AC Repair in Redington Shores, FL: Air Conditioning and HVAC Service

Most of the differences come from where the town sits and how it regulates building. Each one affects how an air conditioner or heat pump is repaired, replaced or placed.

Every address is in a flood hazard area

Coastal exposure and storm surge

Housing stock: slabs, teardowns and condos

Permanent and seasonal residents

Humidity and the rainy season

The town requires building permits for work on electrical, plumbing, mechanical, and gas systems, along with roofing, windows and other work. HVAC is mechanical work, so replacing a system is permit territory in this town. The Building Department is the town's permitting office. For the statewide picture, see our guide to the Florida HVAC permit.

A few points are worth knowing before you hire anyone:

• The town's ordinance requires all contractors to be licensed in the State of Florida, and all contractors must register for the town's Online Portal.
• Businesses or persons located outside the town who conduct business in town, such as contractors and realtors, must register with the Building Department.
• Effective June 24, 2024, state certified contractors no longer have to register with PCCLB to perform work in Pinellas County. Previously, contractors had to be active with Pinellas County Construction Licensing Board (PCCLB). If your contractor says one thing and a printed guide says another, the Building Department can settle it.
• All codes, ordinances, policies and regulations for the Florida Building Code, the Pinellas Gulf Beaches Coastal Construction Code, the town and FEMA must be complied with. The effective date for the Florida Building Code, 8th Edition (2023), is December 31, 2023.

You can reasonably ask any contractor three things before signing: whether they hold a Florida license, whether they will register and pull the permit with the town, and where the new outdoor unit will sit relative to the flood elevation. A contractor who cannot answer all three is not ready for a replacement in this town.

Permits after a storm

The 50 percent rule

For homes going up on a teardown lot, obtaining a certificate of occupancy involves a blower door test, an insulation certificate and an Energy Performance Level display card, followed by the Building Official's approval of CO. A blower door test measures how leaky the building envelope is. That matters to the HVAC design because the size and airflow of a system should match a building's actual load, not a guess.

The survey required at or prior to final inspection must show the lowest floor elevation or structure, setbacks, and the structure, pool, mechanical equipment, driveways and sidewalks with setbacks. In other words, the position of the outdoor unit is part of the paperwork, so plan its location early.

Elevated homes bring one more coordination point. Builders of new and elevated homes should incorporate Duke utility requirements before plan review, and Duke Energy may require permanent stairs, a landing or platform at the meter (3 by 5 feet) and safe access for meter replacement and emergency disconnects. An air conditioner on an elevated platform needs its own safe service access too. Leave room to work around it.

For new systems in homes, we size equipment with an ACCA Manual J load calculation (the load calculation for homes) and select it with Manual S, rather than swapping in whatever matches the old nameplate. We commission with measured static pressure, airflow and refrigerant charge, and we document the readings. We offer a free commissioning inspection for buildings finished in the last 18 months, before the warranty runs out.

Blume handles design-build, maintenance, repair, installation and replacement, for both residential and commercial properties. Blume installs and services all major brands as a licensed contractor.

• AC and HVAC repair. Systems that will not cool, cool poorly, freeze up, leak water or trip breakers. We diagnose first and explain what is wrong before recommending anything.
• Heat pump and heating service. Heat pumps and heating equipment get the same diagnostic approach.
• Maintenance. Cleaning and checking the parts that matter before the wet months, in line with our maintenance checklist.
• Replacement and new installation. We offer estimates on new systems. When a repair is on the table, we put the repair and replacement numbers side by side so you can compare them. We do not sell equipment a building does not need.
• Commercial work. Light commercial and multi-family properties get design-build, service and maintenance. Commercial load calculations are not Manual J, which applies to homes.
• Financing. Financing is approved through Synchrony Bank.
• Priority scheduling. Paid priority scheduling is available for customers who want it.

1. You call. A person answers the 24/7 dispatch line. We offer 24/7 emergency HVAC service, with same-day response available based on location and technician availability. We do not promise an arrival time.
2. We look at the whole system. That means the indoor unit, the outdoor unit, the condensate drain, the electrical connections and the airflow, not just the part that is failing.
3. We explain the cause. You hear what failed, why it likely failed, and whether the equipment's location is part of the problem.
4. You decide. If a repair makes sense, we repair it. If replacement is the better answer, we explain why, and we explain the permit and flood-elevation steps for your address.
5. Permitted work is documented. Replacements here need a permit, and new systems are commissioned with measured readings.

Call when you notice any of these:

• The system runs but the house will not cool, or it cools only part of the day.
• Water appears around the indoor unit or the drain line backs up. A float switch exists to shut the system down before a drain overflow, so a tripped one is a warning, not a nuisance.
• Ice forms on the indoor coil or refrigerant lines.
• The outdoor unit is rusted, corroded or sitting where floodwater could reach it.
• The system was submerged or exposed to surge. Do not restart it. Have it inspected first.
• You are planning a rebuild, remodel or replacement and need to know how the equipment location fits the flood and permit rules.
• A rental unit or seasonal home is about to be occupied and the system has not run in months.