts
Capacitors, contactors, wiring connections and the fan and compressor motors. Weak electrical parts are the most common reason an AC dies on the first hot day.
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Refrigerant readings
We read pressures and temperatures with gauges. A system low on refrigerant has a leak, so we say so and show you the numbers rather than just topping it up.
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Coils and condensate drain
The outdoor coil sheds heat and the indoor coil absorbs it; dirt on either one costs cooling. The drain line is cleared and tested so water can leave the house.
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Airflow and a full run
Filter, blower and duct airflow are checked, then the system runs through a cycle and we confirm it cools the way it should.
How often should an AC be serviced?
Every year, ahead of the cooling season. On the Peninsula that means spring, before the first warm spell, so a problem is found while you can still schedule around it.
Go sooner if the system is old, runs most of the summer, sits near dust or construction, or lives in a house with pets. A system that cools and heats, like a heat pump, works in both seasons and benefits from a check each year too.
What can a tune-up catch early?
The faults that get expensive are the ones that start small. These are the ones a yearly check is built to find:
- A slow refrigerant leak, which shows up as low pressures long before the AC stops cooling.
- A dirty or starting-to-freeze evaporator coil, which cuts airflow and strains the blower.
- A dirty outdoor coil, which makes the compressor work harder to shed heat.
- A weakening capacitor, which can still start the unit today and fail on a hot afternoon.
- A drain line that is slowly clogging, before it backs water into the house.
What can I do between visits?
Check the filter every month or so while the AC runs and swap it when it is grey. Keep plants, leaves and stored items clear of the outdoor unit so air can move through it.
If you see ice on the copper line, water near the indoor unit, or the air going warm, switch the AC off and call. Running it with a fault can turn a small repair into a large one.
Book your tune-up before summer
Call and tell us about your system, or book a visit online.
Can the furnace be checked on the same visit?
Heating and cooling share ducts, a thermostat and a blower, so it makes sense to look after them as a pair. The AC check belongs in spring and the furnace check in fall.
Tell us what it's doing. We'll take it from there.
Call and describe the problem: the noise, the smell, the room that never warms up. Or book a visit online.
