How often should you service your AC in South Florida?

Why here is different

• Runtime. Cooling runs most of the year, not a few summer months.
• Humidity. The coil is wet for months on end, and algae grows in drain lines.
• Salt. Within a few miles of the ocean or Intracoastal, outdoor coils corrode steadily.
• Storms. Lightning and surges are hard on capacitors, contactors and boards.

Once or twice a year?

Once a year, in spring (roughly March to May, before peak heat), is the baseline for most homes. Twice a year (spring and fall) makes sense if you're near the water, have pets or allergy sufferers, have a system over about 10 years old, or have had drain clogs before. Heat pumps benefit from the fall visit, when heat mode gets checked.

What a proper tune-up covers

Drain line cleared and treated, float switch tested, capacitors and contactor tested, refrigerant pressures and temperature split measured, outdoor coil rinsed, blower and electrical connections checked, filter replaced, and a written note of anything worth watching. The full list is on our AC maintenance page.

Your part between visits

• Check the filter monthly in summer; change it when it's gray.
• Pour a cup of white vinegar into the drain cleanout every couple of months, if you have one.
• Keep two feet clear around the outdoor unit.
• Glance at the drain pan under the air handler now and then.