What A Real AC Tune-Up Includes (And What A Cheap One Skips)
Tune-up pricing varies wildly, and so does what you get. Here is the checklist a proper seasonal service should cover, so you can judge any quote against it.
On the outdoor unit
- Condenser coil cleaned properly, not just hosed from the outside. Debris packs into the fins from the inside out.
- Run capacitor tested against its rated microfarads. A capacitor at 80 percent of rating is on its way out and will fail in a heat wave.
- Contactor inspected for pitting and burning.
- Compressor and fan motor amp draw measured against nameplate.
- Refrigerant charge verified by superheat or subcooling, not by pressure alone.
- Electrical connections tightened, disconnect and whip inspected.
On the indoor unit
- Evaporator coil inspected and cleaned where accessible.
- Blower wheel checked for dirt buildup. A caked wheel can cut airflow by a third and it is invisible unless someone actually looks.
- Condensate drain flushed, pan cleaned, float switch tested.
- Filter sized correctly and replaced.
- Temperature split measured across the coil, which is the single best indicator of whether the system is performing.
- Thermostat calibration and schedule checked.
What a cheap tune-up usually skips
Capacitor testing, amp draw, blower wheel inspection and an actual temperature split. Those are the four that predict failures. A visit that swaps the filter, hoses the outside and leaves a sticker on the unit has told you nothing.
When to book
Spring for the air conditioner, before the first hot week when every contractor in Washington is booked solid. Fall for the furnace, before the first cold snap. If your system is a heat pump doing both jobs, two visits a year is the right rhythm.
Does it pay for itself
Honestly, not always in one season. What it reliably does is catch the parts that strand you at the worst moment. A capacitor found weak in April is a small planned expense. The same capacitor failing in August is an emergency call. See HVAC maintenance for what our seasonal service covers, or read AC not cooling if your system is already struggling. You can book in any Washington city — Seattle, Spokane, Tacoma, Vancouver or Yakima — from our service areas page.
Need this fixed rather than explained? Call (888) 380-4427 any hour, or find your city on our service areas page.