AC Maintenance in Howell, MI
Air conditioners here run from June through August, so May is the time for a tune-up. Tell us about your system, and a licensed contractor who covers Livingston County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Three months of hard running, then a long rest
Your air conditioner in Howell works hard from June through August, when afternoons average 80°F. Then it sits unused the rest of the year while dust settles into the cabinet and the coil.
Livingston County has also logged 88 damaging wind events and 20 hail storms over the past ten years, with hail up to 1.5 inches across. A tune-up before summer checks for what a storm season can leave behind. A bent coil fin, a fan blade knocked out of balance, wiring shaken loose. Finding those before the first hot afternoon means the unit is ready when it has to run, not struggling through it.
- 3 months
- June through August, your air conditioner is on duty
- 80°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 20 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 88 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
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A tune-up checks the refrigerant charge, cleans the coils, tests the capacitor and tightens the electrical connections.
Michigan requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
That license is issued to the contractor, not to each job, so the same license covers a maintenance visit like this one as much as a full installation. The Board of Mechanical Rules is what tested the contractor and keeps the record on file, which is why the license exists at the business level rather than being pulled out for every service call.
For a maintenance visit on an air conditioner, the part of the job that goes beyond the state license is anything involving the refrigerant. If the technician opens that side of the system to check charge or add refrigerant, federal law requires them to hold EPA Section 608 certification, and that rule applies the same way in every state. In Michigan, that certification sits alongside the state license rather than replacing any part of it.
Sources: Michigan Legislature · Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs
- What does AC maintenance include?
- A contractor checks the refrigerant charge, cleans the condenser coil outside, and tests the capacitor and contactor that get the compressor running. They also check the coolant lines, drain line, and thermostat, and take an amp reading on the compressor to see if it's straining. Outside, they'll clear leaves and debris away from the condenser unit so it can breathe. Since the unit sits outside year-round, that visit is also a chance to check it over for any damage from wind or hail before summer.
- How often does an air conditioner need maintenance?
- Once a year, done before it needs to work for the summer. Howell only asks the system to run June through August, so spring is the right time, before those 80°F afternoons show up. A yearly check catches a weak capacitor or a low refrigerant charge while it's still easy to fix, instead of in the middle of a hot week.
- Is AC maintenance worth it?
- Yes, because most of what causes a summer breakdown is something a contractor can catch ahead of time. A weak capacitor, a dirty coil, or a refrigerant leak all show up in an inspection before they cause the system to quit. Howell's cooling season is short, just three months, so a system that fails partway through doesn't get much of a chance to make up for lost time. It's also worth having someone look the unit over after a bad storm, since Howell has logged plenty of hail and damaging wind over the past ten years.