AC Maintenance in Cortez, CO
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 Montezuma County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Two months of work, then months of sitting idle
Your air conditioner in Cortez only runs in July and August, when afternoons average 84°F. It sits idle the rest of the year, then has to start up and hold through that heat without warning.
A tune-up before summer catches what sitting idle does to it. Montezuma County has logged 22 damaging wind events and 3 hail events over the past ten years, and either one can leave debris against the outdoor unit or in the coil. A technician checking the system beforehand will find a dirty coil, a weak capacitor, or a refrigerant charge that has drifted, the kind of thing that otherwise shows up as a breakdown on the first hot afternoon.
- 2 months
- July through August, your air conditioner is on duty
- 84°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 3 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 22 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.
- What does AC maintenance include?
- A technician checks refrigerant level, cleans the condenser coil, and inspects the electrical connections and capacitor. They also check the condensate drain, since a clogged one can back up and cause water damage. On the inside, they check the evaporator coil and airflow, and change or check the filter. In Cortez, where hail and high wind are part of the yearly weather, the technician should also look over the outdoor unit's cabinet and fins for storm damage.
- How often does an air conditioner need maintenance?
- Once a year, before the weather turns warm. Cortez only really needs cooling in July and August, so scheduling a checkup in late spring gives a contractor time to catch anything before those two months arrive. A yearly visit also lets someone check for hail or wind damage from the past year, since Cortez has had both.
- Is AC maintenance worth it?
- Yes, because most air conditioner failures trace back to something a technician could have caught earlier, like a dirty coil, a weak capacitor, or a low refrigerant charge. Catching these before summer means the system is not straining to keep up when Cortez hits its 84°F summer afternoons. It also gives a contractor a chance to spot any damage from the wind and hail storms that pass through here before it turns into a bigger repair.