Living in South Florida: Your HVAC

Photo by Mario Schmidt via Pixabay

Florida is known for its beautiful beaches, sunshine, diverse communities and green spaces. It’s truly a tropical paradise that also needs air conditioning on a year-round basis. That means you need an HVAC system that gets the job done. While most people think the air conditioner and heater are self-preserving, that would be further from the truth. Here are a few things to consider:

• Energy Savings

Even when it’s not summer, you’ll usually find South Florida on the warmer side of things. That means you should seal all air leaks to keep the home cool, install ceiling fans, install a programmable thermostat and keep the shades drawn if it’s a really sunny day. As a homeowner, making sure your attic has the proper insulation will also help. An HVAC technician can let you know what SEER level is best to efficiently cool your home.

• Maintenance

HVAC maintenance is a necessity in the Florida humidity. Once or twice a year, a preventative maintenance check should be done to clean the coils, lubricate certain parts of the system, tighten the electrical connections, inspect the belts and motor bearings, measure the refrigerant levels and airflow, flush the drain to prevent cogs and test the thermostat to make sure it is working correctly.

Additional concerns that may come up in Florida include water damage and lightning. Your main condenser unit is protected by a metal guard, which helps shield the aluminum fins from damage. There are times when the unit starts making loud sounds. When that occurs, you should call a maintenance specialist. It could be something as simple as some leaves, but getting it checked before there’s a problem is key.

Lightning and Your Air Conditioner

In Florida, lightning isn’t a strange occurrence – it’s the norm. Any time of the day, lightning can strike, even in the middle of a sunny day. When it comes to HVAC units, power surges can severely affect their productivity. If lightning does strike an air conditioning unit, a few things could happen, including a damaged capacitator, fuses being blown, burned wires or a damaged compressor. You can't prevent damage from a lightning strike, but there are a few things you can do.

Use outlet suppressors between appliances and the electrical outlet. Additionally, if you have panel-mounted surge protection for your home, this could help prevent your wiring and appliances. Finally, turn off the air conditioner from the thermostat when a lightning storm is taking place. If there is no power, it could circumvent the attraction.

Even though paradise has its issues, living in South Florida is fantastic – especially if your air is working correctly. Happy cooling!