$275 flat — the real service, not a sales visit
The honest version of the "tune-up": your system's coils, blower, burners, and condensate path actually cleaned, plus a measured safety and performance inspection — with photos of what we found and zero invented urgency. One flat price, no crazy upsells. That's the whole model.
Dirty coils are the quiet efficiency killer — they force longer run times, higher bills, and earlier compressor death. We clean both sides of the refrigerant loop properly, not a garden-hose rinse.
The blower wheel collects years of fine dust that unbalances it, cuts airflow, and strains the motor. A clean wheel moves the air your system was designed to move.
Burners cleaned, flame sensor cleaned, ignitor checked — the components whose grime causes most first-cold-night failures.
Drain line cleared and treated, pan checked — the #1 source of 'my AC is leaking water' calls and hidden moisture problems.
Refrigerant pressures, electrical connections and capacitor health, gas pressure, heat exchanger inspection, CO check, airflow verification, filter assessment — measured, not eyeballed.
You see what we saw — before-and-after photos, readings, and honest prioritization of anything that deserves attention. No invented urgency, ever.
Worth being crystal clear, because the industry blurs this constantly: this service cleans your equipment — the coils, blower, burners, and drains where cleaning genuinely restores performance. We still don't offer duct cleaning, deliberately: porous duct board and lined ductwork absorb contamination into the material itself, and brushing the surface sells well but fixes little. When ductwork is genuinely compromised, the honest answer is replacement — and our inspection will tell you honestly, with photos, whether yours is fine or isn't.
No — deliberately. System cleaning covers the equipment itself: coils, blower, burners, condensate. We don't offer duct cleaning at all, because porous duct material can't be genuinely cleaned once contaminated — compromised ductwork gets replaced, not brushed. If your ducts need attention, the inspection will tell you honestly, with photos.
The $59 tune-up business model is a sales visit: ten minutes of looking, followed by a scary quote — the low price exists to get a commissioned tech in your door. Our $275 clean and inspection is the actual service: real cleaning of the components that affect performance, real measurements, and findings you can verify. Our techs earn nothing extra for finding problems, so the visit ends where the evidence ends.
Once a year for most Orange County homes — ideally before the season you lean on most (fall for heating, spring for cooling). Coastal homes fighting salt air and homes near canyons or construction dust benefit most from keeping the schedule.
You'll see the evidence — the reading, the photo, the worn part — and get a straight explanation of what it means, what it costs to address, and what happens if you wait. Then it's your call, without pressure. Anything requiring diagnosis beyond the inspection scope is quoted honestly before any work.
Yes — the $175 diagnostic is for when something's already wrong and needs a targeted troubleshoot, credited toward the repair if you approve the work. The $275 clean and inspection is the proactive service for a working system. If you book a clean and we discover a genuine fault, we'll tell you plainly which path your situation actually needs.
Getting ready for winter? Pair this with the Heating Season Checklist. Something already broken? Start with the Symptom Guide or a $175 diagnostic. Want it handled automatically every year? See the Home HVAC Assurance plan. Scottish-Tom Heating & Air — CA License #1083101.