AC repair in the Florida Keys

Cool It Daddy AC repairs air conditioners for homes and businesses across the Florida Keys, from Key West to Key Largo. We are a licensed Florida contractor (CAC1814057) based on Big Pine Key, and we answer the phone 24 hours a day.

Signs your AC needs repair

If your system is running but the house isn't getting comfortable, something is wrong. These are the problems we see most:

• Air from the vents is warm or only slightly cool
• Ice on the refrigerant line or on the indoor unit
• Water leaking around the air handler or overflowing the drain pan
• The breaker trips when the AC starts
• Loud banging, squealing or buzzing from the indoor or outdoor unit
• The system runs all day and never reaches the temperature you set
• A musty smell when the AC turns on

Why air conditioners fail faster in the Keys

An AC in the Florida Keys works harder than one almost anywhere else in the country. It runs for most of the year, it pulls out gallons of humidity, and the outdoor unit sits in salt air that eats at the coil, fins and electrical connections. Over time that means:

• Corroded outdoor coils that leak refrigerant or stop shedding heat.
• Clogged condensate drains from algae and slime, which cause water leaks and shut-offs.
• Worn capacitors and contactors from nonstop starts and stops in the heat.
• Storm damage and power surges that take out control boards and compressors.

Most of these are cheaper to catch early. That's why we also offer a monthly maintenance plan.

Try these quick checks before you call

A few things take two minutes and sometimes solve it:

• Set the thermostat to Cool and below the current room temperature. Replace the batteries if the screen is blank.
• Check the air filter. A clogged filter can freeze the coil.
• Look at your breaker panel for a tripped AC breaker. Reset it once. If it trips again, leave it off and call us.
• If you see ice, turn the AC off and the fan on so it thaws. Running a frozen system can damage the compressor.

If you smell burning, see smoke or hear a loud electrical buzz, turn the system off at the thermostat and the breaker, then call.

Emergency AC repair, day or night

An AC that quits at midnight in August is an emergency, especially with kids, older family members or a business open the next morning. Call or text Cool It Daddy any hour and tell us your address and what the system is doing. We'll set up the soonest visit we can.

What happens on a repair visit

We find the cause first, with a full diagnostic of the system, not a guess. Then you hear what's wrong and what it costs before any work starts. If you approve, we fix it, test the system, and show you it's cooling.

Repair or replace?

A repair usually makes sense when the system is newer and the problem is a single part. Replacement is worth a look when the system is over 12 to 15 years old, has needed repeated repairs, or runs on older R-22 refrigerant, which is no longer produced and is expensive to service. We'll give you an honest comparison and the numbers for both, and if replacement is the better value you can read about AC installation.

Common questions