Will a tune-up actually lower my bill?

A tune-up removes waste. If your coils were dirty or your airflow was choked, the system runs fewer hours to deliver the same cooling — and fewer run hours is what shows up on the bill. How much that's worth depends on how much waste was there, which is why we won't quote you a percentage. Your technician can show you exactly what they found and what it was likely costing you.

How would I know if my ducts are leaking?

You usually can't see it — ducts live in the attic or crawlspace. The signs show up indoors: rooms that never match the thermostat, weak airflow from some vents, dust that comes back fast after cleaning, and a system that runs long. Your technician can inspect your ductwork at your visit and tell you whether sealing — or duct cleaning, if years of dust have built up inside the ducts themselves — makes sense for your house.

My system is 15 years old. Does that mean I need to replace it?

Not automatically. Older systems get fewer 'miles per gallon' of electricity, and parts and refrigerant for them keep getting pricier under California's new-refrigerant rules — but plenty of older systems still have good years left. Ask your technician for an honest read; sometimes the answer is keep it and keep it tuned. Our repair-vs-replace guide walks through how to think about it.

Nothing changed at our house — why did the bill still jump?

Two things no contractor controls: utility rates and the weather. When rates climb, or a hotter stretch means more run hours, the bill can rise even from a system doing everything right. What we can do is find the waste — dirty coils, duct leaks, a thermostat working against you — and fix what we find, so at least you're not paying for that on top of the weather.

Where Your Summer Energy Bill Actually Goes

You tapped “bills have felt higher than they should” — or maybe “runs nonstop and can’t keep up.” Either way, you’re not imagining it, and it’s not because you’re doing something wrong.

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In the Central Valley, cooling is the biggest single line on most summer energy bills. When the 100-degree afternoons stack up for weeks, your air conditioner works harder than almost anything else you own. The real question isn’t whether you’re paying for cooling — it’s how much of the cooling you pay for actually reaches you. Here’s where the dollars really go.

The leak you can't see: your ducts

Most of your cool air travels through ducts in the attic or crawlspace before it ever reaches a room. According to ENERGY STAR, the typical home loses about 20 to 30 percent of the air moving through its duct system to leaks, holes, and poorly connected ducts. Think of it like holes in your gas tank: you paid for a full tank, but some of it drips out before you go anywhere. In summer terms, you may be paying to air-condition your attic.

There’s a fix. All-Air offers Aeroseal duct sealing, a process that seals duct leaks from the inside — no tearing your house apart. And leaky ducts don’t just cost money: return-side leaks can pull attic dust into the air your family breathes. There’s more on that on our indoor air quality page.

A dirty system runs longer to do the same job

A clogged filter and a dirty outdoor coil don’t add a fee to your bill — they add hours. When airflow is choked or the coil can’t shed heat, your system has to run longer to make the same amount of cool. Longer run time is exactly what you’re feeling when the AC runs nonstop and still can’t keep up.

This is what a professional tune-up restores: clean coils, a fresh filter, airflow and refrigerant charge back where the manufacturer designed them. It’s also why so many of our neighbors are on the Penguin Partner Plan — two tune-ups a year plus a standing discount on repairs, in Silver Feather and Gold Feather tiers — so the system gets that reset before every cooling and heating season.

SEER is like MPG for your air conditioner

New systems carry an efficiency rating called SEER2 — think of it as miles per gallon for cooling. A well-kept system from 12 or 15 years ago still cools, but it squeezes fewer “miles” out of every kilowatt than a current high-efficiency system. And since California moved all new systems to a new refrigerant (R454B), repair parts and refrigerant for older systems keep getting more expensive. That’s not a reason to panic — just something worth knowing. If your system is in that age range, our honest guide to repairing vs. replacing is a good next read.

The quiet one: thermostat habits

Plenty of Lodi homes spend real money cooling an empty house through the hottest hours of the day. A smart thermostat learns your schedule, eases off when nobody’s home, and has the house comfortable again by the time you walk in — comfort when you’re there, not when you’re not.

What a visit can fix — and what it can't

Here’s the straight version. A visit can fix waste: dirty coils, choked airflow, a refrigerant charge that’s drifted off, leaky ducts, a thermostat working against you. Those are real dollars leaking out of your system every afternoon.

A visit can’t fix utility rate increases, and nobody can tune up a heat wave. If rates go up or July runs ten degrees hotter, your bill can climb even when your system is doing everything right. We’d rather tell you that up front than promise you a number nobody can promise.

Let your technician show you your house's story

You don’t have to figure out which of these is happening at your place — that’s what the visit is for. Your technician can check the ducts, the coils, the airflow, and the thermostat setup, and show you your options right there at your visit. No pressure, no mystery — just where your cooling dollars are going and what’s worth doing about it.

Call (209) 368-4264 or schedule your visit online.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Will a tune-up actually lower my bill?
A tune-up removes waste. If your coils were dirty or your airflow was choked, the system runs fewer hours to deliver the same cooling — and fewer run hours is what shows up on the bill. How much that’s worth depends on how much waste was there, which is why we won’t quote you a percentage. Your technician can show you exactly what they found and what it was likely costing you.
How would I know if my ducts are leaking?
You usually can’t see it — ducts live in the attic or crawlspace. The signs show up indoors: rooms that never match the thermostat, weak airflow from some vents, dust that comes back fast after cleaning, and a system that runs long. Your technician can inspect your ductwork at your visit and tell you whether sealing — or duct cleaning, if years of dust have built up inside the ducts themselves — makes sense for your house.
My system is 15 years old. Does that mean I need to replace it?
Not automatically. Older systems get fewer ‘miles per gallon’ of electricity, and parts and refrigerant for them keep getting pricier under California’s new-refrigerant rules — but plenty of older systems still have good years left. Ask your technician for an honest read; sometimes the answer is keep it and keep it tuned. Our repair-vs-replace guide walks through how to think about it.
Nothing changed at our house — why did the bill still jump?
Two things no contractor controls: utility rates and the weather. When rates climb, or a hotter stretch means more run hours, the bill can rise even from a system doing everything right. What we can do is find the waste — dirty coils, duct leaks, a thermostat working against you — and fix what we find, so at least you’re not paying for that on top of the weather.

All-Air Heating & Air Conditioning — Lodi, CA · License #959972 · Your Partner For Life