Heating & AC Maintenance and Tune-Ups
A routine tune-up before the seasons change catches most of the problems that cause breakdowns on the first cold night or the first heat wave.
Lowell's climate asks a lot of a heating and cooling system twice a year: months of heating that run from November into April, and a humid summer that arrives all at once in June. Equipment that sat idle for months is suddenly asked to run all day, and that is when weak capacitors, dirty flame sensors and clogged drains show up. A tune-up before each season, the air conditioner in spring and the furnace or boiler in late summer or fall, is the simplest way to avoid that call.
A tune-up is not a quick look and a sticker. It means cleaning the parts that collect dirt, testing the parts that wear out, and checking that the system runs safely and the way its manufacturer intended. We note anything that is starting to fail and tell you honestly whether it needs attention now or can wait.
A maintenance calendar for Lowell
| When | What to do | Who |
|---|---|---|
| March–April | Change the furnace filter; check the outdoor AC unit for winter damage, fallen branches and leaves | You |
| April–May | Air conditioner or heat pump tune-up before the humid weather | Technician |
| June | Cottonwood fluff and grass clippings collect on the outdoor coil; rinse it gently with the power off | You |
| July–August | Check the filter monthly in heavy use; keep two feet clear around the outdoor unit; watch the condensate drain | You |
| September–October | Furnace or boiler tune-up, combustion and safety check before the first cold snap | Technician |
| October–November | Bleed hot-water radiators, check boiler pressure, test the carbon monoxide and smoke alarms | You |
| December–February | After every storm, clear snow from vent pipes and the heat pump; keep the oil tank filled ahead of cold snaps | You |
Spring air conditioning tune-up
- Clean the outdoor condenser coil and straighten bent fins
- Check the refrigerant charge by measurement, not by guesswork
- Test the capacitor and inspect the contactor
- Tighten electrical connections and check motor amperage
- Inspect and clean the indoor coil where it is reachable
- Flush the condensate drain and test the float switch
- Check blower operation and airflow
- Measure the temperature drop across the coil
- Replace or check the filter
- Check the thermostat and run a full cooling cycle
Fall heating tune-up
Gas furnaces and boilers
- Clean the burners and the flame sensor
- Inspect the igniter and the heat exchanger
- Test the limit, rollout and pressure switches
- Check the venting, the draft and the condensate trap
- Measure combustion and carbon monoxide
Oil burners and boilers
- Replace the nozzle and the oil filter
- Clean the heat exchanger and the flue pipe
- Set the burner by combustion testing
- Check boiler pressure, the expansion tank and the relief valve
- On steam boilers, check the water level and the low-water cutoff
What you can do between visits
- Change or check the filter on schedule, and write the date on its frame.
- Keep furniture, rugs and curtains off supply registers, return grilles and radiators.
- Keep the outdoor unit clear of plants, leaves and snow.
- Replace thermostat batteries once a year if your thermostat uses them.
- Know where the emergency switch for the furnace or boiler is. It often looks like an ordinary light switch, so make sure everyone in the house leaves it on.
Landlords and business owners with several systems can find a building-by-building approach on the light commercial page. For what a full visit looks like from start to finish, see our process.
Maintenance questions
How often should my system be serviced?
Once a year for each job it does: the heating side in late summer or fall, the cooling side in spring. A heat pump or mini-split heats and cools, so it benefits from a look before each season, or at least once a year with the coils, drains and filters cleaned.
My system is new. Does it still need a tune-up?
Yes. New systems need their filters, drains and coils kept clean like any other, and a first-year check catches installation details before they turn into problems. Many manufacturers' warranties also expect regular maintenance, so read yours and keep the paperwork.
How long does a tune-up take?
Usually an hour or two per system, longer if the cleaning turns up something that needs repair. If we find a problem, we explain it and give you the price before doing anything beyond the tune-up.
Can I clean my own outdoor coil?
You can do a gentle rinse. Turn the power off at the disconnect next to the unit, brush off leaves and fluff, and spray the coil from the outside with a garden hose, never a pressure washer, which flattens the fins. A deep cleaning from the inside, with the top removed, is part of the spring tune-up.
Why does an oil system need cleaning every single year?
Oil burns with some soot, and soot insulates the heat exchanger, so more of the heat goes up the chimney each month it is left there. The yearly service replaces the nozzle and the oil filter, cleans the heat exchanger and flue, and sets the burner by measuring its combustion, which keeps it efficient and lowers the risk of a puffback.