Services
AC and furnace tune-ups
A spring visit for the air conditioner, a fall visit for the furnace, and what we found written down in plain English.
What a visit actually involves
Cooling season: wash the condenser coil, check the charge against the readings the manufacturer expects, measure the amp draw of the compressor and the fan, clear the condensate drain, check the capacitor and the contactor, and look at the temperature split across the indoor coil.
Heating season: inspect the burners and the flame pattern, clean the flame sensor, check the inducer and the pressure switches, look over the heat exchanger, test the safety limits, check the venting and the condensate trap, and measure the temperature rise against the nameplate.
You get told what we found. Not a score out of twenty-one points.
Why it is worth doing
A dirty coil costs you money quietly
The condenser on this page had a coil packed solid with dirt. The system ran constantly, the house still would not cool, and the electricity bill had been going up for two summers without anybody connecting the two.
It is the least dramatic thing on a tune-up list and the one that pays for the visit.
What customers wrote about tune-ups
They were able to come out the very next day, arrived on time, and did a thorough, professional inspection of the system. The technician was knowledgeable, careful, and clearly focused on doing the job properly rather than trying to sell unnecessary services or upgrades.
They cleaned everything, checked for issues, and gave me useful tips to keep it running longer.
Towns we cover
Northwest
- Wheeling 1 job
- Buffalo Grove 1 job
- Prospect Heights
- Lincolnshire
- Arlington Heights 1 job
- Long Grove
- Mount Prospect
- Palatine
- Barrington
North Shore
- Deerfield
- Northbrook 2 jobs
- Highland Park
- Highwood
- Lake Forest
- Glenview 1 job
- Winnetka
- Wilmette 1 job
Near north
- Park Ridge
- Skokie
- Chicago 2 jobs
Tune-up questions
When is the best time?
The air conditioner in April or May, the furnace in September or October. Both are quiet months, which means we can come sooner and take longer over it.
My system is new. Does it need this?
The coil still gets dirty and the condensate line still blocks. It also keeps most manufacturer warranties intact, which ask for annual maintenance and are quite happy to point that out when a compressor fails.
What if you find something wrong?
You hear what it is, whether it needs doing now or can wait, and what it would take to fix. Plenty of it can wait, and we say so.
Do you cover more than one system in a house?
Yes. Houses with two furnaces and two condensers are common around here and both get the same visit.
Book a tune-up
Tell us how many systems there are and roughly how old they are.