AC Maintenance in Pinellas Park, FL: Tune-Ups Before the Rains

ENERGY STAR's advice is to have a contractor check the cooling system in spring, because contractors get busy once summer arrives. In Pinellas Park the local weather gives that advice a deadline.

The rainy season sets the date

The National Weather Service office for the Tampa Bay area dates the rainy season for West Central Florida from May 25 to October 10. It describes persistent dew points above 70°F, lows in the 70s to around 80°, and highs in the upper 80s to middle 90s. It also notes that the season can begin abruptly in some years.

What the local normals show

The nearest NOAA normals station is at St. Petersburg International Airport, just north of the city. Its 1991-2020 normals show May rainfall of 2.73 inches, then 8.86 inches in June, 9.73 in July and 8.83 in August. Average highs are 90.3°F in July and 90.6°F in August, with average lows of 75.9°F and 76.3°F. The station averages about 94 days a year when the high reaches 90°F or above, and fewer than one night a year at or below freezing.

Put together, the rainy season's heat and humidity run from late May to October 10, per the National Weather Service. A visit in March, April or early May checks the drain, the coils and the electrical parts before heat and rain arrive together.

ENERGY STAR publishes a checklist of what a typical maintenance check-up should include. It is a useful way to judge any visit, ours included.

• Thermostat settings, so the system keeps you comfortable at home and saves energy while you are away.
• Electrical connections tightened, with voltage and current measured on the motors. Faulty connections can cause unsafe operation and shorten the life of major parts.
• Moving parts lubricated, because friction in motors raises electricity use.
• The condensate drain inspected. A plugged drain can cause water damage and affect indoor humidity.
• The starting cycle, to confirm the system starts, runs and shuts off properly.
• Both coils cleaned. Dirty coils reduce cooling and make the system run longer.
• Refrigerant level checked. Too much or too little makes the system less efficient.
• Blower parts cleaned and adjusted for proper airflow.

Blume's approach to equipment is built on measurement rather than rule of thumb. New systems are sized by ACCA Manual J load calculation with Manual S selection. They are commissioned with measured static pressure, airflow and refrigerant charge, documented. Refrigerant work is done by EPA Section 608 certified technicians, who hold the federal refrigerant-handling credential.

The drain and the float switch

In this climate the drain deserves special attention. Trane explains that the water makes its way to a condensate drain pan and then to a drain line that carries it outside. That line or pan can clog with dirt, debris, mold growth or even spider webs. A float switch watches the water level and, when it trips, shuts down the outdoor compressor, the condenser fan and the supply fan. So if your system has a condensate drain switch and suddenly shuts off in the heat of the day, a clogged drain line or pan may be to blame. A spring check-up inspects the condensate drain, as ENERGY STAR's checklist advises.

Pinellas Park's housing is mixed. Census estimates for 2017-2021, reported by the University of Florida GeoPlan Center, count about 14,028 single-family units, 5,016 multi-family units and 3,158 mobile home units in the city. The same report counts 46,520 mobile home units in all of Pinellas County, so Pinellas Park holds roughly one in fifteen of them.

The maintenance list covers the same parts in each kind of home. What changes is where they are and who is responsible for them. When you book, tell us which kind of home you have, where the indoor unit sits and where the filter goes. In an apartment or condo, check whether your association or landlord handles any part of the system. For a mobile home, our guide to mobile home air conditioning explains the common setups.

Inside the city, permits come from the City of Pinellas Park, not from Pinellas County. The county issues permits only for unincorporated areas. The city's Building Development Division, at 6051 78th Avenue N, performs permit plan reviews and inspections.

The city's Post-Storm Recovery Permitting Plan is worth knowing before hurricane season. It exempts some work from permits after a storm, but that exemption does not cover electrical, plumbing, gas or mechanical system work. Mechanical or HVAC replacement is on its list of work that requires a permit. The plan also encourages owners to photograph storm damage before repairs begin and to keep invoices, estimates and insurance documents. Homes in a Special Flood Hazard Area may need a substantial damage review.

If a maintenance visit shows that a system is near the end of its life, the same rules apply. The city's mechanical permit requirements ask for an HVAC layout with equipment information, including any condensate runs. Blume lays out repair and replacement side by side and does not sell equipment a building does not need. Our hurricane season HVAC guide covers preparation before a storm.

A few checks are yours, and none of them involve tools or opening panels.

• Filter. ENERGY STAR advises inspecting the filter once a month and cleaning or replacing it as needed. A dirty filter raises energy costs and can damage equipment. See our guide to HVAC air filters.
• Thermostat. Confirm it is set to Cool, below room temperature, with the fan on Auto.
• Outdoor unit. Keep leaves, grass clippings and stored items clear so air can move through it.
• Drain line. Look at the end of the line outside during the rainy months. If it stops dripping while the system runs, or water collects near the indoor unit, call.
• Breaker. If the system stops and a breaker has tripped, leave it and call a licensed contractor.

Leave refrigerant, wiring, capacitors and the inside of the cabinets to a licensed contractor. The full seasonal list is in our AC maintenance checklist for Florida homes.

Do not wait for the scheduled visit if you notice any of these:

• The system shuts off on its own, or water appears around the indoor unit.
• Air from the vents is warm or only mildly cool.
• Ice forms on the copper lines or the indoor coil.
• A breaker for the system trips.

For a system that stops entirely, Blume offers 24/7 emergency HVAC service, with same-day response available based on location and technician availability. Details are on our Pinellas Park emergency HVAC page, and diagnosis is covered on our Pinellas Park AC repair page.

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

You get a written, upfront price before any work starts. Paid priority scheduling is also available. Details on maintenance plans are on the AC maintenance plan page, and more about the city is on our Pinellas Park service page.