5 Common Questions on Tuning Up Your Air Conditioner

Question 1: What is an AC Tune-up?

A: The owner’s manual for your AC has a maintenance section with a list of recommendations to help you take the best care of and get the best performance out of your air conditioner. There is usually a statement that says, “...in addition to the maintenance you perform yourself, your system should be inspected regularly by a properly trained technician.” -- that is what a tune-up is.

“Tune-up” is the term that Any Hour Services uses to refer to this manufacturer’s recommended maintenance and inspection items. When done right, a thorough tune-up can correct minor issues, identify potential problems, and help your system run at peak efficiency.

Question 2: How Do I Know If I Need An AC Tune-up?

A: The overly simplistic answer is if you have an air conditioner, manufacturers recommend an ac tune-up every year. It’s like getting your car’s oil changed every 3000-5000 miles to prevent it from wearing out sooner than it was designed to.

With that being said, there are some circumstances that are more important than others, where you wouldn’t want to neglect to schedule your air conditioner’s annual maintenance -- if your system isn’t keeping you comfortable, hasn’t been serviced in a few years, is older, or has had repairs within the last 18-24 months.

Question 3: My AC Was Acting Up Last Year, Would A Tune-up Fix It?

A: Thorough air conditioner tune-ups can correct minor issues. If the problems are more complicated, a tune-up is the best way to identify those problems. When your air conditioner is acting up, an AC tune-up is usually the best first step to getting the problem resolved.

Question 4: What is the Most Common Thing You Find During an AC Tune-up?

A: Dirt. Dirty filters, dirty coils, dirty fan blades and motors, dirty components … dirt causes a lot of problems when it comes to your air conditioner’s performance. This can make your air conditioner work harder and cause those parts to fail before they should.

It should come as no surprise that part of our tune-up includes cleaning things. When you do this annually, it makes a big difference, as does skipping your air conditioner’s annual tune-up.

Question 5: Do I Have To Pay a Company to Service My AC?

A: In the owner’s manual it says the system should be inspected regularly by a properly trained technician, it doesn’t say you have to pay them. We’re not saying you should withhold payment from a company you contract to perform your air conditioner tune-up, we’re just saying you might know someone that would do this for you because they like you … or you have the best cookies in the neighborhood.

Friends, neighbors, or family members with the right tools and experience are options to save a little money and keep your ac running for as many years as possible. If you don't know someone, most HVAC companies offer some kind of annual maintenance for your air conditioner -- you can ask around or search online.

If you live in the Utah market, Any Hour Services has an entire department dedicated to performing tune-ups year-round and would be happy to help -- you can call or schedule your appointment online.