AC Maintenance and Air Conditioning Tune-Ups in Land O' Lakes

The University of Florida GeoPlan Center's census report for the Land O' Lakes CDP lists no city jurisdiction, only county jurisdiction. Pasco County takes building permit applications online through PascoGateway.

The Census Bureau's gazetteer counts 18.96 square miles of land and 2.207 square miles of water inside the community's boundary.

A housing stock

The same GeoPlan report counts 4,608 housing units in 1990 and 14,936 in the 2019-2023 American Community Survey. Population grew from 11,568 to 41,164 over that span. So Land O' Lakes has more than three times as many housing units as it did in 1990.

Single-family houses are most of the stock, at 12,661 units. The report also counts 1,648 multi-family units and 593 mobile homes. Most homes, 11,786 of them, are owner-occupied.

A system installed with an older house and one installed last year can need different attention. If you live in a manufactured home, our guide to mobile home air conditioning covers what differs.

A useful record is the NOAA 1991-2020 climate normals station at Saint Leo. Those normals show about 114 days a year reaching 90 degrees Fahrenheit. They are not readings from Land O' Lakes itself.

At Saint Leo, 90-degree days average 0.6 in March and 4.2 in April. May jumps to 16.6, and June through September stay between 18.9 and 24.2. October still averages 5.1.

That is the practical answer to when to schedule. A visit in March or April comes before 90-degree days become common at Saint Leo. Waiting until May means the check happens after the long run has already started.

Warm nights and the wet season

Normal lows at Saint Leo are 71 degrees or higher from June through September.

The National Weather Service office for Tampa Bay places the rainy season for West Central Florida outside Southwest Florida from May 25 to October 10. It describes that season as humid, with dew point values above 70 degrees. The dew point is the temperature at which moisture in the air turns to water. The Weather Service puts the peak of the rainy season from July through early September.

A rinse of the outdoor unit is not a full visit. ENERGY STAR's maintenance checklist, from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, lists the core technician tasks. Here is what each one means for your system.

Coils, indoor and outdoor

The indoor coil, called the evaporator, pulls heat and moisture out of your home's air. The outdoor coil, the condenser, releases that heat outside. ENERGY STAR lists cleaning both coils.

Trane, a manufacturer, notes that a dirty condenser coil can make the cooling system work harder. Trane also recommends hiring a professional to clean the coils rather than doing it yourself.

Electrical connections and motors

The checklist calls for tightening all electrical connections and measuring voltage and current on motors.

Refrigerant level

Refrigerant is the fluid that carries heat from inside to outside. ENERGY STAR lists checking the refrigerant level and adjusting it if necessary. Blume's refrigerant work is done by EPA Section 608 certified technicians, who hold the federal refrigerant-handling credential.

Condensate drain and float switch

ENERGY STAR lists inspecting the condensate drain in cooling mode. Some systems also have an overflow switch, often called a float switch. Trane explains that when this switch detects a possible overflow, it shuts down the outdoor compressor and fan.

Airflow

Blume's installation standard is measurement, not rule of thumb: equipment sized by ACCA Manual J load calculation and Manual S selection, and commissioned with measured static pressure, airflow and refrigerant charge, documented. Static pressure is the resistance the indoor fan pushes against.

You can do these checks yourself between visits.

• Filter. ENERGY STAR advises inspecting, cleaning or changing the filter once a month. Replace it when it looks loaded. Our guide to HVAC air filters explains how to choose one.
• Thermostat. Confirm the mode is set to cool and the setpoint is where you want it. See thermostat settings for a starting point.
• Outdoor unit. Trane suggests keeping plants and debris away from and off the unit. Do not open its panels.

Anything involving refrigerant, wiring, capacitors or the inside of a cabinet belongs to a licensed contractor.

Trane notes that if you have a condensate drain switch and your system suddenly shuts off in the heat of the day, a clogged condensate line or pan may be to blame. That makes a sudden shutdown in the heat of the day a reason to call rather than restart the system repeatedly.

Also call if you notice any of these:

• Warm air from the vents while the system runs.
• Ice on the refrigerant lines or the indoor unit.
• Water around the air handler.
• A tripped breaker for the air conditioner.
• A new noise or smell when the system starts.

The Weather Service lists frequent lightning as a feature of the local thunderstorm season. If storms are a worry for your equipment, our guide to AC surge protection in Florida is a useful read before the season starts.

If a maintenance visit turns up a repair, the next steps are covered on our Land O' Lakes AC repair page. After a storm, Pasco County's post-storm guidance says that if your property is in a flood zone you must have a permit before starting any repair work.

Blume Mechanical Service is a Class A licensed Florida air conditioning contractor, license CAC-1822618, and is fully insured. We work from Belleair Bluffs and serve Pinellas, Hillsborough and Pasco counties, which includes Land O' Lakes. We are brand-agnostic and service all major manufacturers as a licensed contractor.

If a visit finds a problem that maintenance will not fix, you get the repair-versus-replace comparison side by side, and Blume does not sell equipment a home does not need. Paid priority scheduling is available. For a system that stops entirely, Blume offers 24/7 emergency HVAC service, with same-day response available based on location and technician availability.

For the full seasonal list of homeowner and professional tasks, see our AC maintenance checklist for Florida homes. Plan details are on the AC maintenance plan page, and our other local services are on the Land O' Lakes service page.