AC Maintenance in Cabot, AR
Air conditioners here run from May through September, so April is the time for a tune-up. Tell us about your system, and a licensed contractor who covers Lonoke County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Five months of summer heat on Cabot's air conditioners
From May through September your air conditioner runs against afternoons that average 90°F. That is five straight months of long run times, day after day. A tune-up checks the capacitor and the contactor, the parts that carry the load of starting and running the compressor through all that heat.
Lonoke County has also logged 54 hail events and 80 damaging wind events over the past ten years, with hail up to 3 inches recorded. Hail that size can bend the fins on an outdoor condenser coil, and high wind can knock the unit out of level or drive debris into the cabinet. A tune-up catches that kind of damage before it keeps the unit from cooling on the next hot afternoon.
- 5 months
- May through September, your air conditioner is on duty
- 90°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 54 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 80 wind events
- in ten years, and wind drives debris into outdoor units
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
Book your AC tune-up in April, before homes here start needing cooling in May.
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
A tune-up checks the refrigerant charge, cleans the coils, tests the capacitor and tightens the electrical connections.
Arkansas requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The state tests contractors before they get that license, and it keeps a record of who holds one. It covers the contractor as a whole, not the specific job at your house, so it does not disappear or reset each time someone comes out for maintenance. Because Arkansas holds this license at the state level, no county or city in Lonoke County can add its own license on top of it or require something different.
For a maintenance visit on your air conditioner, that state license is what stands behind the person doing the work. If the visit involves opening the refrigerant side of the system, checking charge or handling coils, the technician also needs EPA Section 608 certification, which is a federal requirement in every state and separate from the Arkansas license itself.
Source: Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing
- What does AC maintenance include?
- A technician checks refrigerant charge, cleans the condenser coil, and tests the capacitor and contactor. They also check the blower motor, inspect the ductwork for airflow problems, and change or clean the filter. On a maintenance visit they should also check the thermostat is calling for cooling correctly and that the condensate drain is clear, since a clogged drain can back up and cause water damage.
- How often does an air conditioner need maintenance?
- Once a year, ideally before summer starts. Cabot homes run the AC from May through September, so having it checked in spring catches a weak capacitor or a low refrigerant charge before the 90°F afternoons arrive. Skipping a year does not always cause a breakdown, but it means small problems get found less often, usually when the unit is already struggling.
- Is AC maintenance worth it?
- Yes, because most compressor failures and refrigerant leaks show warning signs a technician can catch during a routine check. A five month cooling season here means the system gets heavy, steady use, and a unit that is not maintained is more likely to fail on the hottest afternoons rather than a mild day. Regular checks also keep the coil and filter clean, which matters for how well the system cools the house.