Summer Service Season Prep - Houston HVAC Stocking Guide

Houston summer starts in April and doesn't let up until October. For an HVAC service contractor, the 2 PM cutoff on a 98°F day with three calls stacked in the queue is not the moment to realize your R-410A inventory is light. Here's the checklist we use with our contractor accounts to make sure they're ready.

By April 30: stock check

• →R-410A: minimum 10 cylinders (25 lb). Most service shops need 15–25.
• →R-22: minimum 2 cylinders for legacy customers. Price it at premium.
• →R-134A: 3+ cylinders if you do any commercial or auto work.
• →R-407C: 2 cylinders for R-22 retrofits that come in during peak season.
• →R-454B: 3–5 cylinders if you're servicing any 2025+ residential installs.

Equipment check

• →Recovery machines - both A1 and A2L - tested and tagged
• →Leak detectors - A2L-compatible sensor if you service R-454B or R-32
• →Vacuum pumps - oil changed, gauges within calibration
• →Scales - verified with a known test weight
• →EPA 608 cert copies in each truck

Customer communications

Pre-season email to your service contract base: remind them of their maintenance, flag the AIM Act price environment, and offer a price lock on scheduled maintenance. Reduces emergency calls, improves margins.