AC Repair in Sanford, FL
Air conditioners here run from March through November. If yours quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Seminole County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Nine months of Florida heat wears an AC down fast
Your air conditioner runs from March through November in Sanford, nine months of the year. On afternoons that hit 92°F, it does not get much rest between cycles. That kind of runtime adds up on the compressor and the fan motor, the parts that carry the load every time the system kicks on.
Seminole County has also seen 30 damaging wind events and 52 hail events over the past ten years, with hail up to 3 inches recorded. Outdoor units sit exposed to all of it. A bent fin or a cracked fan blade from a storm can throw off airflow long before you notice the house isn't cooling like it should.
- 9 months
- March through November, your air conditioner is on duty
- 92°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
- 52 hail events
- in ten years, and hail bends the fins on outdoor coils
- 30 wind events
- in ten years, and wind drives debris into outdoor units
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
A new air conditioner would cut about $80 a year off cooling for a typical Seminole County home.
Estimates for a typical Seminole County home, compared with an older unit built to the previous federal minimum, from EIA household energy data, Florida fuel prices and NOAA climate normals. Your home will differ.
Repair makes sense when a part like a capacitor or contactor has failed.
Replacement makes sense when the compressor has failed or the system uses R-22 refrigerant, which is no longer made.
Florida requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The Construction Industry Licensing Board issues that license, and it covers the contractor rather than any single job. The same license that covers a new installation covers a repair call like this one.
Opening the refrigerant side of your air conditioner also calls for an EPA Section 608 certification, a federal requirement that applies no matter what state the work is done in. That certification is separate from the state license. Between the two, Florida's board stands behind the contractor for the work overall, and the federal certification covers the part of the job where refrigerant is handled.
Sources: Florida Legislature · Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation
- Why is my AC not blowing cold air?
- Most of the time the filter is clogged and starving the system of airflow, or the refrigerant level is low from a leak. A dirty filter makes the coil freeze up, and once that happens the air coming out feels warm even though the system is running. With 9 months of cooling season here, a filter that would last longer elsewhere can clog fast, so check it first. If it's clean and you're still getting warm air, a contractor needs to check refrigerant levels and the coil itself.
- Why is my AC leaking water?
- The condensate drain line is probably clogged. Your AC pulls moisture out of the air as it cools, and that water is supposed to run out through a drain line to the outside. Algae and dirt build up in that line over time and block it, so the water backs up and drips inside instead. A contractor can clear the line and check that it's draining the way it should.
- Why won't my AC turn on?
- Check the thermostat batteries and the breaker first. Those are the two most common reasons a system won't start, and both take a minute to rule out. Sanford sees storms with damaging winds most years, and a power surge from one of those can trip a breaker or knock out a control board. If the breaker keeps tripping or the thermostat looks fine and nothing happens, a licensed contractor needs to check the electrical side of the unit.