HVAC Maintenance Checklist

Tune-ups are the most profitable service most HVAC contractors run — and the easiest to do badly. Without a written checklist, two techs visiting the same home will hit a different set of points and your customer will notice.

This 30-point checklist standardizes what "good" looks like across your team:

• Indoor unit (10 points) — filter, blower wheel, evaporator coil, drain pan, condensate line, thermostat, supply/return temps, blower amp draw, capacitor reading, refrigerant suction line

• Outdoor condenser (10 points) — coil, fan motor, fan blade, contactor, capacitor, high/low side pressures, superheat, subcool, electrical connections, refrigerant lines

• Electrical & safety (10 points) — disconnect, breaker amperage, grounding, all access panels secured, smoke/CO check, system cycle test, before/after temperature differential, customer walkthrough, photos, recommended repairs left in writing

Use it as a training tool for new techs and as a sales tool for follow-up repairs — customers buy more when they see exactly what you inspected.

1. Print one checklist per tune-up call and clip it to the work order.
2. Have the tech check each point as they go — not at the end of the visit. Backfilling the checklist in the truck defeats the purpose.
3. Note any out-of-spec readings (amp draws, pressures, temperature differentials) directly on the sheet so you have a baseline for next season.
4. Take a photo of the completed checklist on the tech's phone before leaving the site.
5. Leave the carbon/copy with the customer and walk them through any recommended repairs face-to-face.
6. File the original with the customer record. Next season, the tech assigned to the same home reviews last year's readings before arriving — that is how you spot a failing compressor a year before it dies.

Indoor unit (10 points):

• Air filter inspection / replacement
• Blower wheel and motor inspection
• Evaporator coil inspection
• Condensate drain pan and line flush
• Thermostat calibration and operation
• Supply / return air temperature differential
• Blower motor amp draw
• Capacitor microfarad reading
• Refrigerant suction line temperature
• Air handler cabinet seal check

Outdoor condenser (10 points):

• Condenser coil cleaning and inspection
• Fan motor and blade inspection
• Contactor and capacitor readings
• High-side / low-side refrigerant pressures
• Superheat measurement
• Subcool measurement
• Electrical connection tightness
• Refrigerant line insulation check
• Disconnect and breaker amperage
• Unit level and clearance check

Safety, documentation & customer (10 points):

• Disconnect operation and grounding
• All access panels secured
• Smoke / CO detector functional check
• Full system cycle test
• Before/after temperature differential recorded
• Customer walkthrough completed
• Photos of completed work attached
• Recommended repairs written and signed
• Technician notes section
• Customer signature block