The one-a-year (per unit) habit that keeps St. Louis heating and cooling running longer, safer, and cheaper.
Your air conditioner and your furnace should each be professionally cleaned and checked once a year each: the AC in spring before cooling season, the furnace in fall before the first cold snap. With our HVAC System Checks, you don't have to worry so much about the "when" (we'll get to why shortly). That's two visits a year for a standard AC-/furnace home.
We've been serving St. Louis homes since 1969, and the pattern we see is simple: systems that get annual maintenance are the ones that reach the far end of their lifespan (15 years for an AC, 20 for a furnace). The ones that don't are the ones we replace early.
Why annual maintenance matters
An annual clean-and-check is what stands between a routine visit and a mid-July breakdown. Five concrete reasons:
Fewer breakdowns, at better times.
Most emergency calls we run trace back to something a tune-up would have caught: a weak start component, a dirty flame sensor, a clogged condensate drain, etc.. Equipment fails hardest on the hottest and coldest days, exactly when it's working hardest.
Lower energy bills.
Heating and cooling account for more than half of a typical home's energy use (per the U.S. EIA). A dirty coil or clogged filter forces the system to run longer to do the same job, which matters in St. Louis summers when the AC runs for weeks straight
Longer equipment life expectancy.
ACs average 12–15 years and furnaces 15–20, but those numbers assume maintained equipment. Your HVAC system is like your car: without maintenance, little irritants can wear down components and cause major problems down the road.
Safety.
The furnace check inspects the heat exchanger and tests for carbon monoxide. A cracked heat exchanger is very dangerous but can be found quickly with regular maintenance.
Warranty protection.
Most manufacturer warranties require documented regular maintenance. Skipping it can void coverage on a repair the warranty would otherwise have paid for. Carrier® units installed by Air Comfort Service include a 10 year factory parts warranty. If you maintain a Preferred Partner Plan, Air Comfort Service includes a 10-year labor warranty.
What does a Clean & Check include?
The AC Clean & Check
- Clean or check the condenser coil and clear debris from the outdoor unit
- Check refrigerant charge and inspect for leaks
- Test the capacitor, contactor, and electrical connections
- Flush and clear the condensate drain line (the #1 cause of AC water leaks)
- Check the blower motor and airflow
- Replace or check the air filter
- Test thermostat operation and temperature split
The Furnace Clean & Check
- Inspect the heat exchanger for cracks or corrosion
- Test for carbon monoxide and check venting/flue
- Clean the burners and flame sensor
- Test the igniter, gas pressure, and safety controls
- Check the blower motor and airflow
- Replace or check the air filter
- Verify thermostat operation
What can you do yourself between checks?
1. Change your filter every 1–3 months
Check monthly for 1-inch filters in homes with pets, up to 3 months for thicker pleated filters. The single cheapest thing you can do for your system.
2. Keep the outdoor unit clear.
Try to keep two feet of clearance around the condenser. Trim shrubs, clear cottonwood fluff and grass clippings. St. Louis cottonwood season is particularly brutal.
3. Don't close vents to "save energy."
Closing supply vents raises duct pressure and strains the blower. Leave them open.
What happens if you skip maintenance?
Nothing, at first — which is exactly why people skip it. Then, in order: energy bills creep up as coils and filters load with dirt; small parts (start components, flame sensors, etc) fail without warning, usually on a 95° afternoon or a 15° night; and the system's lifespan quietly shortens. A neglected system doesn't announce it's dying... it just costs more every year until it quits.
Is a maintenance plan worth it?
For most homes with both an AC and a furnace, yes — the math is straightforward. A one-time A/C or Furnace Clean & Check is $99 at Air Comfort Service. The Preferred Partner Plan starts at $19 per month and includes two HVAC System Checks a year, and each system check includes both the AC and furnace, so both units are looked at twice annually for extra peace of mind.
Remember earlier when we said timing matters less with Preferred Partner Plan System Checks? Think about it - if you had your AC checked before spring, your furnace has already been looked at once before being the center of attention in fall.
Plan members also get priority scheduling, half off the emergency dispatch fee ($199 → $100 on after hours calls), half off service calls during business hours, 15% off repairs, 5% off new equipment, and the 12th month free on monthly payment. We service all brands.
FAQs
A: AC in spring (March–May), furnace in early fall (September–October) before peak season, when appointments are easy to get and problems can be fixed before you need the system.