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San Antonio AC Maintenance
One Tune-Up a Year Is Not Quite Enough Here
In most of the country, a spring check covers the whole cooling season. San Antonio is different. The air conditioner starts in April, runs hard through a humid summer, and is still working in October. By the time a system has logged four months of near-continuous operation, the coil that was clean in April is coated in live oak pollen and Saharan dust, the condensate line is growing algae, and a capacitor that tested marginal is now failing. That is why we recommend a spring tune-up before the heat and a second look in late summer or fall, and why Care Club includes two visits a year on an enrolled system.
Where you live shapes what we look for. On the north side and in Stone Oak, attic air handlers and long flex-duct runs mean we spend extra time on drains, float switches and duct connections. In older neighborhoods near downtown and in the 1970s homes of the northeast side around our Wye Drive office, it is aging blowers, tired contactors and returns that were undersized to begin with. Out toward Helotes and Boerne, caliche dust and cedar pollen pack outdoor coils faster than anywhere else in the metro.
Our air conditioner maintenance page lists every step of a tune-up in detail. Here is what a San Antonio summer adds to it.
- Spring and late-summer visits Two checks fit a cooling season that runs from April into October. Care Club covers both for $9.99 a month.
- Members save on repairs Care Club includes 5% off repairs, priority scheduling and no dispatch fees, ever.
- Findings, not a sales pitch You get a plain report of what is fine, what is wearing and what can wait. Nothing is replaced without your approval.
Is It Due?
Signs Your San Antonio AC Has Been Skipped Too Long
Maintenance is cheapest before any of these show up, but each one is also a good reason to book now rather than in July.
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The outdoor unit is yellow with pollen
Spring oak pollen and summer dust coat the condenser fins. A blocked coil cannot dump heat, so the compressor runs hotter and longer.
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Cooling cycles are getting longer every year
A slow loss of capacity from a dirty evaporator coil, a low charge or a weak fan. The bill climbs before you notice the comfort change.
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A musty smell when the system starts
Humidity plus a damp coil and drain pan equals mildew. Common in San Antonio and fixable with a coil cleaning and drain treatment.
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You cannot remember the last filter change
A packed filter starves the blower and can freeze the coil. In a house with pets or an attic air handler, every month or two is realistic.
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A new hum, rattle or squeal
Fan motors and capacitors give warning before they quit. A tune-up catches them while they are still a small part rather than a hot afternoon.
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You just bought the house
The inspection told you the system ran. It did not tell you the charge, the amp draw or whether the drain has ever been cleared. A tune-up does.
The Checklist
What a Radiant Tune-Up Covers in San Antonio
Measured and documented, not eyeballed. You see the readings.
- Condenser coil cleaning Pollen, dust and cottonwood fluff rinsed out of the fins so the unit can shed heat.
- Refrigerant charge and temperature split Pressures and superheat or subcooling checked against the manufacturer spec. A low charge is caught before the coil freezes.
- Capacitor and motor testing Microfarad readings on the capacitors and amp draw on the compressor and fans, the numbers that predict a July failure.
- Condensate line flush and float switch check The line is cleared and treated and the safety switch is tested, the step that prevents most San Antonio ceiling stains.
- Airflow, filter and duct check Static pressure, filter fit and a look at the attic duct connections that pull in hot, humid air when they separate.
- Thermostat and controls Calibration, wiring and settings, including the fan mode that quietly ruins humidity control when it is left on “on”.
What to Expect
A Maintenance Visit, Start to Finish
About an hour for a single system, longer for two-system homes. You can watch or go about your day.
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Pick a time that suits you
Spring slots fill quickly in San Antonio. Care Club members get priority scheduling and no dispatch fee.
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Inspect, measure, clean
Outdoor unit, attic or closet air handler, drain, thermostat and ductwork, with readings recorded at each step.
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A straight report
What passed, what is wearing, and what we recommend. If a part is failing, you get a written price and decide.
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Ready for the heat
Filter in, panels on, drain clear, system run and verified. We note when the next visit is due.
Current Specials
Save on the work your home needs most.
San Antonio
HVAC
25% Off Select Air Purifiers & Filters
Expires 12/31/2026
San Antonio
HVAC
Up To $2,500 OFF Full HVAC System!
Expires 12/31/2026
San Antonio
HVAC
Buy a Complete HVAC System, Get a Furnace FREE!
Expires 12/31/2026
San Antonio
HVAC
Last Chance HVAC Tune-up $68
Expires 12/31/2026
Both Locations
HVAC
Up to $200 off Duct Cleaning
Expires 12/31/2026
Both Locations
HVAC
$99 Furnace Tune-Up
Expires 12/31/2026
Book Your San Antonio AC Tune-Up
Before the first 95-degree day is ideal. During it still works.
What Our Customers Say
Don't just take our word for it — hear from our satisfied customers
★★★★★
Alex performed the winter service on my unit. This business along with Alex, are very professional and upfront about everything. To be transparent, this is the maintenance included with the purchase of a unit from them. I was informed about everything to include pictures as proof. I was told that my unit is 100% and very clean and again pictures to prove it. I was reccomended this business by a friend and glad he did. The initial purchase experience was also amazing. I had contacted 5 other businesses to get quotes about a new unit as my upstairs unit failed. 2 were outrageous quotes and I am technically still waiting on the other 3. On every instance of getting a quote, I waited about 1 week. Luckily my house has two units but still, un acceptable especially during the summer. I guess they all had so much business they did not care for mine. When I called this business not only did they come out the same day, I had the new unit installed with in 48 hrs. Oh and let's not forget the quote they gave me was the lowest of all. I can say enough good things about this business. Keep up the great work.
