Short answer: Schedule your spring AC tune-up in March or early April — before Las Vegas temperatures hit triple digits and every HVAC company in the valley is booked solid. Before the technician arrives, you can handle six items yourself: replace the air filter, clear debris around the outdoor unit, check thermostat batteries, open all supply vents, run the system for 15 minutes to test it, and inspect the condensate drain line. Book your tune-up with The Cooling Company at (702) 567-0707 or Schedule Now.
Key Takeaways
- March and April are the window. By May, our schedule is packed. By June, you're waiting 3–4 days for a non-emergency appointment. Right now, we can usually get to you within a day or two.
- Your AC sat idle for 4+ months. Dust settled into the blower, condensation dried into the drain pan, capacitors aged, and the refrigerant connections may have developed micro-leaks. A system that "worked fine last October" can fail within hours of sustained summer operation.
- A $89 tune-up prevents $1,000–$8,000 in emergency repairs. I documented the three most common preventable failures in our June failure post. Every one of them is caught during a standard spring inspection.
- Six items are genuinely DIY. You don't need a technician to change a filter, clear condenser debris, or run a test cycle. Do these this weekend.
- Twelve items require a professional. Refrigerant pressures, capacitor testing, electrical connections, and drain line flushing need tools, training, and EPA certification. That's what the tune-up covers.
Why Spring Matters More in Las Vegas Than Anywhere Else
I've worked on HVAC systems in three states over 35 years, and I can tell you this with certainty: Las Vegas is the hardest place in the country to be an air conditioner.
In most of the country, the AC kicks on in May, runs moderately through June and July, and shuts down in September. Four months of moderate work. In Las Vegas, the system goes from idle to all-out war in about two weeks. We'll have a pleasant 85°F day in late April, and by mid-May we're hitting 100. By June, it's 110+. The system goes from running three hours a day to sixteen hours a day with almost no transition period.
That sudden jump from idle to maximum load is when every marginal component breaks. The capacitor that was at 85% of its rated strength. The refrigerant level that was a half-pound low. The drain line that was partially clogged with winter dust. All of it becomes visible the moment the system has to work hard.
Spring maintenance is about catching those problems while they're still cheap, quiet, and on your schedule — not the 3 a.m. emergency call in July when you wake up sweating and every technician in the valley is already booked through next Tuesday.
Part 1: The Homeowner Checklist (Do This Weekend)
These six items take about 30 minutes total. No tools needed beyond a garden hose and a screwdriver.
1. Replace the Air Filter
Pull the current filter and hold it up to a light. If light doesn't pass through, it's done. Even if it looks "okay," replace it — it's been sitting there for months collecting dust from the off-season, and a fresh filter gives the system the best possible starting point.
For Las Vegas homes, I recommend MERV 8 to MERV 13 filters. MERV 8 is adequate for most households. MERV 13 is better if anyone in the home has allergies, asthma, or you have pets. Don't go higher than MERV 13 without verifying that your system's blower can handle the increased resistance — some older units can't. Our filter guide goes into sizing and rating detail.
Time: 2 minutes. Cost: $8–$25.
2. Clear the Area Around the Outdoor Unit
Walk outside and look at your condenser. Over winter, debris accumulates: fallen leaves, tumbleweeds (this is the desert, after all), landscaping clippings, patio furniture pushed too close, trash blown against the coil.
Clear everything within two feet of the unit on all sides. Trim any bushes or plants that have grown into the clearance zone. The condenser needs unobstructed airflow to release heat — anything blocking it forces the system to work harder and raises head pressure.
Time: 10 minutes. Cost: $0.
3. Rinse the Condenser Coils (Gently)
With the system OFF at the thermostat, use a garden hose — not a pressure washer — to rinse the condenser coils from the inside out. Stand inside the clearance zone and spray outward through the fins. This flushes out the desert dust, cottonwood fluff, and debris that's accumulated in the coil over winter.
Work your way around all four sides. You don't need soap or chemicals — just a steady stream of water. Let it dry for 30 minutes before turning the system back on.
Critical: Do not use a pressure washer. The aluminum fins on a condenser coil are about as thick as a soda can. High-pressure water bends them flat, which blocks airflow and is worse than the dust you were trying to remove.
Time: 15 minutes. Cost: $0.
4. Check the Thermostat
Replace the batteries if your thermostat uses them (most do, even hardwired models — the batteries are backup for power outages). While you're at it, check that the time and date are correct, any seasonal programs are updated, and the mode is set to COOL with the fan on AUTO.
