AC Maintenance in Houston, TX
We work the south side of Houston, from the Medical Center down to the Pearland line. For most of it a yearly tune-up is ordinary work. Near Hobby and Sunnyside, refinery dust drifts in. Coils there foul faster, which makes the visit count for more.
- $99, $79 with web coupon
- South Houston only
- 2,090+ Google reviews
- 90-minute visits
Coils in the refinery wedge
Easterly winds push particulate from the Pasadena and Channelview refinery areas inland on a wedge between the Ship Channel and Highway 288. The Hobby Airport corridor sits right under it. So do Sunnyside and the older subdivisions around Almeda Mall. Indoor evaporator coils in those neighborhoods come in dirty far sooner than the same equipment in West Houston. A coated coil moves less air, so the system runs longer and the power bill climbs while the house never quite catches up.
In those ZIPs the spring visit includes a blower-wheel cleaning, and we may suggest a second, mid-year visit. A MERV-13 media cabinet ($600 to $1,200) keeps more of the grime off the coil in between.
What turns up, by the age of the house
1950s and 60s ranches in Brays Oaks, Westbury and Fondren Southwest have attic air handlers, and capacitors up there wear out early in the heat. Catching a weak one in spring is a $180 to $320 swap on a mild morning. In Westbury and Meyerland homes on original ductwork, the airflow check counts as much as the coil cleaning.
1970s and 80s subdivisions toward Hiram Clarke and Almeda Mall run older equipment. Drains plug nearly every year there. Contactors pit from decades of cycling. On those visits the drain flush and the electrical test under load matter most.
Newer infill south of 610, plus the Medical Center and Midtown high-rises, has younger equipment. Builder-grade ducts and shared air-handler closets make that visit more about airflow and access.
Price and membership
The tune-up is $99, or $79 with our website coupon. That's our 34-point inspection over about 90 minutes: both coils cleaned, drain flushed and treated, refrigerant charge verified against the manufacturer's spec, capacitor and contactor tested under load. You get a written report with photos. Clear Advantage is $25 a month for two visits a year, priority scheduling, 10% off repairs and waived service-call fees, which suits homes where the coil needs attention more often.
We drive up from the County Road 130 shop in Pearland, about 25 minutes to the Medical Center off-peak. Call 281-992-7866 to schedule.
South Houston tune-up questions
Do you come up to the Heights or the Galleria?
No. We stay on the south side between the Medical Center and the Pearland line, inside the loop and out. The Heights and the Galleria are outside our map. So are the Energy Corridor and everything out toward Spring or Cypress.
We live near Hobby. Why does our coil get so dirty?
Prevailing easterlies carry particulate from the Pasadena and Channelview refinery areas inland, over a wedge between the Ship Channel and 288. Hobby and Sunnyside sit in it, along with the Almeda Mall area. Indoor coils there foul faster than the same equipment in West Houston, so we clean the blower wheel on the spring visit and may suggest a second visit mid-year.
Is MERV-13 filtration worth it for us?
In that wedge, often yes. A MERV-13 media cabinet runs $600 to $1,200 installed and keeps more of that grime off the coil between visits.
Our Meyerland house is clean and tuned but still feels sticky. Why?
A clean, charged system handles humidity better, but an oversized one still short-cycles and quits before the air dries out. If the house stays tacky after the tune-up, the report says so. The fix at that point is right-sizing at replacement or a whole-home dehumidifier, $2,400 to $3,200 and up.
After the visit
When the tune-up finds something broken, AC repair takes over. Equipment past saving goes to AC installation for a Manual J quote. The Houston service-area page lists the south-side neighborhoods we cover.