AC Maintenance in Pullman, WA
Air conditioners here run from July through August, so June is the time for a tune-up. Tell us about your system, and a licensed contractor who covers Whitman County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Two short months, and weather in between
Your air conditioner in Pullman works hard for a short stretch. Summer afternoons average 82°F through July and August, then the unit sits idle the rest of the year. A tune-up before that stretch checks that everything still runs the way it should after months of sitting still.
Whitman County has seen 27 damaging wind events and 5 hail storms over the past ten years, including hail up to 1.5 inches across. A unit that sits outside through weather like that is worth having checked, the cabinet, the coil, the fan blade, before the two months of real heat put load on it.
- 2 months
- July through August, your air conditioner is on duty
- 82°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 5 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 27 wind events
- in ten years, and wind drives debris into outdoor units
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
Book your AC tune-up in June, before homes here start needing cooling in July.
- 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.
Washington requires contractors to register with the state.
That registration puts the business on file with the Department of Labor and Industries. Nobody tested the contractor's work to get that number, and the state doesn't record a trade exam behind it. It tells you the business is real and on the books, not that someone graded its work.
For a maintenance visit on your air conditioner, what actually governs the job is federal. If the technician opens the refrigerant side of the system, checking charge, adding refrigerant, anything that touches the sealed side, they have to hold EPA Section 608 certification. That rule applies in every state, Washington included, and it exists because refrigerant work is the part of the job that can go wrong in ways a homeowner can't see afterward.
Source: Washington State Legislature
- What does AC maintenance include?
- A technician checks refrigerant pressure, cleans the condenser coil, and tests the capacitor and contactor in the outdoor unit. Inside, they check the evaporator coil and the condensate drain, since a clogged drain can back up and cause water damage. They also check the thermostat and confirm the system cycles on and off correctly. Anyone opening the refrigerant side of the system has to hold EPA Section 608 certification, so ask about that if refrigerant work comes up.
- How often does an air conditioner need maintenance?
- Once a year is enough for most systems. The best time is before the weather turns warm, so the system is ready when you need it. Here that means getting it looked at before July, since cooling only really runs through July and August. A check before then catches a weak capacitor or a dirty coil before the heat arrives.
- Is AC maintenance worth it?
- Yes. A dirty coil or a weak capacitor makes the compressor work harder, and that is what leads to a breakdown on the afternoons you need cooling most. With summer afternoons here averaging 82°F, a system that is not running right will struggle to keep the house comfortable. Regular maintenance also gives a technician a chance to catch a small problem, like a refrigerant leak or a failing capacitor, before it turns into a bigger repair.