Get your cooling system ready before the heat hits and avoid a breakdown on KC’s hottest days.
May in Kansas City is the sweet spot. The heat hasn’t fully arrived yet, HVAC technicians aren’t swamped with emergency calls, and you still have time to catch a problem before it becomes a crisis at 98°F in July.
Whether your system ran flawlessly last summer or gave you a few nervous moments, a pre-season tune-up is the single best thing you can do to protect your home comfort, and your wallet, before temperatures climb into triple digits.
Here’s exactly what to check, what to do yourself, and when to call a professional.
1. Replace your air filter
This is the easiest step and the one most homeowners skip. A clogged filter restricts airflow, forces your system to work harder, and can cause your evaporator coil to ice over — a surprisingly common cause of summer AC failures.
What to do: Check your filter now. If it’s gray and visibly dirty, replace it before running the AC for the season. Standard 1-inch filters should be replaced every 1–3 months during heavy use. If you have a thicker 4- or 5-inch media filter, it may last up to a year — but check it anyway.
Pro tip: Stock up on filters in May. You’ll use 2–3 through the summer and you won’t want to make a hardware store run mid-July.
2. Clear your outdoor condenser unit
Your outdoor unit spent the winter collecting debris — dead leaves, cottonwood fluff, dirt, and anything that blew in. A dirty condenser can’t release heat efficiently, which drives up your energy bill and strains the compressor.
What to do: Turn off power to the unit at the disconnect box. Gently rinse the fins with a garden hose (low pressure, top-down) to clear debris. Clear any vegetation within 2 feet of the unit — grass, mulch, and shrubs all restrict airflow.
Leave this alone: The refrigerant lines, electrical connections, and fins themselves. Bent fins and refrigerant issues need a licensed technician.
3. Test your thermostat
Before the heat arrives, confirm your thermostat is communicating correctly with your system and that the temperature readings are accurate.
What to do: Switch to “cool” mode and set it 5 degrees below your current room temp. Your system should kick on within a few minutes. If it doesn’t respond, check the batteries first — it’s the most common culprit. If batteries aren’t the issue, the problem may be in the wiring or the control board.
Upgrade opportunity: If you’re still on a basic programmable thermostat, a smart thermostat can reduce cooling costs by 10–15% and gives you remote control during KC’s unpredictable spring weather. Ask us about options during your tune-up.
4. Check your condensate drain line
Your AC removes humidity from the air as it cools — that moisture drains out through a condensate line. In Kansas City’s humid summers, this line can clog with algae and mold, causing water to back up into your home or triggering a safety shutoff.
What to do: Locate your drain line (usually a white PVC pipe near your indoor air handler). Pour a cup of diluted bleach or white vinegar down the line to prevent algae growth. If water is already backing up or you see standing water near your air handler, call a technician — it may already be partially blocked.
5. Inspect your ductwork for obvious leaks
Up to 30% of cooled air can escape through leaky ducts before it ever reaches your living spaces. In an older Kansas City home — and Johnson County and Jackson County have plenty — this is a common and often overlooked efficiency killer.
What to check: Look at any exposed ductwork in your basement or attic. Feel for air escaping at joints and connections while the system is running. Gaps you can feel by hand are worth sealing with mastic sealant or foil tape (not standard duct tape, which fails over time).
For a full assessment: A technician can perform a duct leakage test to identify hidden losses throughout the system.
6. Schedule a professional tune-up
The DIY steps above are valuable — but a licensed HVAC technician covers things you can’t do safely at home:
• Checking refrigerant levels and looking for leaks
• Measuring airflow and static pressure
• Inspecting and cleaning evaporator and condenser coils
• Testing electrical connections and capacitors
• Lubricating moving parts in the blower motor
• Verifying the system is hitting its rated efficiency
Catching a failing capacitor or low refrigerant in May costs a fraction of what it costs when your system goes down on a 100°F Wednesday in July — and you’re competing with hundreds of other KC homeowners for an emergency appointment.
Ready to schedule your tune-up? LBA Services has been keeping Kansas City homes comfortable since 1985. We serve Mission, KS, Lee’s Summit, MO, and the surrounding metro — 365 days a year. Call (913) 268-6822 or book online at lbaservices.com.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I get a professional AC tune-up?
Once a year, ideally in spring before you need it. If you have a heat pump, twice a year — once in spring for cooling and once in fall for heating.
How long does a tune-up take?
A standard tune-up takes 60–90 minutes. Our technicians go through a full inspection checklist and will walk you through anything they find before recommending any additional work.
My AC seemed fine last summer. Do I still need a tune-up?
Yes — most component failures (capacitors, contactors, blower motors) degrade gradually and show no obvious symptoms until they fail completely. A tune-up catches these before the failure, not after.
What’s included in the LBA Perfect Service Family maintenance plan?
Our maintenance plan members get priority scheduling, annual tune-ups for heating and cooling, and discounts on repairs. It’s the most cost-effective way to keep your system running reliably year-round. Ask about it when you call.
