AC Repair, Maintenance & Other Spring Preparations

Spring in San Antonio is short. There are about six weeks between the last cold front and the first stretch of 90s, and that window is when a homeowner can get ahead of the summer instead of chasing it. Here is how to use those weeks on the HVAC system and the rest of the house.

Get the air conditioner looked at before you need it

In March our schedule has room and parts are on the shelf. In June the phone rings from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. A spring inspection finds the capacitor reading low, the contactor pitting, the drain half clogged, and the refrigerant a pound light, and fixes them for the price of a routine visit instead of an emergency call. If the system is 12 or more years old, spring is also the right time to have a replacement conversation without the pressure of a 100 degree house. Our AC repair and inspection teams both run spring specials.

Change filters and clean returns

Oak pollen coats everything in March and April. Replace the filter now and again in May. Vacuum the return grilles and, if you can reach them, the first few feet of the return duct. This is also the season to consider a better filter if anyone in the house has allergies.

Have the ducts checked

Duct leakage is the most under-diagnosed problem in San Antonio homes. A typical older attic system leaks 20 to 30 percent of its air. Sealing and insulating ducts does more for comfort and bills than almost any equipment upgrade, and spring is when the attic is still bearable to work in.

Prepare the outdoor unit and the yard around it

Clear winter debris from around the condenser, trim shrubs back two feet, and rinse the coil. If the unit sits on a pad that has settled or tilted, have it leveled; a tilted compressor wears unevenly. If you are planning landscaping this spring, keep new plantings well away from the unit and never let mulch pile against it.

Seal the house

Check weatherstripping on exterior doors, caulk gaps around windows, and make sure the attic access hatch has insulation on top of it. In older neighborhoods like Alamo Heights and Olmos Park, this is often the single most effective thing a homeowner can do. A house that holds cold air lets the system cycle off, which is where the savings are.

Think about the water heater and the rest

Spring is a good time to flush the water heater, test the smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, and check that the dryer vent is clear. None of these are HVAC, but a clogged dryer vent adds heat and humidity to the house and the carbon monoxide detector is your backup for a gas furnace in the fall.

Set up the summer schedule

Program the thermostat now. A setting of 78 when home and 82 when away, with a pre-cool an hour before you return, is the sweet spot for comfort and cost in this climate. If you have a smart thermostat, enable the alert that tells you if the house temperature climbs unexpectedly; it is the fastest way to know a system has failed while you are at work.

Book it

Call 210.549.4839 and we will schedule your spring visit before the heat does it for you. Maintenance plan members get first pick of the calendar.