AC Maintenance in Opelousas, LA
Air conditioners here run from April through October, so March is the time for a tune-up. Tell us about your system, and a licensed contractor who covers St. Landry Parish will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Seven months of load a year wears on your AC
Your air conditioner runs from April through October here, seven months of the year. On summer afternoons that average 91°F, the compressor is working near its limit for most of the day, not just in short bursts. That kind of steady load wears on parts that a system used less hard would keep longer.
St. Landry Parish has also seen 52 damaging wind events and 5 hail storms over the past ten years, with hail up to 1.25 inches. Wind can bend the thin fins on an outdoor coil, and even small hail can dent them, and either one blocks the airflow the system needs to cool the house. A tune-up is when a contractor checks the coil, the fins, and the refrigerant charge, so bent fins or a low charge get caught before the system has to work against them on a 91°F afternoon.
- 7 months
- April through October, your air conditioner is on duty
- 91°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 5 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 52 wind events
- in ten years, and wind drives debris into outdoor units
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
Book your AC tune-up in March, before homes here start needing cooling in April.
- 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.
Louisiana requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
That license is issued to the contractor, not the job, so it stays with the business rather than getting renewed for every visit. It means the state has tested this contractor and keeps a record of them, which is more than a business registration would tell you.
Maintenance on an air conditioner usually means checking the refrigerant charge and the coil, and if the technician opens the refrigerant side at all, federal law requires them to hold EPA Section 608 certification, in Louisiana same as anywhere else. That certification is separate from the state license. One says the contractor is on record with Louisiana. The other says the person handling the refrigerant was trained to do it without venting it into the air.
Source: Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors
- 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, change or check the filter, and clear the condensate drain so it doesn't back up. They'll also check the thermostat settings and look over the electrical connections while the system runs, since a loose connection is what often causes a breakdown later. Anyone who opens the refrigerant side has to hold EPA Section 608 certification, which is a federal rule everywhere.
- How often does an air conditioner need maintenance?
- Once a year, before the season it works hardest. Homes here need cooling April through October, seven months a year, with summer afternoons averaging 91°F, so the system is under load most of the year and a check before that stretch begins catches problems while they're still small. A dirty coil or a weak capacitor gets worse under that kind of heat, not better.
- Is AC maintenance worth it?
- Yes. A dirty condenser coil or a weak capacitor makes the system work harder to hit the same temperature, and that strain is what leads to a breakdown on the hottest afternoon of the year. With cooling needed seven months a year here, a system that's been checked over has fewer surprises during the stretch it can least afford one. Maintenance also catches small things, a clogged drain, a failing part, before they turn into a bigger repair.