An upkeep calendar for a nearly endless cooling season
Most HVAC calendars assume a long winter break. Palm Bay doesn't get one. NOAA's engineering weather data for Melbourne, Palm Bay's northern neighbor, counts about 5,447 hours a year with the wet-bulb temperature above 67°F, and the 99% winter design temperature is 42°F. The system works hard most of the year, so maintenance is spread out rather than packed into spring.
January and February: the light-load months
This is the easiest time to get service booked and the best time for anything that needs the system off for a while.
- Schedule the annual service visit. Ask the technician to write refrigerant pressures, temperature split and blower readings on the ticket so you can compare year to year.
- Run the heat on the first cool morning. Heat pumps and strip heaters that sat idle can trip a breaker or smell of burning dust the first time.
- Get replacement quotes now if the system is near the end of its life. A replacement in winter means no sweltering wait.
March to May: before the humidity builds
- Replace the filter and set a monthly reminder through the fall.
- Flush the condensate drain and test the float switch if you have one. A blocked drain is one of the most common summer calls on the Space Coast.
- Clear the outdoor unit. Trim plants back so air flows freely on every side, and rinse the coil gently from the inside out with the power off.
June to September: peak moisture
Melbourne logs about 3,244 hours a year with the wet-bulb temperature above 73°F, and most of them fall in these months.
- Watch indoor humidity with an inexpensive hygrometer. If it stays high on hot afternoons, ask a technician about fan speed, sizing or duct leaks.
- Look for sweating on supply registers, ducts in the attic and the air handler cabinet.
- Don't close off rooms. Shutting too many vents can freeze the coil and starve the system of airflow.
Hurricane season: June through November
NOAA lists a 50-year basic wind speed of 140 mph for Melbourne.
- Check the condenser's tie-downs and the pad it sits on.
- Know where the disconnect is so you can shut the unit off before a storm and leave it off until power is stable.
- After a storm, don't run a unit that was underwater or hit by debris until a technician has looked at it.
October to December: take stock
- Review the year's power bills. A steady rise in cooling cost is often the first sign of a refrigerant leak, a failing capacitor or leaky ducts.
- Plan upgrades. Florida sits in the Department of Energy's Southeast region, where new split-system air conditioners must be rated at least 14.3 SEER2 (13.8 SEER2 for 45,000 Btu/h and larger) and heat pumps 14.3 SEER2 and 7.5 HSPF2. Ask for operating-cost estimates at different ratings.
Keep a log
Record each filter change, service visit, repair and part replaced. The next technician will work faster, and the record helps when you sell or file a warranty claim.