CAPE CORAL, Fla. — Heat feeling like triple digits is saddling Southwest Florida this July. People are forking out between $300 and $800 for air conditioner unit repairs. It can be up to $10 thousand for a replacement system, depending on size.
Kodi Butler owns Butler Air Solutions in Cape Coral.
"People don't do maintenance like they should and every six months is when a system should be serviced. A lot of people don't do it," Butler said. "It wreaks havoc on the unit, and they break and fail."
As long as the AC works, most people only think about that cold air when it's time to pay up for using it.
"AC is of course the largest portion of customer bills and it's certainly something that will drive up the demand, but that's not going to cause a systematic issue for our customers," Shawn Johnson, spokesperson with Florida Power and Light Company said.
While infrastructure on the state level is not the issue, inside your home, it could be. Butler said good insulation, double pane windows and using a solar attic fan can make all the difference.
"Maintenance looks like basically getting your condensing coil inspected and cleaned, getting the evaporator coil sanitized," Butler said.
He also said algae can clog drain lines, which can be cleaned with a shop vacuum. A proper cleaning could cost between $150 and $175.
