What a Real AC Maintenance Visit Should Include (and How to Choose a Company)
Quick answer: Service your AC twice a year in coastal Alabama, ideally in the offseason. A real maintenance visit takes about an hour and a half and works from roughly a 40-point inspection documented with photos – and it typically pays for itself each year in utility savings alone. A 20-minute in-and-out visit is a red flag.
Maintenance is one of the most important and most overlooked parts of owning an air conditioner on the Gulf Coast. But not all maintenance is equal, and knowing what a real visit looks like will help you pick the right company.
2x
per year is the ideal service schedule
~90 min
a thorough visit – not 20 minutes
40-point
inspection, documented with photos
20°
temperature drop a healthy system delivers
How Often Should You Service an AC in Alabama?
Twice a year is ideal. Once a year is better than nothing. The best time is in the offseason, between the cooling and heating seasons, so the system is checked before it has to work hard. We typically run heater checks in the fall and early winter and cooling checks in late winter and early spring, before the summer rush.
The 20-Minute HVAC Tune Up Gulf Coast Companies Rush Through Is a Red Flag
A lot of companies are in and out in 20 to 30 minutes. They glance at the system, blow out the drain line, and leave. In our opinion that is not really worth paying for. A thorough maintenance takes time. Our technicians spend about an hour and a half on a single system, and they work from roughly a 40-point inspection, documented with photos.
The AC Maintenance Checklist: What a Thorough Visit Actually Includes
✅ All panels and doors come off the unit – not just a quick look.
✅ The electrical is genuinely checked – the tightness of lugs on high-voltage wiring, the spade connectors, and amp draws (including startup amp draws), all recorded with pictures.
✅ The drain line is cleaned out, and slow-dissolving algae tablets go in the drain pan to fight algae growth between visits.
✅ The outdoor coil is rinsed, and the indoor coil is cleaned with a foaming coil cleaner that pushes the grit out – a step most quick-service companies skip.
✅ You get a full checklist when the job is done, so there is no question about what was actually performed.
AC Maintenance Foley AL Homeowners Rely On: Why It Pays for Itself
A clean system is a cheaper system to run. A dirty coil or fan wheel is like hooking a trailer to your unit: it creates drag, the motors have to work harder, and it burns more electricity. Maintenance typically pays for itself each year just in utility savings.
It also lets us catch problems early. We would much rather replace a weak capacitor in the spring than have it quit on you in June, and replacing it early protects the fan motor it can take out when it fails.
Want maintenance done the thorough way?
Ask about our maintenance plan – a real 90-minute visit, documented with photos, not a 20-minute drive-by.
The Hidden Tell: Your Temperature Split
A healthy system should drop the air temperature about 20 degrees as it runs. It takes at least a 14-degree drop to actually pull moisture out of the air. When we find a system only doing 15 or 16 degrees, something is off, whether it is low refrigerant from a leak, a weakening motor, or dirty, impacted coils. A real maintenance visit catches that before it becomes a breakdown.
Choosing an HVAC Maintenance Company: Questions to Ask Before You Sign Up
Ask what is included beyond the basics, how long they actually spend, whether you get a checklist, and what the membership perks are. Captain Cool members, for example, get 10% off service and a waived $69 dispatch fee when something does go wrong.
The Bottom Line
The cheapest, fastest maintenance is rarely worth it. A proper visit keeps your system clean, lowers your power bill, and catches small problems before they strand you in the heat.
FAQ
How often should you service your AC in Alabama?
Twice a year is ideal – once for cooling, once for heating – with the offseason being the best time, so the system is checked before it has to work hard. Once a year is better than nothing.
What should an AC maintenance checklist include?
All panels off the unit, a genuine electrical check with recorded amp draws, the drain line cleaned with algae tablets added to the pan, both coils cleaned (including the indoor coil with foaming cleaner), and a completed checklist handed to you at the end – documented with photos.
Is a 20–30 minute HVAC tune up enough?
No. A visit that short is usually a glance at the system and a blown-out drain line. A thorough maintenance on a single system takes about an hour and a half.
How do I choose an HVAC maintenance company?
Ask what is included beyond the basics, how long the visit actually takes, whether you get a completed checklist, and what the membership perks are. The answers separate real maintenance from a drive-by.
What temperature drop should my AC produce?
About 20 degrees. It takes at least a 14-degree drop to pull moisture out of the air – if your system is only managing 15 or 16, something is off.
Ready for maintenance that actually earns its keep?
Call Captain Cool to ask about our maintenance plan. Serving Foley, Fairhope, Gulf Shores, Mobile, and the surrounding Baldwin County communities.