About five years ago, I moved from the northeastern part of the country to Jacksonville, Florida.
I was anxious to leave behind the snow and cold of the winters.
I’d spent my whole life dealing with sub zero 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 constantly worried about the reliability and efficiency of my furnace and had difficulties with the consequences of overly dry air. I was excited to finally enjoy sunshine and blue skies all year round. I wasn’t prepared for the excessive summer heat and humidity. I typically run the air conditioner from sometime in March until early November. Initially I was conscientious about air filter replacement but neglected seasonal maintenance. My second summer in Jacksonville, I noticed that the air conditioner was no longer keeping up with demand. It seemed to be running non stop and my electrical bills were ungodly high. There was a slight musty scent coming from the vents. I called a local HVAC company and scheduled AC repair. The technician took the cooling unit 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 issues were easily fixed with a thorough cleaning of the components. I was thrilled that the HVAC contractor was able to restore the system to like-new condition. The cost of the repair convinced me of the importance of proactive maintenance.