Two things can be wrong with your system

An air conditioning system can be dirty — the coil loaded, the blower wheel caked, growth in the plenum, debris through the duct runs. Or it can be underperforming — not moving the air it should, not pulling humidity out, not doing the work the equipment is rated for.

They feel similar from the living room. A house that smells musty and a house that never quite gets comfortable can be the same complaint from a homeowner and two entirely different jobs from the truck. They are also often connected: a system that isn’t performing right isn’t dehumidifying right, and humidity is what grows things inside your equipment.

So we look at both, tell you which one you’re dealing with, and we’re licensed to fix either.

The cleanliness side — is the system dirty?

We open it up and look at the parts that matter: the air handler, the evaporator coil, the blower wheel, the plenum, and the accessible duct runs. We’re looking for accumulation, moisture, condensation and visible growth — and just as importantly, where it is.

That last part decides the whole job. Debris in a duct run is a different problem from growth on a coil. A blower wheel packed with dust is a different fix from a plenum sweating because of where it sits. A system can look filthy at the return grille and be clean six feet in, or look fine at the vent and be badly loaded at the coil.

This is the difference between a quote based on what your system actually needs and a package price based on what a company sells. If cleaning is warranted we’ll tell you what and why — see air handler cleaning. If it isn’t warranted, we’ll tell you that too.

The performance side — is it doing its job?

Gauges go on the system. We look at refrigerant-side behaviour — subcooling and superheat — along with airflow and the overall operating condition of the equipment.

What we’re answering is whether the system is doing what it’s rated to do, and if it isn’t, what’s holding it back. In this climate that’s really two questions, because a Florida system has to control temperature and humidity. Plenty of systems hold temperature perfectly well and never get the moisture out — the house is cold and clammy, the bills are high, and something is growing somewhere. That’s a performance problem wearing a comfort complaint.

Repair or replace — and the “$5,000 rule”

This is the decision most people are really facing when they call, so here it is straight.

The rule of thumb circulating online: multiply the age of the unit by the repair cost. If the answer is over $5,000, replace it; under, repair it. A ten-year-old system with a $400 repair gives you $4,000 — repair. A twelve-year-old system with a $600 repair gives $7,200 — replace.

It’s a reasonable starting point. It is not a good enough reason to spend five figures, and here’s where it misleads:

• It ignores what’s actually broken. A capacitor and a compressor are not the same event on a system of the same age.
• It ignores condition. A well-maintained fifteen-year-old air handler in a garage is a different proposition from a twelve-year-old one that’s sat in salt air with a rusted-out pan.
• It ignores refrigerant. What the system runs on materially changes the maths.
• It ignores whether the system was ever right. If it’s oversized, or the ductwork can’t carry the air, a brand-new unit inherits the same problem — which is how people end up unhappy with equipment that isn’t at fault.

An assessment answers this properly for your system rather than by arithmetic. Sometimes the answer is replace, and we’ll say so. Often it isn’t.

Then we fix it

This is what separates an assessment from an inspection. We’re a licensed Florida air conditioning contractor — the same company that assessed your system cleans it, repairs it or changes it out. No second vendor, no re-explaining the problem, no waiting on someone else’s schedule.

Whatever the assessment finds, the work is in-house: air handler cleaning, duct cleaning, duct repair and replacement, AC changeout, dehumidification and filtration.

Serving Palm Beach, Martin and Broward Counties.
Florida Certified Air Conditioning Contractor — CAC1824303

HVAC assessment by city

• West Palm Beach
• Palm Beach Gardens
• Jupiter
• Juno Beach
• North Palm Beach
• Delray Beach

Want a fully independent opinion instead?

Some situations call for an assessment from a firm that doesn’t do the work at all — a property transaction, an insurance matter, an HOA or board decision, or simply wanting a read from someone with no stake in the outcome.

Full Spectrum Environmental provides independent HVAC and duct inspections across Palm Beach County. They inspect and report; they don’t perform corrective work. Brett Brunsvold is a partner in both companies, and we’d rather point you there than have you wonder.

Common questions

What is the $5,000 rule for HVAC systems?

Age of the unit multiplied by the repair cost; over $5,000 suggests replace, under suggests repair. It’s a useful sanity check and a poor decision-maker on its own — see the section above for where it breaks down.

How much does an AC evaluation cost?

It depends on the system, the building and what needs to be accessed — a single residential air handler is not the same job as a multi-system property or a commercial building. We quote it to the property rather than posting a number that would be wrong for half the people reading it.

How much does it cost to clean AC evaporator coils?

Coil cleaning ranges widely, and the reason is scope. Cleaning a coil in place is a different job from pulling it. A lightly dusty coil is a different job from one fully loaded and restricting airflow. Prices advertised as packages usually assume the easy version. An assessment tells you which one you actually have before anyone quotes it.

Is an HVAC coil cleaning worth it?

When the coil is genuinely loaded, yes — a restricted coil costs you capacity, efficiency and dehumidification, and it’s frequently why a house feels damp. When the coil is basically clean, it’s money that won’t change anything. That’s exactly why we look first.

How often do AC evaporator coils need to be cleaned?

There’s no universal interval. It depends on runtime, filtration, whether the system pulls from a dusty or humid space, pets, renovation history and coastal exposure. Systems in South Florida run far more hours than national averages assume, so guidance written for a four-month cooling season doesn’t transfer well here. Condition is a better guide than the calendar.

Is it better to clean AC coils with water or coil cleaner?

It depends on the coil, what’s on it, and whether it can be reached properly. Biological growth, oily kitchen residue and plain dust don’t respond to the same approach, and the wrong chemistry on the wrong coil does damage. That’s a judgment call made at the equipment, not a policy.

Schedule an assessment

Serving Palm Beach, Martin and Broward Counties. Call (561) 206-4307 and we’ll scope it to your property.