If you have a smart thermostat (Nest, Ecobee, Honeywell Home), open the app and review your schedules. Some smart thermostats will have switched to "eco" or "away" modes over winter and might not resume your preferred cooling schedule automatically.
Time: 5 minutes. Cost: $0–$8 for batteries.
5. Open All Supply Vents
Walk through the house and make sure every supply vent is open and unblocked. Check for furniture pushed over vents, rugs draped over floor registers, and closed damper levers on the vent faces.
During heating season, some people close vents in unused rooms. That's fine for winter, but you want everything open when the AC kicks in so the system sees its full design airflow. Blocked vents increase static pressure and can cause the evaporator coil to freeze — one of the problems we talked about in our warm air troubleshooting guide.
Time: 5 minutes. Cost: $0.
6. Run a Test Cycle
Turn the thermostat to COOL and set it 5 degrees below the current room temperature. Walk outside and confirm the condenser starts — you should hear the compressor engage and the fan begin spinning within 60 seconds.
Go back inside. Stand at a few supply vents. Within 5 minutes, you should feel noticeably cold air — not just moving air, but cold. If the air feels lukewarm or room temperature after 10 minutes, something is wrong. Let it run for 15 minutes total, then check the temperature at a supply vent with a thermometer if you have one. You should see air between 55–65°F coming from the vent.
Watch for: Unusual sounds (grinding, squealing, buzzing), warm air, short cycling (system starting and stopping every few minutes), water dripping from the indoor unit, or the outdoor unit not starting at all. Any of these means the test revealed a problem — call for service before the first heat wave.
Time: 15 minutes. Cost: $0.
Part 2: The Professional Tune-Up (What a Technician Covers)
Here's what happens during a standard AC maintenance visit. This is the 12-point inspection our technicians perform, and I'm listing what each check actually tells us.
1. Refrigerant Charge and Pressure
We connect pressure gauges to the service ports and measure suction and discharge pressures. These readings tell us whether the refrigerant charge matches the manufacturer's specification for the current outdoor temperature. A system that's even one pound low will struggle at 110°F. If the pressure is low, we find the leak, fix it, and recharge — not just "top it off."
2. Electrical Connections and Amperage
We check every electrical connection in the system — contactor terminals, capacitor leads, disconnect wiring, and control board connections. Loose connections cause arcing, overheating, and eventual failure. We also measure amperage draw on the compressor and fan motors to verify they're operating within the manufacturer's rated range.
3. Capacitor Test
One minute with a multimeter tells us whether the capacitor is healthy or degraded. We compare the actual microfarad reading against the rated value stamped on the capacitor. More than 5% degradation means it's time to replace — proactively, for $150, instead of reactively in July for $350 after it takes out the compressor. See our detailed breakdown of capacitor failure patterns.
4. Contactor Inspection
The contactor is the heavy-duty relay that sends power to the compressor and condenser fan. The electrical contacts pit and corrode over time, especially in our dusty environment. A pitted contactor can stick closed (system won't shut off) or fail to close (system won't start). We inspect the contact surfaces and test the pull-in voltage.
5. Evaporator Coil Inspection
We open the access panel on the air handler and visually inspect the evaporator coil for dirt buildup, biological growth, and damage. A dirty evaporator coil reduces heat transfer, drops evaporator pressure, and can freeze. If it needs cleaning, we use a no-rinse evaporator cleaner that foams and drains into the pan.
6. Condensate Drain Line Flush
This is the five-minute task that prevents the $3,000–$8,000 water damage claim. We flush the drain line with compressed nitrogen or a wet-dry vacuum to clear any sludge, algae, or debris that accumulated over winter. We verify the float switch is operational — it's the safety device that shuts off the AC before the drain pan overflows.
7. Thermostat Calibration
We compare the thermostat reading against a calibrated digital thermometer at the same location. If there's more than a 2°F discrepancy, we recalibrate or recommend replacement. A thermostat that reads 72°F when the room is actually 75°F means the system isn't running enough to actually cool the house.
8. Safety Controls Test
We verify that the high-pressure cutout, low-pressure cutout, and thermal overload protectors all function correctly. These are the safety switches that prevent compressor damage during abnormal operating conditions. A failed safety switch can allow a damaged compressor to continue running until catastrophic failure.
9. Blower Motor and Airflow
We check the blower motor's amperage draw, listen for bearing noise, and verify proper rotation. On variable-speed motors, we confirm the motor is ramping correctly through its speed range. We also measure airflow at representative supply vents to check for duct restrictions.
