Chapter 05Calendar · Practical note
Booking the cooling check-up
Book it in spring, before the first hot week. ENERGY STAR says contractors get busy once summer comes, and suggests the spring time change as the reminder. Before you call, have what ENERGY STAR names in front of you: the model of the system, its service history (when it was last checked and by whom) and a list of the rooms that run hot. Write down the date, the arrival window and the company, and ask what the visit covers so you can check it against the invoice.
Source: ENERGY STAR maintenance checklist, checked October 15, 2026; ENERGY STAR, 10 tips for hiring a heating and cooling contractor, checked October 14, 2026.
- Book the cooling check-up before the summer rush (ENERGY STAR)Spring ENERGY STAR maintenance checklist, October 15, 2026
- To know before you call: model, service history, hot rooms (ENERGY STAR)3 things ENERGY STAR, 10 tips for hiring a heating and cooling contractor, October 14, 2026
- Efficiency lost to airflow problems, one item a check-up covers (ENERGY STAR)Up to 15% ENERGY STAR maintenance checklist, October 15, 2026
When to call
In spring, before the first hot week. ENERGY STAR recommends a yearly pre-season check-up by a contractor and says to check the cooling system in spring, because contractors get busy once summer comes. It suggests the spring time change as the reminder, and NIST puts that change on the second Sunday in March.
Source: ENERGY STAR maintenance checklist, checked October 15, 2026; NIST, daylight saving time rules, checked October 12, 2026.
In 2027 the clocks go forward on March 14, so the call goes on the list for that weekend. The spring time change list has the other three jobs for the same weekend.
What to have ready
Before you call a contractor, ENERGY STAR says to know the model of your current system and its maintenance history, and to note any uncomfortable rooms. Put all of it on one card by the phone, with the filter size added.
Source: ENERGY STAR, 10 tips for hiring a heating and cooling contractor, checked October 14, 2026.
- The model of the system, copied from the label on the unit or from your appliance log if it's already there.
- The date of the last check-up and the company that did it. Your home service log has it if you keep one.
- Each room that stays warm or stuffy when the cooling is on. Walk the house to get the list.
- The filter size and the date it was last changed. The HVAC filter size finder turns the size printed on the frame into a change plan.
Source: ENERGY STAR, 10 tips for hiring a heating and cooling contractor, checked October 14, 2026.
License and insurance
ENERGY STAR also says to find out your state's license and insurance requirements for contractors. Write the company's license number on the card if they give it to you.
Source: ENERGY STAR, 10 tips for hiring a heating and cooling contractor, checked October 14, 2026.
On the call
Ask for the spring check-up
Say you want the yearly pre-season check-up for the cooling system, and read them the model.
Get a date and an arrival window
Write down the date, the window and the name of the person who booked it.
Ask what the visit covers
Ask them to list what they check, so you can compare it with the invoice afterward.
Put it on the year sheet
Write the booked date next to the spring jobs on your calendar.
What a typical check-up includes
ENERGY STAR lists what a typical maintenance check-up should include. Every item is the contractor's work. The list is here so you know what to ask about and what to look for on the invoice.
Source: ENERGY STAR maintenance checklist, checked October 15, 2026.
- Check the thermostat settings.
- Tighten electrical connections and measure voltage and current on the motors.
- Lubricate the moving parts.
- Check the condensate drain.
- Check the system controls and the starting cycle.
- For cooling: clean the evaporator and condenser coils, check the refrigerant level, and clean and adjust the blower components.
Source: ENERGY STAR maintenance checklist, checked October 15, 2026.
Get help for anything on that list
Coils, refrigerant, wiring and the drain are jobs for the contractor, and this site doesn't explain how to do them. If a room still runs hot after the visit, call the company back and write down what you told them and when.
Your part: the filter
ENERGY STAR says to inspect, clean or change the air filter once a month, and that your contractor can show you how. Ask during the visit, and write the filter size on the card.
Source: ENERGY STAR maintenance checklist, checked October 15, 2026.
