If you live anywhere from Cedar Park to Lakeway, your air conditioner works harder than almost anywhere else in the country. Here in Central Texas we run our AC hard from April well into October — so the honest answer to "how often should I service it?" is probably more than you're doing now.
The short answer: at least once a year
For most Austin-area homes, a single annual tune-up in the spring — before the first 100-degree stretch hits — is the baseline. That's the bare minimum to keep your system efficient, catch small problems early, and keep your manufacturer's warranty valid (most warranties actually require documented annual maintenance).
The better answer: twice a year
If you have a heat pump, a system that's more than about eight years old, or you just want maximum reliability, we recommend two visits a year:
- Spring (AC tune-up) — before cooling season, so you're not the person calling for help during the first heat wave when everyone else is too.
- Fall (heating check) — before the first freeze, to make sure your furnace or heat pump's heating side is safe and ready.
Twice-a-year service matters most for homes that lean on both heating and cooling, and for the larger multi-zone systems common in places like Lakeway, Bee Cave, and West Lake Hills, where one weak component can throw off comfort across the whole house.
What actually happens when you skip it
Skipping maintenance rarely shows up right away — it shows up in July, at the worst possible time. Here's the chain reaction we see constantly:
- A dirty coil or clogged filter makes the system work harder, driving your electric bill up.
- That extra strain shortens the life of the compressor — the single most expensive part to replace.
- Low refrigerant or a failing capacitor goes unnoticed until the system finally can't keep up on the hottest day of the year.
A $200 tune-up that catches a failing $30 capacitor is a lot cheaper than an emergency call and a fried compressor in the middle of a Texas heat wave.
A quick monthly habit that helps
Between professional visits, the single most valuable thing you can do is simple: change your air filter every 1–2 months during heavy-use season. Central Texas cedar and oak pollen, plus all the construction dust in our fast-growing suburbs, clogs filters faster than the "90-day" rating on the box suggests. A clean filter protects your equipment and your air quality.
When to call us instead of waiting
Don't wait for your scheduled tune-up if you notice any of these — they're early warnings worth a look:
- Warm air, weak airflow, or rooms that won't cool evenly
- Higher-than-usual energy bills with no change in habits
- Strange smells, hissing, grinding, or short-cycling (the system turning on and off rapidly)
- Water or ice around the indoor unit
Everest Mechanical Systems is a family-owned HVAC company serving Cedar Park, Austin, and the surrounding Hill Country communities. Whether you're due for a seasonal tune-up or something's already not right, we'll give you an honest assessment and fair, upfront pricing. (Curious why our systems work so hard down here? Read why your Austin AC works harder than you think.)