AC Maintenance in Columbia, MO
Air conditioners here run from May through September, so April is the time for a tune-up. Tell us about your system, and a licensed contractor who covers Boone County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Five months of Columbia heat, every year
Your air conditioner runs from May through September here, with summer afternoons averaging 86°F. That is five straight months where the compressor and fan run for hours at a stretch, day after day.
Columbia also sees its share of rough weather. Boone County has logged 19 hail events and 54 damaging wind events over the past ten years, with hail as large as 2.75 inches. A tune-up is when a contractor checks the coil and fins for storm damage, confirms the refrigerant charge, and makes sure the unit is still running the way it should before the next stretch of hot afternoons sets in.
- 5 months
- May through September, your air conditioner is on duty
- 86°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 19 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 54 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.
- What does AC maintenance include?
- A contractor checks refrigerant charge, cleans the condenser coil, and tests the capacitor and contactor in the outdoor unit. Inside, they check the evaporator coil, the blower, and the condensate drain to make sure it's not clogged. They also check electrical connections and test how the system cycles on and off. Cleaning the outdoor coil matters here especially, since hail and wind can leave debris and dents that block airflow through it.
- How often does an air conditioner need maintenance?
- Once a year, ideally before the cooling season starts. Homes here run their AC May through September, so having it checked in spring catches problems before the heat sets in. A yearly check lets a contractor find a weak capacitor or a dirty coil before it causes a breakdown on a 86°F afternoon.
- Is AC maintenance worth it?
- Yes. A yearly check catches small problems, a failing capacitor, a dirty coil, before they turn into a breakdown during the summer. It also keeps the system running the way it was designed to, since a dirty coil or low refrigerant charge makes the unit work harder to cool the same space. With 5 months of cooling season here and summer afternoons averaging 86°F, a system that's not maintained has more chances to fail when it's needed most.