AC Maintenance Wilson

Once per year is the standard recommendation for most systems, ideally in the spring before the cooling season begins. Homes with pets, high dust levels, or systems that run frequently may benefit from more regular attention.

Yes, significantly. Technicians catch worn components, airflow restrictions, and refrigerant issues during routine visits before they escalate into system failures. It’s not a guarantee, but homeowners who maintain their systems consistently deal with far fewer emergency calls.

Most residential AC tune-ups take one to two hours depending on the system type, size, and condition. If something needs additional attention, we’ll discuss it with you before doing any extra work.

Maintenance is scheduled, preventative service. The goal is to inspect, clean, adjust, and catch developing issues early. A repair call addresses a specific problem that’s already affecting performance. Regular maintenance reduces how often you need the latter.

A clean, properly calibrated system runs more efficiently than one that’s been neglected. Clogged filters, dirty coils, and refrigerant issues all force the system to work harder for the same result, and that shows up on your utility bill.

If the system is otherwise in reasonable shape and you’re not planning to replace it soon, maintenance is still worthwhile. It maximizes the efficiency you have and can extend the system’s usable life. If the system is failing regularly regardless of upkeep, that’s a sign it’s time to evaluate replacement.

At the risk of telling you something you’re tired of hearing, replace the air filter in your furnace on a regular basis. Dirty air filters reduce the amount of air flowing through a system and make the furnace work harder to maintain the temperature. How often you change the filter depends on the type of filter you use, if you have pets, and the size of your equipment. Please give us a call and we can give you proper guidance.

Yes. As of January 2010 the refrigerant R-22 (what consumers call Freon®) is no longer allowed to be used in the manufacturing of new equipment. R-22 has been used as the “standard” refrigerant for many years but has been found to be harmful to our planet by our government. All new air conditioners and heat pumps use R-410A, the more “environmentally sound” refrigerant.

R-22 is still the most commonly used refrigerant in existing air conditioning equipment in residential homes today. However, per the Montreal Protocol, caps have been established to eliminate the production of R-22. In 2004, there was a 35% reduction; in 2010 there was a 65% reduction; in 2015 a 90% reduction; and finally in 2020 a 99.5% reduction in the production of R-22. This means that during the time of these reductions with high demand, the price of each pound of R-22 refrigerant could potentially skyrocket.

If you are considering replacing your existing air conditioning equipment, most higher efficiency products have already made the switch to R-410A, the more “environmentally sound” refrigerant.