AC Maintenance in Sumrall, MS
Air conditioners here run from May through October, so April is the time for a tune-up. Tell us about your system, and a licensed contractor who covers Lamar County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Six months of Sumrall heat is hard on a system
From May through October your air conditioner is working, and on a 91°F afternoon it runs long stretches just to hold the house steady. That kind of runtime wears on the parts that keep the system cooling, the capacitor, the contactor, the refrigerant charge.
Lamar County has also seen its share of hail and wind, 19 hail events and 101 damaging wind events over the past ten years. An outdoor unit sitting through that can end up with bent fins or a coil that isn't moving air the way it should, even when the system still turns on. A tune-up is when a contractor catches that kind of wear before it turns into a system that won't keep up next summer.
- 6 months
- May through October, your air conditioner is on duty
- 91°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 19 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 101 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.
Mississippi requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The Mississippi State Board of Contractors issues that license after testing the contractor, and it keeps a record of who holds one. The license belongs to the contractor, not to any single job, so the same license covers the work whether it is a repair call or a maintenance visit like this one.
For a maintenance visit, that license is what stands behind the person working on the system. If the work involves opening the refrigerant side, the technician also needs EPA Section 608 certification, which is a federal requirement in every state, not a Mississippi rule. Between the two, the license accounts for the contractor and the certification accounts for anyone handling refrigerant.
Source: Mississippi State Board of Contractors
- What does AC maintenance include?
- A contractor checks refrigerant charge, cleans the condenser coil, and tests capacitors and electrical connections. They also check the evaporator coil and drain line, since a clogged drain can back up and cause water damage. Airflow gets checked too, since a system starved for air runs harder and wears out faster. Anyone opening the refrigerant lines to check charge has to hold EPA 608 certification, so ask what license and certification the contractor carries.
- How often does an air conditioner need maintenance?
- Once a year, before the season it works hardest. Here that means getting it checked before May, since the system runs from May through October with summer afternoons averaging 91 degrees. A yearly check catches a low refrigerant charge or a weak capacitor before the system has to carry that load for six months straight.
- Is AC maintenance worth it?
- Yes, especially with six months of cooling season ahead each year here. A dirty coil or low refrigerant charge makes the system run longer to reach the same temperature, and that strain adds up over a summer of 91 degree afternoons. Maintenance also catches a failing capacitor or worn part before it leaves the house without cooling on the hottest day of the year. Mississippi requires the contractor doing the work to hold a state license, so check for that before scheduling.