AC Maintenance in Ardmore, OK
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 Carter County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Five months of Ardmore summer is hard on a system
Your air conditioner runs from May through September here, with afternoons that average 93°F. That is five straight months where the compressor is working most of the day to keep up. Parts wear under that kind of steady load, and a system that gets no attention going into summer is more likely to quit on the afternoon you need it most.
A tune-up checks the refrigerant charge, the condenser coil, and the electrical connections before the heat sets in. Ardmore has also seen 75 hail events and 40 damaging wind events over the past ten years. That kind of weather can bend fins on the outdoor unit or knock connections loose without you noticing, and a service visit is when that damage gets found.
- 5 months
- May through September, your air conditioner is on duty
- 93°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 75 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 40 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
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- Apr
- May
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A tune-up checks the refrigerant charge, cleans the coils, tests the capacitor and tightens the electrical connections.
Oklahoma requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The Construction Industries Board tests and records the contractor before that license is issued. It covers the contractor doing the work, not a separate approval for each job that contractor takes on.
For a maintenance visit, that license is what stands behind the person in the driveway. If the technician opens the refrigerant side of the air conditioner to check the charge, federal law also requires them to hold EPA Section 608 certification, the same requirement that applies in every state.
Source: Oklahoma State Legislature
- What does AC maintenance include?
- A technician checks refrigerant pressure, cleans the condenser coil, and tests the capacitor and contactor. They also check the blower motor, clear the condensate drain, and change or check the filter. Anyone working on the refrigerant side has to hold EPA Section 608 certification, since that is federal law everywhere. In Ardmore, where the cooling season runs May through September, the condenser coil is worth close attention. Summer afternoons average 93°F here, and a dirty coil makes the system work harder to hit that load.
- How often does an air conditioner need maintenance?
- Once a year, before the season it works hardest. Here that means getting it looked at before May, since homes in Ardmore need cooling from May through September. A yearly check catches a weak capacitor or a low refrigerant charge before a 93°F afternoon puts real strain on it.
- Is AC maintenance worth it?
- Yes, because most of what fails in a system fails slowly, and a technician can catch it before it stops the system outright. A worn capacitor or a coil caked with dirt will still run for a while, just worse and worse, until a hot afternoon finishes it off. Ardmore also sees real storm activity, with 75 hail events and 40 damaging wind events recorded over the last ten years, and a maintenance visit is a chance to spot damage to the outdoor unit before it turns into a bigger repair. A contractor can price the visit for your specific system.