An AC tune-up in Tiburon has a different emphasis than one inland. Bay breezes keep cooling demand low for most of the year, so the system logs few hours and wears slowly, but the outdoor unit sits in salt air and fog the whole time. Fins corrode, electrical terminals oxidize, and a capacitor that weakened over the winter fails on the first warm afternoon it is needed. The yearly visit is built around finding those problems while they are still cheap to fix.
What we check, and why it matters on the peninsula
| Step | What we do | Why it matters here |
|---|---|---|
| Inspection | Look over the cabinet, coil, line set, insulation and mounting | Rust and loose panels show up first on waterfront and windward lots |
| Cleaning | Clean the outdoor coil and the indoor coil where accessible, flush the condensate line | Salt film and wind-blown grit cut heat transfer; a blocked drain can shut the system off |
| Refrigerant check | Measure the charge and look for oily spots that mark a leak | Corroded coils leak slowly; we look for the leak rather than topping up |
| Electrical testing | Test capacitors, contactor, connections and motor amps | Damp, salty air pits contacts and terminals during idle months |
| Performance report | Record temperature split and readings, list anything that needs attention | Gives you a baseline to compare next year |
We do not add refrigerant just because a reading is low. A low charge means a leak, and the AC repair visit that finds and fixes it is what actually solves the problem.
Timing the visit
Book the tune-up in spring, before the first stretch of warm afternoons. If you only notice the AC when a view room overheats, that is exactly when you want it to start without a fight. Homes with a heat pump instead of a separate AC should plan a second visit in fall, before the heating months; our HVAC maintenance in Tiburon covers the heating side.
Signs your system needs more than a tune-up
- The outdoor unit hums but the fan is slow to start or does not spin.
- White crust or flaking on the fins, or fins that crumble when touched.
- Rust stains under the cabinet or around the copper connections.
- The house cools, but the west-facing rooms never do.
- The system shuts off and there is water in the drain pan.
Uneven rooms are often a duct or zoning problem rather than a failing unit. We note it in the report so you can decide what to do about it.
Between visits
Keep plants and stored items a couple of feet from the outdoor unit so it can breathe. After a stormy week, a gentle rinse of the coil with a garden hose, with the power off at the disconnect, washes off salt. Never use a pressure washer: it flattens the fins. Change the filter on schedule and keep supply and return grilles clear of furniture.
Larger homes and multiple systems
Many hillside and waterfront houses have two or three systems, or one zoned system with several thermostats. We check each unit and each zone damper, so you know which part of the house a problem belongs to. The general AC maintenance page lists the full checklist, and our Tiburon page covers the other work we do in town.