Why summer prep matters more here
Most maintenance advice assumes a mild climate. Vegas homes face 110°F days, July and August monsoon storms and haboobs, the dust storms that roll in with little notice. A home has to be ready for all three.
The AC comes first
Air conditioning is a safety system here. A broken unit in August can make a house dangerously hot within hours.
- Book a tune-up in April or early May, before the heat and the rush of emergency calls
- Have the technician check refrigerant, condenser coils, filters, thermostat calibration and duct leaks
- Swap filters every one to two months in summer, since desert dust clogs them faster
- Set the thermostat to 78 to 80°F when you are away
- Know where the breaker panel is: AC units can trip breakers at peak load
Pest prevention before the heat
Scorpions, black widows and cockroaches are most active in the warm months. Schedule a perimeter treatment in April, before nesting season.
- Seal openings around pipes, vents and door frames: scorpions can fit through a quarter-inch gap
- Move woodpiles and debris away from the house
- Use a UV black light to find scorpions at night
Pool prep
Summer is the hardest season on a pool because heat speeds up evaporation, chemical loss and algae. Have a pro balance the water before 90°F days settle in, run the pump and filter 8 to 12 hours a day at peak summer, add algaecide before the first heat wave and top off the water level weekly.
Windows, doors and shade
Check the weatherstripping on every exterior door, since gaps raise cooling costs considerably.
Monsoon season, July to September
Monsoon storms bring heavy rain, flash floods and haboobs. Clear gutters and downspouts before the rains, understand your flood risk (washes and arroyos can overflow very quickly), and inspect the AC condenser after a dust storm, because dust buildup lowers its efficiency.