AC Maintenance in Hurricane, WV
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 Putnam County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Four months of real heat, every year
Your air conditioner in Hurricane works hard from June through September, with summer afternoons averaging 85°F. That is not a lot of months, but they are demanding ones, and the unit runs long hours to keep up.
This county has also seen 142 damaging wind events and 35 hail storms over the past ten years, with hail as large as 3.25 inches. That kind of weather can bend the fins on your outdoor coil or leave debris in the cabinet without you knowing it. A tune-up checks the coil, the refrigerant charge, and the electrical connections before the next hot stretch puts them to the test.
- 4 months
- June through September, your air conditioner is on duty
- 85°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 35 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 142 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.
West Virginia requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The Commissioner of Labor issues that license after testing the contractor, and it stays tied to the business, not to any single job it takes on. That is what the state is vouching for, the contractor, not each visit it makes.
For a maintenance visit, that license is what stands behind the work here. If the technician opens the refrigerant side of the system, checking the charge or the coil, they also need EPA Section 608 certification, which every technician in the country must hold to do that part of the job.
Source: West Virginia Legislature
- What does AC maintenance include?
- A technician checks the refrigerant charge, cleans the condenser coil outside, and tests the capacitor and contactor that start the compressor. They also check the blower motor, change or clean the filter, and look at the condensate drain to make sure it isn't clogged. Outside, they clear leaves and debris away from the condenser so it can pull air through the coil. Anyone touching the refrigerant side has to hold EPA 608 certification, which every licensed contractor's technicians carry.
- How often does an air conditioner need maintenance?
- Once a year, in spring before the heat sets in. Homes here run the air conditioner June through September, so getting it checked beforehand means it's not straining on the first 85°F afternoon. A yearly visit also catches a weak capacitor or a dirty coil before it causes a breakdown.
- Is AC maintenance worth it?
- Yes, because most of what causes a summer breakdown is something a technician can catch ahead of time, like a failing capacitor or a coil caked with dirt. A dirty coil makes the compressor work harder to move the same heat out of the house, and that strain is what shortens its life. With hail and high wind both common here, a spring check is also a chance to look at the condenser for dents or damage before the season's first real heat wave hits.