Preventative Care

AC maintenance & tune-ups in Delray Beach

In South Florida, air conditioning is not a seasonal luxury — it runs almost every day. Regular maintenance catches the problems that cause mid-summer breakdowns: dirty coils, low refrigerant, weak capacitors, and clogged drains. We tune up central AC, heat pumps, and ductless mini-splits for homes and condos in Delray Beach and nearby cities.

35+ Years in Business · Licensed & Insured AC and Electrical Technicians · 24/7 Emergency Service.

  • Coil cleaning and refrigerant checks
  • Electrical and capacitor testing
  • Drain line and pan service
  • Scheduled maintenance plans available
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35+ Years in Business · Licensed & Insured AC and Electrical Technicians · Open 24 hours · 7 days a week · 24/7 Emergency Service

What we check

What a tune-up includes

Coil cleaning and inspection

Dirty evaporator and condenser coils reduce cooling capacity and raise energy use. We clean the coils and inspect them for corrosion or damage.

Refrigerant level check

Low refrigerant usually means a leak. We check pressures and temperatures and explain whether a leak search and repair is needed.

Electrical and capacitor testing

We inspect connections, measure capacitor values, and test contactors and motors. Weak capacitors are a common cause of summer AC failures.

Drain line and pan service

We clear the condensate drain and treat the pan to reduce algae and clogging that can cause water damage.

Blower and airflow check

Restricted airflow strains the system. We inspect the blower motor, check filter condition, and measure airflow when accessible.

Thermostat and controls

We verify that the thermostat is reading correctly and communicating with the system, including any programmable or smart settings.

Why coastal homes need more frequent AC care

Salt air accelerates corrosion on outdoor condenser coils and electrical connections. Humidity keeps the indoor coil and drain pan wet year-round, which encourages algae growth and drain clogs. Homes east of Federal Highway in Delray Beach see these effects more than inland properties. We adjust the maintenance scope based on how close your equipment is to the ocean and how heavily the system runs.

A maintenance visit also gives us a chance to spot electrical issues before they become emergency calls — loose connections, overheating contactors, and capacitors that are starting to weaken.

Licensed, insured, and permitted

Delray Beach Air Conditioning & Electrical is a collective of licensed electricians and air conditioning technicians. Work is performed by licensed, insured crews, including permitting and inspection where your municipality requires it. Open 24 hours · 7 days a week.

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Recommended schedule

Maintenance timing for South Florida

Pre-summer visit

Clean the coils, check refrigerant, test capacitors, and clear drains before the heaviest cooling load arrives.

Post-summer visit

Inspect the system after months of heavy use, address wear items, and prepare for the mild winter heating season.

How the visit works

What a maintenance visit looks like

  1. Step 1

    History and baseline

    Before anything comes apart we ask what the system has been doing: rooms that never cool, a breaker that has tripped, water where it should not be, a bill that jumped. Then we record the starting readings so this visit can be compared to the next one.

  2. Step 2

    Outdoor unit

    Condenser coil cleaned, fan motor and blades checked, contactor contacts inspected for pitting, capacitor microfarads measured against the rating stamped on it, compressor and fan amp draw compared to nameplate, and the disconnect and whip inspected for the corrosion that coastal air causes.

  3. Step 3

    Indoor unit

    Evaporator coil and blower wheel inspected and cleaned as needed, filter condition assessed, drain pan and float switch tested, condensate line cleared and treated, and the electrical connections in the air handler checked for heat damage.

  4. Step 4

    Performance measurement

    Refrigerant charge verified by pressures with superheat and subcooling rather than by feel, temperature split across the coil measured, and static pressure or airflow checked where the equipment allows. These numbers are what separate a real tune-up from a hose-and-a-handshake.

  5. Step 5

    Controls and safeties

    Thermostat calibration and staging confirmed, safety switches tested, and the sequence of operation watched through a full cycle so intermittent faults have a chance to show themselves.

