AC Maintenance in Thibodaux, 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 Lafourche Parish will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Seven months of cooling in Lafourche Parish heat
Your air conditioner runs from April through October here, seven months out of the year. On afternoons that average 90°F, it doesn't get much rest between cycles. That kind of run time wears on the parts that keep it running, the capacitor, the contactor, the condenser coil.
A tune-up checks the refrigerant charge and the coil before the long stretch of heat sets in, not after it's already strained the system. It's also a chance to look at what the last storm season left behind. Thibodaux has seen 16 hail events and 16 damaging wind events over the past ten years, and a unit sitting outside takes that weather straight on. Catching a bent fin or a loose panel now is easier than finding out about it when the compressor is already working harder than it should.
- 7 months
- April through October, your air conditioner is on duty
- 90°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 16 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 16 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.
The Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors tests and records the contractor, not the individual job. A license number belongs to the business, and it stays on file with the board whether the work is a full system install or a routine maintenance visit.
For a maintenance call, that license is the thing accountable for the work done in your home. If the technician opens the refrigerant side of your air conditioner, checking the charge or the coil, federal law also requires them to hold EPA Section 608 certification. That rule applies in every state, and it exists because refrigerant work is regulated at the federal level, separate from what Louisiana requires of the contractor.
Source: Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors
- What does AC maintenance include?
- A contractor checks refrigerant charge, cleans the condenser coil, and tests the capacitor and contactor in the outdoor unit. Inside, they check the evaporator coil, the blower, and the condensate drain to make sure it isn't clogged. They also check the thermostat and the electrical connections, and change or check the filter. Opening the refrigerant side requires EPA Section 608 certification, which any qualified technician working on your system should hold.
- How often does an air conditioner need maintenance?
- Once a year, before the season it works hardest. Here that means getting it checked in spring, ahead of the seven months of cooling that run from April through October. A yearly check catches a weak capacitor or a low refrigerant charge before it fails on a 90°F afternoon.
- Is AC maintenance worth it?
- Yes. A system that runs clean and properly charged doesn't have to work as hard to cool your house, and catching a weak part in spring means it doesn't fail on you once the heat sets in. Thibodaux homes need cooling for seven months straight, with summer afternoons averaging 90°F, so a unit that starts that stretch in good shape has a better chance of making it through without breaking down.