AC Repair in Dade City, FL

A system that stops on a summer afternoon may not have a broken part at all. Sort out what is around it first.

Check the power to the whole house

If the lights, fans and refrigerator are off as well, the problem is the electric service, not the air conditioner. Pasco County's economic development council says the county is served by three electric providers. It also says the Withlacoochee River Electric Cooperative's main territory in northern and central Pasco does not include the Dade City area. Look at the name on your electric bill and report a whole-house outage to that company.

Think back to the last storm

The National Weather Service says the rainy season runs from May 25 to October 10 for most of West Central Florida. It says late May through June is when severe storms are most likely. It also says hail, damaging winds and waterspouts are common, in addition to heavy rainfall and frequent lightning. If the air conditioner quit during a storm while the rest of the house kept power, leave it off and call a licensed contractor.

Check whether water reached the equipment

If floodwater reached the outdoor unit (the condenser), the indoor unit (the air handler) or the ducts, keep the system off. The EPA says not to turn on an HVAC system until the home has been cleaned and dried. It also says not to use a flooded system to dry the house until a professional tells you it is safe. Debris in the system, including mold spores, could otherwise spread to rooms the water never reached.

None of these needs a tool or a panel taken off. Stop at any step that feels unsafe.

1. Thermostat. ENERGY STAR's maintenance checklist starts with checking thermostat settings. Make sure it is on Cool, set below the room temperature, with the fan on Auto.
2. Air filter. ENERGY STAR says to inspect, clean or change central air filters once a month. It warns that a dirty filter can damage equipment and lead to early failure.
3. Outdoor unit. With the system off at the thermostat, pull leaves, grass and storm debris away from the cabinet by hand. Do not bend, spray or comb the thin metal fins.
4. Drain line and pan. Look at the pan under the air handler. Trane, an equipment maker, says its overflow switch shuts the outdoor compressor and condenser fan down when it detects a possible overflow. A full pan or a tripped switch means leave the system off.
5. Ice. Ice on the copper lines or the indoor coil means turn cooling off and call a licensed contractor.

Do not open the outdoor unit's electrical panel, touch the capacitor (the part that helps the motors start) or add refrigerant (the fluid that carries heat out of the house). Those jobs belong to a licensed contractor. Our guide to an AC that will not turn on goes through more of the common causes.

These points follow from the weather records and the city's setting. They are not statistics from our service calls.

Hot days and warm nights

The St. Leo normals show the mid-July high at 90.1°F and the low at 72.6°F.

Three very wet months

At St. Leo, normal rainfall is 8.34 inches in June, 8.10 inches in July and 8.28 inches in August. The yearly normal is 53.46 inches. The Weather Service describes the rainy season as warm and humid, with frequent showers and thunderstorms, and says it peaks from July through early September.

ENERGY STAR says a plugged drain can cause water damage and affect indoor humidity. Trane says a clogged condensate line or pan may be to blame when a system suddenly shuts off in the heat of the day. It adds that the line or pan can clog with dirt, debris, mold growth or even spider webs. If your house feels sticky while the AC runs, see our guide to a house that stays humid with the AC running.

A small inland city

The Census Bureau measures Dade City at about 7.6 square miles of land and less than a quarter square mile of water. Our guide to AC surge protection in Florida explains how storms reach the electrical side of a system.

A repair visit should find the cause, not just swap the part that failed. ENERGY STAR's maintenance checklist includes checking the refrigerant level, tightening all electrical connections, measuring voltage and current on motors and checking the controls for proper and safe operation.

Refrigerant work has federal rules. The EPA's Section 608 regulations prohibit intentionally venting refrigerants while servicing or repairing air-conditioning equipment. Blume has EPA Section 608 certified technicians, the federal refrigerant-handling credential.

When the system freezes, see our guide to an AC freezing up for what that usually points to. You get a written, upfront price before any work starts.

Dade City has its own Building Department, at 38020 Meridian Avenue, and its permit application lists the phone number 352-521-1460. The city's permit requirements page asks owners to call that number to confirm which permits a project will need. The application also asks for the name and license number of the contractor doing the mechanical work.

Whether a given repair or replacement needs a permit is a question for the city. Ask the Building Department, or your contractor, before the work is scheduled. Our Dade City HVAC page covers permits, flooding and historic homes in more detail. Our guide to the Florida HVAC permit explains the statewide side.

Blume shows repair and replacement side by side when both make sense, and does not sell equipment a building does not need.

Repair can make sense when one part has failed and the rest of the system measures healthy. Replacement is worth discussing when the compressor has failed, when leaks keep coming back, or when a system that tests healthy still cannot keep up on a July afternoon.

When replacement is the answer, Blume sizes the new system with an ACCA Manual J load calculation and Manual S equipment selection, instead of copying the old unit's size. New equipment is commissioned with measured static pressure, airflow and refrigerant charge. Financing is available through Synchrony Bank.

For help with the decision, see how to decide between AC repair and replacement. Nearby in east Pasco, we also have a page for Zephyrhills.

Blume Mechanical Service, LLC is a Class A licensed Florida air conditioning contractor (license CAC-1822618) and is fully insured. We are brand-agnostic and service all major manufacturers' equipment. Our office is at 2840 West Bay Drive #114, Belleair Bluffs, FL 33770, and our core service area is Pinellas, Hillsborough and Pasco counties.

What to have ready when you call

• Whether the whole house lost power or only the air conditioner, and which company sends your electric bill.
• Whether the system stopped during or after a storm, and whether water reached any part of it.
• What the thermostat is set to and what it reads.
• Whether the outdoor unit and the indoor blower are running.
• Any ice, water in the pan, burning smell or new noise.
• Whether the system is a heat pump and where the air handler sits.