If you rent
Ask the landlord or property manager when the cooling check-up is booked, and write their answer and the date you asked on the year sheet. Give them your list of hot rooms at the same time.
After the visit
Before the tech leaves, write one line in the service log: the company, the date, what they did and when they want to come back. What to write down after a service visit has the full line. Tick the items from the check-up list that appear on the invoice.
Checklist to print
Before, during and after the call:
- Call in spring, before the summer rush
- Have the system's model number
- Have the last check-up date and company
- List the rooms that run hot
- Note the filter size and last change
- Get the date and arrival window
- Ask what the visit covers
- Write the date on the year sheet
- Renters: ask the landlord, write the answer
- After the visit: one line in the service log
Tips and tricks
- Tip 01
Photograph the label
A photo of the unit's label means you can read the model off your phone during the call, and it goes in the records binder afterward.
- Tip 02
Keep last year's invoice by the phone
It has the company's number, the date of the last visit and what they did, which covers the service history in one sheet.
- Tip 03
Note when rooms run hot
Say whether it's afternoons, evenings or only upstairs. That tells the contractor more than a room name does.
- Tip 04
Ask about the filter at the visit
ENERGY STAR says the contractor can show you how to handle the filter. Ask while they're there.
Source: ENERGY STAR maintenance checklist, checked October 15, 2026.
What we would do
Make the call the Saturday before the clocks change
Fill in the card first: model, last visit, hot rooms, filter size. Then call, take the first date that works, and write the date and arrival window on the year sheet before you hang up. After the visit, write one line in the service log.
Questions
When should I book an AC tune-up?
In spring. ENERGY STAR says contractors get busy once summer comes and suggests the spring time change as the reminder. In 2027 that's March 14.
Source: ENERGY STAR maintenance checklist, checked October 15, 2026; NIST, daylight saving time rules, checked October 12, 2026.
What should I have ready when I call an HVAC company?
ENERGY STAR says to know the model of your current system and its maintenance history, and to note any uncomfortable rooms. We add the filter size and the date it was last changed.
Source: ENERGY STAR, 10 tips for hiring a heating and cooling contractor, checked October 14, 2026.
What does an AC check-up include?
ENERGY STAR's list for a typical check-up: thermostat settings, electrical connections, lubricating moving parts, the condensate drain, the controls and starting cycle, and for cooling, cleaning the coils, checking the refrigerant level and cleaning and adjusting the blower. All of it is contractor work.
Source: ENERGY STAR maintenance checklist, checked October 15, 2026.
How often should I check the AC filter?
ENERGY STAR says to inspect, clean or change it once a month in a central air conditioner, furnace or heat pump.
Source: ENERGY STAR maintenance checklist, checked October 15, 2026.
I rent. Do I book the check-up?
Ask the landlord or property manager when it's booked and write down their answer. Give them your list of rooms that run hot.
Part of a system
This page is one part of a bigger job. The system page puts the parts in order.
The tool and more guides
Chapter 05Home maintenance calendarPick your climate region, say whether you own or rent and tick what the house has. Get a year of household jobs by month and a year sheet to print.Open the tool
Know-howHow much water to store, and where it fitsOne gallon a person a day: 56 gallons for four people over two weeks, 12 in the go-bag. Where to keep it, and the dates to write on it.Read the guide
Practical notePower outage checklist: what to write down before the next stormList what runs on power, count a flashlight per person, note battery sizes, phone backup and numbers to call, and tape it inside the kit.Read the guide- Chapter 05All calendar toolsA home maintenance calendar for your climate region: the jobs to book, check and write down each month, for owners and renters, with a year sheet to print.Open the chapter
Sources
- Heating and Cooling Maintenance Checklist, ENERGY STAR (U.S. EPA and DOE). Checked October 15, 2026.
- 10 Tips for Hiring a Heating and Cooling Contractor, ENERGY STAR (U.S. EPA and DOE). Checked October 14, 2026.
- Daylight Saving Time Rules, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Checked October 12, 2026.
Every outside number on this page names its source and the date we checked it. See them all on the sources page. Spotted an error? Tell us.