An outdoor central air conditioning unit mounted on a concrete pad beside a blue-sided house at sunset.

AC Maintenance in Parkville, 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 Platte County will get in touch.

Tell us about the job

It takes about a minute.

Step 1 of 3: Equipment

What kind of equipment?*

An outdoor air conditioning condenser unit positioned on a concrete pad next to a blue-sided house, surrounded by green shrubs and flowering hydrangeas at sunset.

Five months of heat, then storms move through

Your air conditioner runs from May through September in Parkville, with summer afternoons averaging 87°F. That is the stretch where it works hardest, cycling on through the heat of the day for months at a time.

Platte County has also seen 90 hail events and 68 damaging wind events over the past ten years, with hail as large as 2.75 inches. The outdoor unit sits outside through all of it, and hail can bend the thin fins on the condenser coil, which cuts down on how well it sheds heat. A tune-up checks the coil and fins for damage, along with the parts that wear from five months of steady cycling, before you're relying on the system during the next stretch of hot afternoons.

5 months: May through September, your air conditioner is on duty
87°F: the average summer afternoon it cools against
90 hail events: in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
68 wind events: in ten years, and wind drives debris into outdoor units

Isometric 3D cutaway render of a house with dark siding showing interior rooms, ductwork and an air handler, connected by lines to an outdoor condenser unit on a white background.

Your air conditioner works hardest from June through August.

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NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals

Aerial view of a gray outdoor air conditioning condenser unit mounted on a concrete pad next to a house with vinyl siding.

Book your AC tune-up in April, before homes here start needing cooling in May.

A tune-up checks the refrigerant charge, cleans the coils, tests the capacitor and tightens the electrical connections.

What does AC maintenance include?: A technician cleans the condenser coil, checks the refrigerant charge, and tests the capacitor and contactor in the outdoor unit. Inside, they check the evaporator coil and confirm the drain line isn't clogged, since a blocked drain backs up and can leak into the house. They also check the thermostat calls for cooling correctly and that the system cycles on and off the way it should. With 90 hail events recorded here over the past ten years, a good visit includes a look at the outdoor coil fins and cabinet for storm damage, since bent fins restrict airflow even when the rest of the system runs fine.
How often does an air conditioner need maintenance?: Once a year, ideally before the cooling season starts. Homes here run the AC May through September, so getting it checked in spring means any worn part gets caught before the system has to work through five months of 87°F afternoons. A once-a-year check also catches coil damage from hail or wind before it turns into a bigger repair.
Is AC maintenance worth it?: Yes, because most of what causes a system to fail in summer builds up slowly and shows up during an inspection before it causes a breakdown. A dirty coil or low refrigerant charge makes the compressor work harder, and that strain adds up over a full cooling season. It also gives a technician a chance to spot hail dents or bent fins on the outdoor unit, which matter here given the 90 hail events and gusts strong enough to cause 68 damaging wind events over the last ten years.

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