  6. Step 6

    Written findings

    You get the readings, a short list of anything that needs attention sorted by urgency, and an honest note about what is simply aging normally. Nothing extra gets done without your approval.

What drives the cost

Why maintenance pricing varies between homes

What changes the priceWhy it matters
Number of systemsMany Delray homes run two or three separate systems, and larger properties add a fourth. Each one is a separate inspection, though multiple systems at the same address are more efficient than separate trips.
Equipment typeA conventional split system, a package unit on a roof, and a multi-head ductless system take different amounts of time and different procedures.
AccessA ground-level condenser and a hall-closet air handler are quick. Attic air handlers with tight clearance, rooftop equipment, and condo mechanical closets take longer and sometimes need building access.
Condition at first visitA system that has not been serviced in several years usually needs a deeper coil cleaning than a routine visit covers. We tell you before we start rather than after.
Plan versus one-offScheduled visits under a maintenance agreement are priced differently from a single call, and the agreement is what generates the documentation manufacturers ask for on warranty claims.
Repairs foundThe tune-up covers inspection, cleaning, and adjustment. Parts, refrigerant, leak searches, and electrical corrections are quoted separately and only with your approval.

Factors only — we do not publish flat prices, and no repair happens without your approval.

Local conditions

What South Florida does to a cooling system

  • Runtime here is roughly nine to twelve months a year, so a five-year-old system in Delray has accumulated the operating hours a comparable system would reach in far longer up north. Wear items reach end of life sooner.
  • Salt air east of Federal Highway and along A1A corrodes condenser fins, fan housings, contactor contacts, and disconnects. Coils near the water benefit from more frequent rinsing than inland equipment.
  • Year-round humidity keeps the evaporator coil and drain pan permanently wet, which is why biological growth and drain clogs are the single most common preventable failure we see.
  • Rainy-season storms cause voltage sags and brief outages that stress compressors and control boards. Surge protection at the panel or at the equipment is worth discussing — see our electrical panel upgrade page.
  • Lovebug and pollen seasons load outdoor coils quickly, and landscaping crews blow clippings straight into condensers. A mid-season coil check is often justified on properties with heavy grounds maintenance.
  • Condo and HOA equipment often sits on a shared roof with restricted access windows, so maintenance has to be scheduled around building rules rather than around convenience.

Choosing an approach

One-time repairs vs. scheduled maintenance

Both are legitimate. Waiting for a failure costs less in a given year; scheduled visits catch drain, coil, and electrical problems before they become an after-hours call in August. Which one fits depends on the age of the system and how much an outage costs you.

Wait and repair

Best when
The system is newer, under warranty, and the property is occupied year-round by someone who notices changes early.
What it prevents
Nothing in advance — you address problems after they appear.
Typical timing
Whenever cooling drops off or water appears.
Warranty impact
Manufacturers can deny claims when documented maintenance is missing.
Where it leads
Emergency AC service when a failure happens after hours.

Scheduled maintenance

Best when
The system is several seasons old, the home sits empty part of the year, or a failure means water damage or an emergency visit.
What it prevents
Clogged drains and overflow, dirty-coil efficiency loss, and electrical components failing under peak load.
Typical timing
Before cooling season, with a second check mid-season on heavily loaded properties.
Warranty impact
Creates the service record most manufacturer warranties expect.
Where it leads
Fewer emergency calls and earlier warning before a replacement is needed.

We do not claim a tune-up prevents every failure. It reduces the failures that come from dirt, drainage, and worn electrical parts — which is most of what we see in Palm Beach County.

Air conditioning services

When maintenance turns into repair or replacement

A tune-up sometimes finds a fault that needs more than cleaning. These are the pages that cover what happens next.

See the full air conditioning service list

AC maintenance questions

Contact

Request service

Tell us what's going on and when you'd like us out. For anything that feels like a safety issue — burning smell, scorched outlet, sparking — call instead.

956 SW 20th Ct, Delray Beach, FL 33445
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