Lower Utility Bills & Stop AC Breakdowns
In a climate where an air conditioner runs close to year-round, maintenance isn't seasonal housekeeping — it's what keeps a hard-working system from failing in August. A/C Now runs preventive tune-up plans across northern Palm Beach County that look after the cooling side of your system and, if you have a heat pump, the heating side as well.
The salt-tinged coastal humidity works on your equipment all year — corroding coils and clogging condensate drains with algae. A 21-point tune-up gets ahead of the parts that wear fastest, and its checklist includes a rinse of the salt and road grime off the outdoor coil, an inspection of the blower wheel that moves air through your home, and a test of the capacitor, a small part that tends to give out in peak heat. Between visits, keep the condensate drain clear, because a backed-up line can put water on your floor.
Maintenance Comfort Shield Protection Plans
Gold Plan
- 🟢2 Annual 21-Point Precision Tune-Ups
- 🟢$39 Member Diagnostic Fee (Mon–Fri 8 AM–5 PM; $129 after-hours/weekends)
- 🟢15% Discount on Parts & Labor Repairs
Platinum Plan
- ★4 Annual 21-Point Precision Tune-Ups
- ★$39 Member Diagnostic Fee (Mon–Fri 8 AM–5 PM; $129 after-hours/weekends)
- ★15% Discount on Parts & Labor Repairs
One-Time Precision Tune-Up
Get a full 21-point tune-up, including the outdoor coil rinse, blower wheel inspection and capacitor test, for a flat one-time rate of $99 (Normally $129). A good fit if you want a single visit without joining a plan.
$99 per system, residential only. Repairs and parts extra. Offer ends October 31, 2026.
Request Your Maintenance Appointment
Book your tune-up today. Choose a plan or a one-time visit, pick a preferred date, and use the notes box to flag any noise, leak or warm room.
*Standard business hours diagnostic fee is $89 ($39 for Comfort Shield Protection Plan members). After-hours weekdays and weekend emergency diagnostic service is $169 ($129 for members).
Florida AC Hurricane Hardening & Snowbird Re-Open Checklists
Protect your air conditioner from tropical storm power surges, salt-air corrosion, and long-absence humidity damage with these two practical Florida checklists.
AC Hurricane Hardening Checklist
Steps to take before and after a Florida tropical storm:
- ✓ Pre-Cool Thermal Mass: While you still have power, set the thermostat a few degrees cooler so the house holds some coolness.
- ✓ Tie-Down Strap Audit: Confirm straps and pad anchors are tight.
- ✓ Pre-Storm Breaker Cut: Then turn off the AC breaker to block surges.
- ✓ Post-Storm Restart Check: Wait for steady power; if the unit flooded or took debris, leave it off until it's inspected.
- ✓ $59 Pre-Storm Inspection: Have a technician check the system early in the season (Learn More & Book $59 Inspection).
Snowbird Home Re-Open Checklist
Essential pre-occupancy inspection steps for seasonal homeowners coming back after the summer away:
- ✓ Condensate Line Vinegar Flush: Pour 1/2 cup white vinegar into drain line T-pipe to clear algae build-up from summer vacancy.
- ✓ Humidistat & Wi-Fi Sync: Calibrate humidistat targets (under 55% RH) and test remote Wi-Fi thermostat accessibility.
- ✓ Coil & Filter Inspection: Replace media air filter and inspect indoor air handler drain pan for standing water before continuous operation.
- ✓ Book Pre-Season Tune-Up: Schedule your $99 one-time 21-point precision tune-up (normally $129) to help maintain peak efficiency.
HVAC Equipment & Environmental Factors in North Palm Beach, FL
In North Palm Beach, salt air off the Intracoastal and older residential stock mean a maintenance visit has to look at the whole system, not just the obvious checks. The country club neighborhoods, the homes along Prosperity Farms Road, and the Intracoastal-front properties all run their systems most of the year and face the same marine-air equipment stress.
On streets where homes sit close together, a tight side yard affects how an outdoor unit breathes. When a condenser is boxed in by a wall, a fence or a neighbor's unit, it can pull its own hot exhaust back through the coil, which makes it work harder and can make it louder than the neighbors would like. Keeping the sides and top open costs nothing and helps more than most people expect. Homes near Old Port Cove and the Intracoastal take the most salt, so the coil rinse at every visit matters most there, and it's worth checking the cabinet and its fasteners for rust between visits. In older homes, including some in the country club neighborhood, a system may have gone years with service only when something broke. If that sounds like yours, the first tune-up is the time to rinse off years of buildup, inspect the blower wheel and test the capacitor, and to get a flat-rate quote on anything worn before it fails.
🌊 Climate Reality Check: Coastal Salt-Air Defense
Salt carried in on the sea breeze settles on outdoor coils, fasteners and cabinets and slowly corrodes them. Rinsing the outdoor coil with fresh water helps, and coated coils and stainless hardware are worth asking about when a unit is replaced.
High-rise condominiums along the Intracoastal sometimes use water-source heat pumps, which reject heat into a building water loop instead of an outdoor condenser on the ground. Those units still need clean coils, clear drains and fresh filters, but the loop, along with its cooling tower and pumps, usually belongs to the association, so check with building management about which parts are yours to maintain. Along Prosperity Farms Road and in other older neighborhoods, a ranch home that started out with a package unit may have been converted to a split system while keeping its original ducts. Returns sized for the old equipment can be too small for a newer air handler, which shows up as whistling grilles, noisy airflow or rooms that never quite cool. Smart thermostats raise their own question. If you're adding one, check that it is compatible with your system's wiring first, since many need a common wire that an older thermostat never used, and a miswired thermostat can keep the system from running at all.
Frequently Asked AC Maintenance Questions
Common questions about maintenance schedules and the Comfort Shield plan.
How does living on or near the Intracoastal in North Palm Beach change my AC maintenance needs?
Intracoastal-adjacent properties benefit from regular preventive maintenance and gentle, non-acidic coil rinsing. Salt fog from Lake Worth Lagoon and the Intracoastal can cause fin corrosion if salt deposits accumulate.
The country club neighborhood has homes from the 1960s through today — does the equipment age affect maintenance?
It does. Older homes may have original ductwork that has never been sealed or rebalanced, and leaky or undersized ducts make even a new system work harder. Older equipment also has more worn parts, which is where the capacitor test and blower wheel inspection at every tune-up pay off. If certain rooms never cool well, mention it when you book.
What maintenance plans are available in North Palm Beach?
Two Comfort Shield plans. Gold is $155 a year and includes two tune-ups, a $39 member diagnostic during weekday business hours, 15% off parts and labor on repairs, and priority scheduling. Platinum is $295 a year and includes four tune-ups. If you'd rather not join a plan, a one-time 21-point tune-up is available too.