Welcome to another edition of Cogburn’s Heating and Air Conditioning Radio with Byron Cogburn. Byron today we’re going to talk a little about spring tune-ups because spring is here and it is time to get the A/C ready for the summer that’s ahead.

Byron: It is, Tim. And the importance of having your system looked at this time of year is that you avoid emergency breakdowns in the middle of summer, you help keep your utility bills in check, and you reduce about half of your breakdowns.

Tim: So, in the process of getting a tune-up, what does that entail? What happens when you tune-up an air conditioning system?

Byron: Well when we tune a system up, first we want to make sure that the outdoor unit is clean, all the electronic components are strong; the motors, compressors, blower motors all have pacemaker devices called capacitors, and when those become weak they are a potential failure in the future. So we want to check all of those components, we also want to check the condensate drains, coils, things like that. Your air conditioning system actually removes about twenty-five gallons of water from your home a day in the middle of the summer, and with a restricted drain a lot of times you have damaged ceilings, other things that you can avoid with a tune-up.

Tim: So when we talk about doing the tune-up, part of the reason that it’s important to do it now is because when failure happens, Murphy’s Law being applied, it’s during the worst time. It’s the day that it’s 107 degrees and you’re hot, your house is hot inside.

Byron: Yeah failures typically happen in the most inconvenient times: 4th of July, the weekends, late at night, things like that. And most people today cannot sleep comfortably at eighty degrees. So it’s very important to keep that house at seventy-two degrees, not eighty degrees.

Tim: And this is the time of year to do the tune-up so that it’s ready.

Byron: Yes, because there’s no demand, you may turn your A/C on a little bit but there’s not enough heat to really be a big demand on your system, and companies like ours are spending our time maintaining your system to avoid the breakdowns in the middle of the summer.

Tim: So if I’m planning to get my A/C tuned up, how much time should I allot for when your folks are at my house?

Byron: Well a tune-up typically takes about sixty to ninety minutes. A lot of times my guys will make recommendations on ways to lower utility bills, extend the life of your equipment, and avoid breakdowns in the summer. And if those recommendations are scheduled right then it may take a little bit longer to do, so I would plan sixty to ninety minutes and then maybe an extra thirty minutes to an hour after that just in case.

Tim: So what’s the first step that someone needs to take to get their air conditioner tuned up for the summer that’s ahead?

Byron: First step you want to do is go to our website cogburnsheatingandair.com and send in a service request, we’ll follow up with a phone call and get you scheduled. Or you can call us directly at 940-243-9199.

Tim: This has been another edition of Cogburn’s Heating and Air Conditioning Radio.