Most maintenance advice online assumes a system that runs four months a year. Ours run close to nine, in humidity that would be considered extreme almost anywhere else, through a pollen season that coats everything. The schedule has to be different.
Monthly — five minutes
- Check the air filter. Hold it to a light; if light will not pass, change it. Monthly without exception if you have pets.
- Glance at the outdoor unit. Clear leaves, clippings and anything growing within two feet of it.
- Check the condensate drain outlet is dripping when the system runs. Nothing dripping on a humid day is a warning sign, not a good sign.
Every three months
- Flush the condensate drain line. A cup of distilled vinegar down the access tee prevents the biological growth that blocks it.
- Rinse the condenser coil with a hose from the inside out. Power off at the disconnect first.
- Test the float switch by lifting it — the system should shut off. If it does not, that is your ceiling damage waiting to happen.
Twice yearly — professional service
Spring before the cooling season, and autumn. Not once a year. A Florida system accumulates runtime hours at roughly twice the rate of a northern install, so annual service here is equivalent to service every other year elsewhere.
A real tune-up should measure and record: refrigerant charge by superheat and subcool, capacitor microfarads under load, blower motor amp draw, static pressure across the air handler, and supply/return temperature split. If the technician does not write numbers down, you did not get a tune-up — you got a sales visit.
Annually
- Inspect visible ductwork for disconnections and crushed flex runs
- Check attic insulation depth — it settles, and R-30 from 2005 is not R-30 now
- Replace the thermostat batteries whether they need it or not
- Photograph the data plate on both units so you have the model numbers when something fails
The seasonal calendar
| When | What | Why then |
|---|---|---|
| March | Full professional service | Ahead of the cooling season, before the schedule fills |
| April–September | Monthly filter + drain check | Peak runtime and peak humidity |
| June | Condenser coil rinse | After pollen season has finished coating everything |
| October | Second professional service | Catches wear from the summer, checks heat before you need it |
| December | Test the heat strips | Better to find a dead heat kit in December than on the first cold night |
If keeping to that feels like work, that is more or less exactly what a maintenance plan is for — two scheduled visits, priority booking during heat waves, and no diagnostic fee. Details on our maintenance plans page, or call (407) 777-7241.
Written by
The Orlando AC Repair team — licensed Florida HVAC contractors, #CAC1814992. Everything here comes from work we actually do in Central Florida homes.