By October, most San Antonio systems have just run through months of daily cooling while the heating side sat idle. A fall visit should look at both. This guide is a checklist of what it should include, what gets left out, and how to read the quote. For the service itself, our AC maintenance and tune-up page explains how to get quotes.
San Antonio Residential HVAC is a free quote service: we connect San Antonio-area homeowners with independent, TDLR-licensed local HVAC contractors for free, no-obligation quotes. The contractor you choose diagnoses, quotes, pulls the permit and does the work directly with you.
Why fall maintenance looks different in San Antonio
ENERGY STAR's advice is a cooling check in spring and a heating check in fall. San Antonio's seasons are not equal, though. NOAA's 1991–2020 normals for the airport count about 122 days a year at 90 °F or hotter against only about 14 nights at or below freezing, and cooling degree days outnumber heating degree days about 2.2 to 1. So a fall visit here has two jobs: a post-season check of an air conditioner that has worked hard since May, and a pre-season check of the furnace or heat pump before the first cold front. A quote that covers only one side is half a visit.
The cooling-side checklist
This list tracks what ENERGY STAR recommends and what CPS Energy includes in its own no-cost A/C tune-up: airflow, the filter, condenser-coil cleaning, the indoor coil and blower, and a refrigerant-charge measurement.
- Filter. Replaced or confirmed clean. ENERGY STAR says to check filters monthly, so a tune-up filter is a start, not a year's worth of maintenance.
- Condensate drain and pan. ENERGY STAR lists this because a plugged drain can cause water damage and affect indoor humidity. With an attic air handler, common in San Antonio-area homes, the secondary pan and float switch should be checked too.
- Outdoor coil cleaning. A summer of dust and grass clippings reduces how well the condenser sheds heat.
- Indoor coil, blower and airflow. Inspected for dirt buildup, with an airflow reading rather than a glance.
- Refrigerant charge measured, not topped off. Published cost guides note an AC should only need refrigerant after a leak is fixed. If the technician recommends adding some, ask where the leak is. Only an EPA Section 608 certified technician should open refrigerant lines, and a system should never be topped off with a different refrigerant.
- Electrical checks. Capacitor and contactor tested, connections tightened, amp draws recorded. A $100–$450 capacitor replacement in October beats a no-cool call in July.
The heating-side checklist: gas furnace
The EPA's guidance on carbon monoxide is direct: have a trained professional inspect, clean and tune up the central heating system, including furnaces and flues, annually, and the CPSC urges an annual inspection of all fuel-burning appliances. CPSC data put the annual average at 238 unintentional, non-fire CO deaths (2020–2022), about 28 percent tied to a heating appliance in 2022. CO is odorless and colorless, which is why the inspection matters.
- Heat exchanger inspection. The most important item here; cracks can let combustion gases into the air stream.
- Burners, igniter and flame sensor. Cleaned and tested.
- Venting and flue. Checked for disconnection, corrosion and blockage.
- CO alarms. The CPSC recommends alarms on every level outside sleeping areas. If a CO alarm sounds, leave the house and call 911.
Our heating repair page covers what happens when the inspection finds a problem.
The heating-side checklist: heat pump
A heat pump that cooled fine all summer can still fail to heat, so the visit should test the heating mode specifically.
- Reversing valve. Confirmed to switch into heating mode.
- Defrost controls. Tested, since frost on the outdoor coil in damp cold weather triggers defrost.
- Backup electric heat. Heat strips tested, because they carry the load on the coldest nights.
- Thermostat staging. Auxiliary and emergency heat settings confirmed so backup heat does not run more than it should.
Our guide to heat pumps in a Texas freeze explains what is normal during defrost; the heat pump page covers quotes.
Ducts and the attic: the part that gets skipped
A DOE case study notes that vented attics typical in San Antonio average about 130 °F, and ENERGY STAR says 20 to 30 percent of the air moving through ducts can be lost to leaks and poor connections. A tune-up that never goes into the attic cannot tell you whether that is happening in your house. Ask whether the visit includes a duct inspection; our guide to attic AC and ducts in Texas heat explains what to look for, and older neighborhoods such as Alamo Heights may have older ductwork worth inspecting.
What else commonly gets left out
- The filter-only "tune-up." A new filter and a thermostat glance is not maintenance.
- No measurements. Without airflow, charge and amp-draw readings there is nothing to compare next year.
- Only one side. A cooling-only visit in fall leaves the heating mode unchecked.
CPS Energy's no-cost tune-up. CPS Energy's High-Performance A/C Tune-up is free to eligible customers in single-family homes with a central AC or heat pump at least a year old and no CPS tune-up in the past five years. It needs an outdoor temperature of at least 55 °F, so late-fall slots may be limited, and the customer supplies the filter. It covers the cooling side only. Check CPS Energy for current availability.
How to read a maintenance quote
Typical ranges from published cost guides, estimates rather than quotes:
| Item | Typical range |
|---|---|
| AC tune-up / maintenance | $150–$350 (CPS Energy offers a no-cost tune-up to eligible customers) |
| Yearly service contract | $150–$500 per year |
| Service call / diagnostic | $75–$200 (San Antonio guides: about $75–$150) |
| Capacitor or contactor replacement | $100–$450 |
| Refrigerant recharge (after a leak is fixed) | $150–$900; leak repair plus recharge $200–$1,500 |
When you compare quotes, look for:
- An itemized list of checks for both sides, in writing.
- What is extra. Refrigerant, parts and duct work are usually billed separately; the quote should say so.
- A written report with readings, so you have a baseline for next year.
- How repairs found during the visit are priced, and whether the fee is credited toward them.
- Plan terms for a yearly agreement: visits, filters, auto-renewal.
- The company's TDLR license number (TACLA or TACLB followed by digits), which Texas rules require on proposals and invoices. Look it up at TDLR's license search.
The San Antonio HVAC cost guide has the full price table; the guide to comparing HVAC companies covers the rest of the hiring checklist.
If the visit ends with bad news on equipment past ENERGY STAR's 10-year (AC or heat pump) or 15-year (furnace) marks, read our repair or replace guide before approving a large repair. To compare fall maintenance quotes, request a free quote and say whether you want the cooling side, the heating side, or both.
Frequently asked questions
When should I schedule HVAC maintenance in San Antonio?
ENERGY STAR recommends a cooling check in spring and a heating check in fall. In San Antonio the cooling season runs long, so a fall visit in October or November often covers both: a last look at the AC after heavy summer use, plus the furnace or heat pump before the first cold night. Spring is the other natural slot.
What does an HVAC tune-up cost in San Antonio?
Published cost guides from 2024 to 2026 put a tune-up at about $150 to $350, with yearly service contracts around $150 to $500. CPS Energy offers a no-cost A/C tune-up to eligible customers in single-family homes when the outdoor temperature is at least 55 degrees. These are estimates, not quotes; your price depends on the system and what the visit includes.
Does a fall tune-up cover both the AC and the furnace?
Only if the quote says so. Some companies sell cooling and heating tune-ups as separate visits; others bundle both in one fall appointment or a yearly plan. Ask for an itemized list of what will be checked on each side, especially the heat exchanger and venting on a gas furnace, or the defrost controls and backup heat on a heat pump.
Is HVAC maintenance worth it on an older system?
Usually yes, with one caveat. ENERGY STAR advises considering replacement of an AC or heat pump over 10 years old and a furnace over 15. Maintenance keeps an older system running safely and catches failing parts before summer, but if the visit turns up a large repair on old equipment, read our repair-or-replace guide before committing.