About five years ago, I moved from the northeastern part of the country to Jacksonville, Florida.
I was nervous to leave behind the snow and cold of the winters.
I’d spent my whole life dealing with sub zero rapidly changing temperatures, shoveling and scraping. I had no choice but to drive a four-wheel-drive car and keep a scraper and snow shovel readily available. I invested into rock salt and arm clothing, including heavy boots, wool coats, hats, scarves and gloves. I consistently worried about the reliability and efficiency of my furnace and had difficulties with the consequences of overly dry air. I was happy to finally cherish sunlight and yellow skies all year round. I wasn’t prepared for the excessive Summer heat and humidity. I properly run the cooling system from sometime in May until early November. Initially I was conscientious about air filter replacement but neglected seasonal maintenance, but my second Summer in Jacksonville, I noticed that the cooling system was no longer keeping up with demand. It seemed to be running non stop and my electrical bills were ungodly high, then there was a slight musty scent coming from the vents. I called a local Heating in addition to Air Conditioning company and busy AC repair. The professional took the cooling component apart and found a significant buildup of dust within the inner workings. There was mold growth on the coil and algae thriving in the condensate drain… Fortunately, these problems were actually fixed with a thorough cleaning of the components. I was happy that the Heating in addition to Air Conditioning business was able to restore the system to like-new condition. The cost of the repair convinced me of the importance of proactive maintenance.