AC Maintenance in Las Vegas, NM
Air conditioners here run from June through August, so May is the time for a tune-up. Tell us about your system, and a licensed contractor who covers San Miguel County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Three months of hard work, then a long rest
Your air conditioner in San Miguel County only has to carry the load from June through August, but those afternoons average 87°F, and that is when it runs hardest. The rest of the year it sits idle, and a system that sits for months at a time is more likely to have a problem show up the day you finally need it.
The area has also seen its share of hail and wind, with 89 hail events and 222 damaging wind events over the past ten years, one hailstone measured at over 3 inches. Storms like that can bend the fins on the outdoor unit or leave debris in the cabinet without you knowing it happened. A tune-up before summer is when a contractor checks the outdoor unit for that kind of damage, before it has to work through three months of heat.
- 3 months
- June through August, your air conditioner is on duty
- 87°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 89 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 222 wind events
- in ten years, and wind drives debris into outdoor units
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
Book your AC tune-up in May, before homes here start needing cooling in June.
- 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.
New Mexico requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The license comes from the Construction Industries Division, and it belongs to the contractor, not to the job on your unit. The state tested that contractor before letting them hold it, and it keeps a record of who they are. That is what stands behind the work in San Miguel County.
For a maintenance visit, this is the credential that matters. If the technician opens the refrigerant side of your air conditioner to check the charge, they also need to hold EPA Section 608 certification, which is required everywhere in the country and separate from the state license. Between the two, the contractor's license is what New Mexico holds them to.
Source: New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department
- What does AC maintenance include?
- A technician checks the refrigerant charge, cleans or replaces the filter, and clears the condensate drain so it isn't clogged. They also check the electrical connections, test the capacitor, and clean the outdoor coil so it can shed heat properly. Anyone opening the refrigerant side of the system has to hold EPA Section 608 certification, since that's a federal rule everywhere.
- How often does an air conditioner need maintenance?
- Once a year, before the weather turns hot, is enough for most systems. Here that means getting it checked before June, since the system only runs hard through the summer months. A yearly check catches a weak capacitor or a dirty coil before it has to work against 87°F afternoons.
- Is AC maintenance worth it?
- Yes, because it catches small problems while they're still small. A dirty coil or a failing capacitor makes the system work harder, and either one can lead to a breakdown on a hot afternoon. A contractor can price the actual work for your system, but checking it every year before summer is worth doing.