Twice a year is the right answer for most New Mexico homes: cooling service in spring, heating service in fall. A single annual visit is the bare minimum, and it is only adequate if you have one system that handles both seasons, such as a heat pump.

Spring: Before the First Hot Week

Schedule AC maintenance in March or April. The technician cleans the condenser and evaporator coils, verifies refrigerant charge, tests the capacitor and contactor under load, checks amp draw on both motors, clears the condensate drain, and confirms the temperature split across the coil. Every one of those is a component that fails in July if it is marginal in April.

Fall: Before the First Freeze

Schedule furnace maintenance in September or October. That visit inspects the heat exchanger for cracks, tests the ignitor and flame sensor, verifies gas pressure and combustion, checks safety controls and the blower, and confirms carbon monoxide is not entering the airstream. The heat exchanger inspection alone is a safety item worth the visit.

When Twice a Year Is Not Enough

  • Equipment older than about twelve years
  • Homes with multiple pets or occupants with allergies or asthma
  • Properties on dirt roads or near open land, where dust load is heavy
  • Evaporative coolers, which need spring startup and fall shutdown as separate visits plus pad and pump attention in between
  • Light commercial equipment, which usually runs longer hours and warrants quarterly service

Book Ahead of the Rush

The first genuinely hot week and the first hard freeze each generate a flood of calls, and every HVAC contractor in the Albuquerque and Santa Fe metros books solid within days. Scheduling maintenance in the shoulder seasons gets you the appointment window you want — and catches the failing part before the crowd shows up.

Between Visits

Change filters every one to three months, keep two feet clear around the outdoor unit, and act on new noises or rising bills rather than waiting for the next appointment. Our Care Club bundles both seasonal visits with member pricing and priority dispatch, and all work carries our Home Comfort Guarantee.

Contact B. Carlson to get on a schedule anywhere in our service area.