AC Maintenance in Sedalia, 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 Pettis County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Five months of real heat on Sedalia's air conditioners
Your AC runs from May through September here, and on the afternoons that hit 86°F it runs long stretches to keep up. That kind of steady runtime wears on the coil and the refrigerant charge, the two things that actually cool the air. A unit low on refrigerant or running on a dirty coil has to work harder to hit the same temperature, and that strain builds over a summer this long.
Pettis County has also seen 35 hail events and 47 damaging wind events over the past ten years, with hail up to 2.5 inches. The outdoor unit sits exposed to all of that, and a bent fin or a cracked fan blade can go unnoticed until the system starts struggling. A maintenance visit checks the outdoor unit for that kind of damage along with the coil and refrigerant level, so a small problem gets caught early.
- 5 months
- May through September, your air conditioner is on duty
- 86°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 35 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 47 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 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 the condensate drain, since a clogged drain can back up and cause water damage. They also check that the thermostat is calling for cooling correctly and check airflow through the ducts. A technician working outdoors will also check the cabinet and fins for dents or debris that can restrict airflow.
- How often does an air conditioner need maintenance?
- Once a year, before the season it works hardest. Here that means getting it checked before May, so it is ready for the run through September when afternoons average 86 degrees. A yearly check catches a weak capacitor or a low refrigerant charge before it causes a breakdown on a hot afternoon.
- Is AC maintenance worth it?
- Yes, because it catches small problems while they are still small. A dirty coil or a failing capacitor makes the system work harder and wears out parts faster, and both show up in a routine check. Sedalia has had 35 hail events and 47 damaging wind events over the past ten years, and a yearly check is a chance for a technician to look over the outdoor unit for dents or debris from storms like these.