AC Maintenance in Los Lunas, NM
Air conditioners here run from June through September, so May is the time for a tune-up. Tell us about your system, and a licensed contractor who covers Valencia County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Four months of hard work in the heat
Your air conditioner in Los Lunas has one real job, and it comes all at once. From June through September, with afternoons averaging 91°F, the system runs long hours to keep up. That kind of steady load wears on the parts that keep it running cool, especially the capacitor and the condenser coil sitting outside in the sun.
Valencia County has also seen its share of rough weather, with 107 damaging wind events and 13 hail storms over the past ten years, one dropping hail 1.5 inches across. A unit that has sat through that can have a bent fin, a dented cabinet, or debris packed into the coil, none of which show up until the system is asked to work hard. A maintenance visit checks the coil, the refrigerant charge, and the electrical parts before that first true hot stretch finds the weak point for you.
- 4 months
- June through September, your air conditioner is on duty
- 91°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 13 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 107 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.
New Mexico licenses HVAC contractors through the Construction Industries Division. That license covers the contractor, not each individual job.
For maintenance on an air conditioner, that license is what stands behind the work. If the contractor opens the refrigerant side of the system to check the charge, EPA Section 608 certification is also required, the same as it is in every state. In New Mexico, a licensed contractor doing that part of the job needs both.
Source: New Mexico Regulation and Licensing Department
- What does AC maintenance include?
- A contractor checks refrigerant pressure, cleans the condenser coil, and tests the capacitor and contactor in the outdoor unit. Inside, they check the evaporator coil, clear the condensate drain, and change or check the filter. They also test the thermostat and check the electrical connections for wear. Any of these can cause a breakdown or drive up your cooling bill through a summer of 91°F afternoons.
- How often does an air conditioner need maintenance?
- Once a year, before the season it works hardest. Here that means getting it checked before June, so it's ready for the four months of real heat through September. A yearly visit catches a weak capacitor or a dirty coil before it fails on a 91 degree afternoon.
- Is AC maintenance worth it?
- Yes. A dirty coil or a weak capacitor makes the system run longer to cool the same room, and running longer is what leads to a breakdown. With only four months of real cooling season here, a system checked before June is one you're not gambling on through the rest of the summer. A contractor can price the visit for your specific system.