Get Your AC Ready for Houston Summer

Houston summer doesn't ease in. It hits in May and doesn't let up until October. Your AC will run somewhere around 2,500 hours during that stretch — the equivalent of putting 100,000 miles on a car in five months.

You wouldn't take a road trip across the country without checking the oil. Same logic.

Here's what to do, and what to skip.

What to Do Yourself

You can do most of the basic prep in an hour, with no tools and no skills.

1. Change the filter. This is the single biggest thing. A dirty filter chokes airflow, makes the system work harder, and can freeze the coil. Pop it out. If it looks gray and matted, replace it. If it looks new, you're already winning.

2. Hose off the outdoor unit. Turn off power at the breaker. Spray the condenser fins with a regular garden hose from the inside out (top down). Don't use a pressure washer — fins bend easily. You're just rinsing off pollen, grass clippings, and Houston grime.

3. Clear two feet of space around it. Bushes, fences, kid toys, garden hoses, AC condensers need to breathe. Anything within two feet is restricting airflow and costing you money.

4. Check the condensate drain. That's the PVC pipe coming out of the indoor unit, usually ending outside. Pour a cup of distilled vinegar down the access port (the T-shaped fitting near the air handler) to break up algae. A clogged drain is the #1 cause of summer AC water damage in Houston.

5. Test the system before you need it. Don't wait for the first 95° day. Run the AC for 20 minutes on a 75° day in March. If anything sounds wrong, smells wrong, or doesn't get cold, you have time to fix it.

What to Have a Pro Do

Some things genuinely need a tech:

• Refrigerant level check. Requires gauges and EPA certification. If your unit is short on refrigerant, you have a leak — and topping it off is a band-aid.
• Electrical inspection. Capacitors weaken before they fail. A cheap test catches this before it strands you in July.
• Coil cleaning (deep clean). The outdoor rinse helps, but the indoor evaporator coil needs to be properly cleaned every 2-3 years. That's a real job.
• Blower motor and amp draw check. Tells you if the motor is on its way out before it dies.

TIP: Schedule the tune-up in March or early April. By May, every HVAC company in Houston is slammed and the prices go up. We charge less for spring tune-ups for a reason — we're not slammed yet.

DIY vs. Pro Tune-Up

The Houston-Specific Problems

Most general HVAC advice on the internet was written for Ohio. Houston is different:

• Humidity wrecks coils faster. Algae, mold, and rust all happen quicker here. A 7-year-old coil in Houston looks like a 12-year-old coil in Phoenix.
• Pollen is brutal. Spring pollen clogs filters and outdoor coils faster than people expect. Check your filter monthly March-May.
• Hurricanes happen. If you're in a flood zone or storm path, know how to shut down the system properly. Wet electrical components are not something you want to power back on.
• Power outages stress the compressor. When the power flickers, the compressor tries to restart against high pressure. A surge protector for the outdoor unit is worth $50-$100 and prevents some very expensive damage.

WARNING: If your AC freezes up (you'll see ice on the copper line outside or hear the unit running constantly without cooling), shut it off immediately. Running it frozen can crack the compressor — turning a $300 problem into a $3,000 problem in about 20 minutes.

When to Call

If any of these are true, skip the DIY checklist and just call:

• The unit is over 10 years old and you've never had it serviced
• You hear grinding, screeching, or a loud hum when it kicks on
• Cold air takes more than 5 minutes to come out after start
• You see ice anywhere on the system
• The breaker has tripped more than once
• Your last electric bill was 30%+ higher than the same month last year

FAQ

How often should I change my air filter in Houston?

Every 30-60 days during peak season (May-October). Every 60-90 days in cooler months. If you have pets or allergies, lean toward the shorter end. Cheap pleated filters are fine — don't pay for "MERV 16 hospital grade" filters unless someone in the house has severe allergies, because they can actually restrict airflow on residential systems.

Is a spring tune-up actually worth the money?

Yes, if your unit is over 5 years old or you haven't had one in 2+ years. Tune-ups average $89-$149 in Houston. They catch problems early — a $20 capacitor caught in March is a $400 emergency call in July. They also extend equipment life by years.

Can I clean the indoor coil myself?

Not really. The indoor evaporator coil is inside the air handler, behind the blower assembly. Accessing it without breaking the seal or damaging the fins is hard. Leave this one to a tech every 2-3 years.

What's the ideal thermostat setting for Houston summer?

78° when you're home, 82° when you're not. Every degree below 78° increases your cooling cost by about 6-8%. The myth that it's "cheaper to leave it at one temperature all day" is wrong — programmable setbacks save real money.

How long should it take my AC to cool the house after I get home?

A properly sized system should drop the temperature about 1° per hour. So coming home to an 82° house and trying to get to 75° will take roughly 7 hours. If yours can't do that, you have a problem — not enough capacity, dirty filter, low refrigerant, or all three.