AC Maintenance in Hudson, WI
Air conditioners here run from June through August, so May is the time for a tune-up. Tell us about your system, and a licensed contractor who covers St. Croix County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Three months of work, after a year of weather
Your air conditioner in Hudson only has to work June through August, with summer afternoons averaging 79°F. That is not a hard three months, but the unit sits outside through everything else the year brings.
St. Croix County has logged 60 hail events and 28 damaging wind events over the past ten years, with hail up to 3 inches across. Hail that size can bend the fins on your outdoor coil, and wind can shift the unit enough to strain the line running to the house. A tune-up before summer checks for that kind of damage while it is still a repair, not a breakdown on the first hot day.
- 3 months
- June through August, your air conditioner is on duty
- 79°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 60 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 28 wind events
- in ten years, and wind drives debris into outdoor units
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
Book your AC tune-up in May, before homes here start needing cooling in June.
- 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.
Wisconsin requires contractors to register with the state.
That registration puts the business on file with the Department of Safety and Professional Services. Nobody tested the contractor's trade knowledge to get there. No state exam sits behind the name on the record. Wisconsin also keeps this the same everywhere. Counties and cities cannot layer on their own HVAC license, so the record in St. Croix County is the same one that exists anywhere else in the state.
For a maintenance visit on your air conditioner, the credential that actually matters is federal. Anyone who opens the refrigerant side of the system, to check the charge or work on the coil, has to hold EPA Section 608 certification. That rule holds in every state regardless of what Wisconsin does or does not require. In this state, that certification is the one credential behind the work, since the registration itself confirms only that the business is on record.
Sources: Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau · Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services
- What does AC maintenance include?
- A contractor checks refrigerant charge, cleans the condenser coil, and tests the capacitor and contactor in the outdoor unit. Inside, they check the evaporator coil, the blower motor, and the condensate drain to make sure it isn't clogged. They also check the filter and look at electrical connections for wear. Each of these affects how well the system cools and how long it lasts, so a real maintenance visit covers all of them, not just one or two.
- How often does an air conditioner need maintenance?
- Once a year. Homes here only run the air conditioner from June through August, so a single yearly check is enough to cover that stretch. A yearly check catches a weak capacitor or a low refrigerant charge before it causes a breakdown on a 79°F afternoon.
- Is AC maintenance worth it?
- Yes. A system that's been checked and cleaned runs more efficiently and is less likely to fail on the hottest day of summer. Maintenance also catches worn parts, like a failing capacitor, while they're still cheap to replace instead of after they take the compressor with them. With only three months of real cooling season here, you want the system working every one of those days.