AC Maintenance in Shelbyville, KY
Air conditioners here run from May through September, so April is the time for a tune-up. Tell us about your system, and a licensed contractor who covers Shelby County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Five months of heat, then a long wait
Your air conditioner works its hardest from May through September, with summer afternoons here averaging 85°F. That is five straight months of the compressor cycling on and off to keep up, day after day.
Shelby County also sees its share of rough weather. Ten years of records show 21 hail events and 50 damaging wind events in the area. Hail can dent or bend the fins on your outdoor unit, and high wind can rock it on its pad or send debris into the coil. A tune-up before the season starts is when a contractor can catch that kind of damage, along with a coil that has gotten dirty or a refrigerant charge that has drifted low, before the first hot week puts real strain on the system.
- 5 months
- May through September, your air conditioner is on duty
- 85°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 21 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 50 wind events
- in ten years, and wind drives debris into outdoor units
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
Book your AC tune-up in April, before homes here start needing cooling in May.
- 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.
Kentucky requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The license comes from the state's Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction. It covers the contractor, not the individual job, so the same license applies whether the work is a repair, a maintenance visit, or a full install.
For a maintenance visit on an air conditioner, that license is what stands behind the person in the driveway. If the work involves opening the refrigerant side of the system, such as checking charge or servicing the coil, the technician also has to hold EPA Section 608 certification, which is a federal requirement in every state and separate from Kentucky's license.
Sources: Kentucky Legislative Research Commission · Kentucky Department of Housing, Buildings and Construction
- What does AC maintenance include?
- A technician cleans the condenser coil, checks the refrigerant charge, and tests the capacitor and contactor in the outdoor unit. Inside, they check the evaporator coil and the condensate drain, since a clogged drain can back up and cause water damage. They also check the thermostat and airflow across the system, and replace the filter if it is due. Anyone working on the refrigerant side has to hold EPA 608 certification, so this is not a job for someone without that credential.
- How often does an air conditioner need maintenance?
- Once a year is standard, done before the cooling season starts. Here that means getting it done before May, since the system runs hard from May through September with afternoons averaging 85°F. A yearly check catches a weak capacitor or a low refrigerant charge before it fails on a hot afternoon.
- Is AC maintenance worth it?
- Yes, because most of what fails in an air conditioner shows warning signs before it quits. A weak capacitor, a dirty coil, or a slow refrigerant leak all get caught in a check that would otherwise leave the system down in the middle of summer. A contractor can price the actual visit for your system, but skipping it means finding out about a problem when the house is already 85 degrees outside and getting warmer inside.