AC Maintenance in Durant, 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 Bryan County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Five months of heat, every year, on the same unit
Your air conditioner works from May through September here, and on the hot afternoons it runs the most, the average high is 93°F. That is five straight months where the system does not really get a break, cycling on and off all day to keep up.
That kind of steady demand wears on specific parts. The capacitor that helps the compressor start weakens with heat and use. The coils lose their ability to shed heat when they run dirty. A tune-up checks the refrigerant charge, tests the capacitor, and cleans the coils, so the parts most stressed by a Durant summer get looked at before the next one starts.
- 5 months
- May through September, your air conditioner is on duty
- 93°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 41 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 50 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.
Oklahoma requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The Construction Industries Board tests contractors before they can hold this license, and it keeps a record of who holds one. The license belongs to the contractor, not to any single job, so it stands behind everything they do, this maintenance visit included.
For a routine air conditioner tune-up, the license is what backs the person doing the work. If the technician opens the refrigerant side of your system, checking charge or working on the coil, federal law also requires them to hold EPA Section 608 certification, the same rule that applies in every state.
Source: Oklahoma State Legislature
- 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 the airflow and change or clean the filter if needed. Checking the refrigerant charge means opening the sealed system, so that part of the job has to be done by someone with EPA Section 608 certification.
- How often does an air conditioner need maintenance?
- Once a year, usually in spring before the heat sets in. Here, that means getting it done before May, since the system will run steadily from May through September with afternoons averaging 93°F. A yearly check catches a weak capacitor or a low refrigerant charge before it causes a breakdown in the middle of summer.
- Is AC maintenance worth it?
- Yes. A system that runs five months a year here, with afternoons averaging 93°F, puts steady wear on the coil, the capacitor, and the fan motor. Regular maintenance catches a failing part while it still costs less to fix than to replace, and it keeps the system running at the efficiency it was built for. A contractor can price out a maintenance visit for your specific system.