What Should a Proper Tune-up for AC System Look Like?

It is about to get warm in the Houston area and, as a responsible homeowner, you’ve decided to prepare for the upcoming season and make sure your air-conditioner is in good working order and running efficiently. You know that the best way to achieve that is to hire an HVAC contractor to perform an A/C tune-up (also called Preventive Maintenance).

So, what constitutes a proper Preventive Maintenance tune-up?

A good tune-up should always include measured/recorded values, set in comparison to the manufacturer’s recommended readings. These values tell a good technician if the system is operating correctly, efficiently or if there are foreseeable issues which may soon cause the system to cease working or performing properly during the hottest days. Some of these values are:

In addition to the recording of these readings, a flushing of primary condensate line with a water/bleach mixture should be performed, ensuring that the condensation is flowing smoothly into an appropriate drainage termination point, which will prevent the pan to become obstructed and overflown with water, causing damage and/or unsightly water stains on your ceiling.

Condensate pan tablets that destroy slime build-up in the primary pan should be installed in the primary condensate drain.

Filters should be inspected and replaced (especially when plugged) to ensure proper air flow across the evaporator coil, as well as to decrease the strain on the system’s blower motor.

Outdoor condenser coils should be cleared from debris and washed, ensuring an efficient passage of air through the coils.

Replacing the filters regularly and the clearing/washing of the coils will contribute to the system running efficiently, lower refrigerant pressures, lower the motors’ and compressor’s amp draw and prevent higher utility costs.

Electrical connections and wiring should be inspected and checked to ensure tightness at connections and absence of deterioration of wiring jacket.

How do you – as a homeowner - find an AC company that you can trust?   How do you find a company that will provide a thorough service, will investigate, test, clean and make any necessary adjustments to your AC system thereby ensure a proper working and efficient system that will keep you and your family cool all summer?

At J&G Heating and Air-Conditioning, we perform each job as if we were working at our grandparents’ home.  

When you hire us for your Spring Maintenance, this is what we commit in performing:

  • Checking systems for proper cooling: measure pressures/temperatures^: temperature differential (Δ ºT) between supply and return air; system superheat (S/H), subcooling (S/C), vapor saturation temperature (VSAT), suction line temperature (SLT)
  • Checking refrigerant charges.
  • Clearing of Primary and Secondary drain lines and pans.
  • Checking correct amperage draw for: condenser fan motors (CFM) compressor; blower motors.
  • Checking capacitors for proper MFD reading vs. rating.
  • Cleaning condenser coils.
  • Checking all electrical connections.
  • Replacing unit filters (fiberglass 1” filters or pleated).
  • Providing a written and detailed report with our findings with photos and videos.

We decided long ago that the best way to grow our company was to build it upon TRUST. The trust that we aim to earn from our customers is fostered through open and honest communication, technical proficiency, and professionalism.

Open communication is implemented by everyone in the company: from our on-site technician, who will provide the homeowner with a detailed explanation of the work performed, including all our readings and any recommendations to increase the proper and efficient system’s operation; to our office personnel, who will compile a comprehensive report, supported by pictures/videos as well as any external links to support our findings; to our management, who will be available for any necessary follow-up, to ensure the customer’s peace of mind – both on site and remotely.

J&G Heating and Air Conditioning is a company that you can trust for all your Heating and Cooling needs. We have built years of 5-star reviews and recommendations on platforms such as Nextdoor and Google.

At J&G we are proud of our work.