10. Condenser Coil Deep Cleaning
While you can rinse the condenser with a hose, a professional cleaning uses coil cleaner chemical and a controlled low-pressure rinse to remove embedded grime that water alone won't touch. In Las Vegas, desert dust bonds to the coil's wet surface during monsoon season and bakes on during summer. Annual professional cleaning restores the coil to near-new heat transfer efficiency.
11. Ductwork Visual Inspection
We check accessible ductwork for disconnected sections, crushed flex runs, deteriorated insulation, and obvious leaks. We're not performing a full duct pressure test during a standard tune-up, but a visual inspection catches the most common problems — especially disconnected duct runs that dump conditioned air into the attic.
12. System Efficiency Measurement
We measure the temperature difference (delta-T) across the evaporator coil — the difference between the air entering the return and leaving the supply. A healthy system in Las Vegas should produce a 16–22°F delta-T. Below 14°F usually indicates low charge, dirty coils, or airflow problems. Above 24°F may indicate restricted airflow.
The Cost Math: Tune-Up vs. Emergency Repair
| Scenario | Timing | Cost | Downtime |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring tune-up (no issues found) | March/April | $89 + $79 service fee | 45 min — system never goes down |
| Tune-up + proactive capacitor replacement | March/April | $168 + $120–$180 | 1 hour — system never goes down |
| Emergency repair — capacitor failure in July | Peak season | $250–$400 | 1–3 days wait time |
| Emergency repair — frozen coil in June | Peak season | $600–$1,800 | 4–8 hours defrost + repair wait |
| Emergency — water damage from drain line | Peak season | $3,000–$8,000+ | Days to weeks for restoration |
The most expensive line on that chart — the drain line water damage — is prevented by a five-minute drain flush included in every tune-up. Five minutes to prevent five figures. That math is hard to argue with.
When to Schedule (The Honest Window)
Here's how our calendar works each year:
- March: Wide open. Same-week appointments available. Technicians have time to be thorough. This is when I book my own system's tune-up.
- April: Starting to fill. Still comfortable lead time. A few preferred time slots start getting claimed.
- May: Getting tight. You'll get an appointment, but it might not be your first-choice date. The first hot week of May triggers a flood of bookings from people who waited.
- June: Emergency-only mode. Non-emergency tune-ups go to the back of the line. Wait times stretch to 3–5 days. If your system fails now, you're competing with everyone else who skipped spring maintenance.
Don't be a June caller. Be a March caller. Your future self will be grateful.
Should You Get a Maintenance Plan?
If you want the spring and fall tune-ups handled automatically without having to remember to call, a maintenance plan covers both annual visits plus priority scheduling during peak season and discounts on any repairs needed.
It's the "I never want to think about this" option. You stay on our schedule. We call you when it's time. Your system gets inspected twice a year. If something's wrong, you're first in line — not behind 40 other homeowners who all called on the same hot Monday.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should I get a tune-up?
Once per year for cooling (spring) and once per year for heating (fall). That covers both seasons and catches problems before they compound. If your system is over 10 years old, I'd lean toward twice per year being non-negotiable rather than optional.
Can I do the professional checklist items myself?
Some of them, if you have the tools and training. But refrigerant handling requires EPA 608 certification (it's federal law), capacitor testing involves stored electrical charge that can injure you, and electrical diagnostics require understanding of the specific equipment's wiring diagrams. The six homeowner items I listed above are genuinely DIY-safe. The twelve professional items are professional-level for a reason.
What if the technician finds something wrong during the tune-up?
We'll show you what we found, explain the options, and give you pricing on the spot. There's no pressure and no urgency — that's the whole point of doing this in spring. You decide what to address now and what to monitor. If the capacitor is weak, we can replace it during the same visit. If the refrigerant is low, we can schedule a leak search for the following week. Everything is on your timeline, at standard rates, with no emergency premium.
Is a tune-up worth it on a new system?
Yes. Even systems under warranty benefit from annual maintenance — and in fact, most manufacturer warranties require documented annual maintenance to remain valid. Skipping tune-ups on a system that's still under warranty can void the coverage right when you need it most.
Schedule Your Spring Tune-Up
Call (702) 567-0707 or book online. Right now, we have same-week availability. That won't last past April.
We've been doing spring maintenance across the Las Vegas Valley since 2011 — serving Henderson, Summerlin, North Las Vegas, Green Valley, Southern Highlands, Enterprise, and every neighborhood in between. NV License #0075849.
Your AC took care of you last summer. Time to return the favor before it has to do it again.