★★★★★
We needed a new air conditioning system because ours was over 15 years old. I decided to get several estimates from different companies here in San Antonio. Each company seemed to have outrageous prices and wanted to put me into something that was above what I needed. I decided to try one more company, Schmidt Mechanical. I went on their website early in the morning and filled out my information asking for someone to contact me. By the end of the same day, Jared was sitting at our table. I told him specifically what I wanted and what I did not want, since I had gained quite a bit of information from my interaction with other companies. We had a lot of fun sitting at the table and talking about many things, but when he put pen to paper, and gave us three choices of product, service, warranties, etc., we knew right away that Schmidt Mechanical was far superior to other companies in town. We sealed the deal and decided that the following Monday would be installation day. Keeping in mind, that would be one week from the day that we sat down and closed. The very next night, our old unit decided to call it quits and we still had six more nights to go until we get the new system. I called the after hours service line and they sent someone out by 10 o’clock that night, but unfortunately the unit couldn’t even carry electricity to be repaired. They didn’t even charge me for that service call. The next morning I called the company to ask if they had any suggestions on what we could do in the meantime. They put their heads together to come up with a solution. We were very thankful to Keith when he called to tell us they were able to rearrange schedules and carve out time in order to have our new AC unit installed two days later. Schmidt Mechanical - professional, honest, dependable, excellent customer service -- a company you will not regret doing business with. Thank you Team Schmidt!
★★★★★
I would highly recommend Radiant Plumbing. After our 17 year old system broke we bought a new AC unit from Radiant. All the people I dealt with were highly professional, explained everything well and were thorough in their inspection. They were very easy to contact, including a number customers can text with concerns or questions. They kept me well informed through the whole process. They even installed at no cost a portable AC to keep us cool before the installation. The installers, Arturo and Rene, were prompt; they arrived at the exact time we were told, and were very respectful of our home.
Radiant helped us quickly; the AC broke Thursday evening, we scheduled the repairman to come Friday, and Saturday they installed the new unit. I know it isn't always able to happen that fast but it was an extra bonus and relief to finally find an AC company that is actually available and answers the phone, unlike A US Air Conditioning, and is efficient and thorough with no high pressure salesmen, unlike ARS.
Thank you Radiant!
11/4/2020 - update
Had CJ out for the system check and he was very professional, informative, and respectful. He had some recommendations and was able to get us a replacement part for free even though we were just outside the 2yr warranty. It was a very unexpected blessing and I greatly appreciate him and the whole Radiant team.
Radiant helped us quickly; the AC broke Thursday evening, we scheduled the repairman to come Friday, and Saturday they installed the new unit. I know it isn't always able to happen that fast but it was an extra bonus and relief to finally find an AC company that is actually available and answers the phone, unlike A US Air Conditioning, and is efficient and thorough with no high pressure salesmen, unlike ARS.
Thank you Radiant!
11/4/2020 - update
Had CJ out for the system check and he was very professional, informative, and respectful. He had some recommendations and was able to get us a replacement part for free even though we were just outside the 2yr warranty. It was a very unexpected blessing and I greatly appreciate him and the whole Radiant team.
Maintenance Membership
Join the Care Club
Home maintenance for $9.99 a month.
Care Club members get two HVAC tune-ups and a plumbing safety inspection every year, priority scheduling, no dispatch fees — ever — and 5% off every repair.
- Priority scheduling
- Seasonal HVAC tune-ups
- Annual safety inspection
- Exclusive member discounts
- Free dispatch on repairs
- No long-term contracts
San Antonio AC Maintenance Questions
When is the best month to schedule AC maintenance in San Antonio?
March or April, before the system goes into daily use, and then again around September if you want to protect the back half of the season. Cooling demand in San Antonio ramps up earlier and lasts longer than most of the country, so a check in late spring can already be a check on a system that has been running for weeks. Booking early also means you are ahead of the rush: once the first stretch of 95-degree days arrives, tune-up slots compete with repair calls. Care Club members get two visits a year on an enrolled system and priority scheduling, which takes the timing question off your plate.
Does a tune-up really lower my summer electric bill?
It usually does, though the size of the difference depends on how neglected the system was. A condenser coil caked in pollen forces the compressor to run hotter and longer to move the same heat. A dirty evaporator coil and a clogged filter cut airflow, so the system runs more cycles for the same result. A low refrigerant charge does both. Cleaning and correcting those restores the efficiency the equipment had when it was installed. With a cooling season this long, the run hours add up, so even a modest efficiency gain shows on the bill. What a tune-up cannot do is make a 15-year-old unit perform like a new one, and we will tell you when you have reached that point.
What does Care Club include for a San Antonio homeowner?
For $9.99 a month, Care Club gives an enrolled HVAC system its two tune-ups each year, one before the heat and one before the cold, and adds a yearly plumbing safety inspection of the whole house. Members also pay 5% less on repairs, never pay a dispatch fee, move to the front of the schedule, and get member-only deals. Emergency calls at night or on a holiday are billed at standard rates, with no after-hours trip charge. For a San Antonio house with a long cooling season and hard Edwards Aquifer water working on the plumbing, it covers the two systems most likely to cause an expensive surprise.
How often should I change my filter in this climate?
More often than the box says. A San Antonio system runs so many hours between April and October that a “90-day” filter can be loaded in half that time, and homes with pets, an attic air handler or heavy oak and cedar pollen exposure load them faster still. Check it monthly during the cooling season and replace it when you cannot see light through it. A packed filter is one of the most common causes of a frozen coil and a no-cooling call. If your return is hard to reach or your filter size is odd, mention it at your tune-up; a filter upgrade is often a simple fix, and our filters page covers the options.
*Offers cannot be combined with other promotions or applied to dispatch fees. No cash value. Must present offer at time of service. Call for details.
