How Much Does It Cost to Have My AC Maintained in Tampa?

You’ve probably heard from a technician, other homeowners, or the internet that you should invest in annual AC maintenance to keep your cooling bills low, your home comfortable and your AC running smoothly.

But whether or not you think investing in AC maintenance is worth your money probably depends on the cost of service. Typically, the cost of air conditioning maintenance is calculated depending on:

• The Company/Contractor You Choose
• What’s on the Maintenance Checklist
• Whether It’s a One-Time Tune-Up or Part of a Maintenance Plan

Below, we’ll look at each of these cost factors so you can get a better idea of how much your AC maintenance may cost. But first, let’s go into a little more detail about why you should invest in annual maintenance in the first place.

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Why Pay for AC Maintenance?

For being a fairly inexpensive service, AC maintenance can provide you with quite a few important benefits, like:

1. Reducing monthly cooling bills- When all parts of your AC system are running smoothly, your AC will run more efficiently, which reduces the amount you spend on monthly energy bills.
2. Helping you avoid expensive repairs/replacements- While we can’t promise that a tech won’t find a major issue when they’re conducting a tune-up when you have a pro maintain your AC on an annual basis, they usually catch small issues before they become large, expensive repairs/replacements. In the long run, this can save you quite a bit of money.
3. Keeping your parts warranty valid- Your parts warranty probably has a stipulation that says you must have your AC system maintained annually by a licensed professional to remain valid. Hiring a tech for a tune-up each year will satisfy this requirement.
4. Providing you with peace of mind- Having a professional take a look at your AC system is like going to the doctor every year. It gives you peace of mind knowing you don’t have to worry about dealing with an AC breakdown during the middle of the summer.

Now that we’ve explored why you should invest in annual AC maintenance, let’s look at the factors that will affect the cost of this service.

Cost Factor #1: The Company or Contractor You Choose 

When it comes to AC tune-ups, most HVAC companies will charge around the same price. However, you should beware of techs who offer rock-bottom pricing. This typically indicates that they're just looking to make a quick buck and may offer a sloppy or quick checkup.

The point of AC maintenance is to ensure that your AC is running properly and hopefully avoid any large issues or breakdowns in the future. When you hire an experienced and/or high-quality technician, you know they will complete a thorough inspection of your AC system and will catch any serious issues. So, while it may cost a little bit more upfront to hire a tech with more experience, it’s worth it to invest in a quality company over a cheaper company that may not be as thorough.

To find a quality contractor, you should look at:

1. The kind of reviews they have on sites like the BBB, Google, and Facebook.
2. The kinds of things they check during a maintenance visit, which is usually listed on their website. Below, we’ll go into more detail about what you should look for as far as a maintenance checklist is concerned.

Cost Factor #2: The Length/Extensivity of the Checklist

Typically, the more components a contractor checks during a maintenance visit, the more they will charge. However, if you’re going to invest in AC maintenance, you probably want to ensure that you’re getting the best tune-up possible.

To give you a better idea of what you should expect, we’ve listed ENERGY STAR’s® list of the minimum maintenance tasks a technician should check, which includes:

• Check Your Thermostat Settings
• Check and Adjust Electrical Connections
• Lubricate All Moving Parts
• Check and Inspect the Condensate Drain
• Check System Controls
• Clean Evaporator and Condenser Air Conditioning Coils
• Check Refrigerant Levels
• Clean and Adjust Blower Components

Our recommendation would be to find a technician who will check at least what is listed above. Usually, a company or contractor will have a list of everything that’s included in an AC tune-up. If they don’t have a list or refuse to provide you with specifics, we would suggest finding another company or contractor to perform your AC tune-up.

Cost Factor #3: One-Time Tune-up vs. A Maintenance Plan

A one-time tune-up will probably be less expensive than a maintenance plan. However, maintenance plans usually include multiple system tune-ups or other perks that typically make them worth the extra cost.

For example, our one-time tune-up is $89 dollars and our yearly maintenance plan is $199, but in addition to an AC tune-up, our maintenance plan includes perks like:

• After-Hours Appointments
• Complete Plumbing Inspection
• Water Heater Flush
• 15% Discount on Repairs
• And More

If you’re going to commit to having your AC maintained annually by a professional, our recommendation would be to become a maintenance member. That way when your AC does need repairs, you have the benefits that come with being a maintenance member (no overtime charges, after-hours, discounts on repairs, etc.), and will end up spending less than someone who just pays for one-time tune-ups.

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