AC not cooling in Lake Mary, Florida
When the system produces no cool air at all, start with power and drainage before refrigerant: a tripped breaker, a condensate float switch that has shut the system down, or a blocked filter account for most no-cooling calls in Central Florida homes.
What is most likely wrong
- Tripped breaker or pulled disconnect Very common
Thermostat calls for cooling; nothing outside runs at all.
- Condensate float switch tripped Very common
Indoor and outdoor units both dead, no fault light. A full drain pan or blocked line is behind it — the single most common Florida AC call.
- Blocked filter, frozen evaporator coil Common
Weak or no airflow at the vents, ice visible on the copper line at the air handler. Frozen coil, in full ›
- Failed run capacitor Common
Condenser hums but the fan does not spin, or only spins if nudged (do not touch it).
- Failed contactor Less common
Indoor blower runs, outdoor unit never starts; sometimes a buzz at the contactor.
- Refrigerant leak Less common
Gradual loss of cooling over days or weeks, then none. Ice or oily residue near a fitting.
- Failed compressor Least common
Condenser fan runs, compressor does not, or it trips its overload after a few seconds.
What you can safely check yourself
- Thermostat set to cool, fan on auto, and set below the current room temperature.
- Both breakers — usually one for the air handler and one for the condenser. Reset a tripped breaker once; if it trips again, stop and call.
- The outdoor disconnect box beside the condenser: the pull-out should be fully seated.
- The filter. If it is grey and matted, replace it, and leave the system off a few hours first if there is any ice on the coil.
- The condensate line and secondary pan: a wet stain or standing water means the float switch has done its job and shut the system down on purpose.
Refrigerant, capacitors and the inside of an electrical panel are not homeowner jobs — a run capacitor holds a lethal charge after the disconnect is pulled, and refrigerant handling requires EPA Section 608 certification under 40 CFR Part 82 subpart F.
In Florida, an air-conditioning contractor licensed under Chapter 489 may replace, disconnect and reconnect the power wiring at the dedicated disconnect — s. 489.105(3) — which is exactly why that scope exists: it is not general household electrical work. Verify any Florida air-conditioning contractor’s licence at myfloridalicense.com.
Why this shows up in Lake Mary and Heathrow
Two of the causes above are drainage faults, and that is not a coincidence in a market where the evaporator coil condenses water for most of nine months a year. In the 1988–1996 stock that makes up the middle of Lake Mary’s housing — median build year 1996, a quarter of parcels 1988 or older — the air handler is usually in the attic, so the float switch is doing real work: it is the difference between a service call and a ceiling.
Seminole County Property Appraiser CAMA extract (parcel file dated 5 September 2026), tax district M1 — City of Lake Mary — improved residential parcels only.
What the fix typically costs
| Item | Researched range | What drives it |
|---|---|---|
| Diagnostic / service call | $79–$250 | Orlando third-party range; Central Florida contractors publish flat fees of $89–$95, usually credited toward the repair. |
| Condensate drain clearing | $150–$250 | Orlando; the single most common Florida AC service call. |
| Capacitor replacement | $150–$400 | Orlando market range. Clear Comfort Orlando, which lists Lake Mary in its service area, publishes $150–$300. |
| Contactor replacement | $150–$350 | Orlando market range; Clear Comfort Orlando publishes $150–$250. |
| Refrigerant leak search and repair | $400–$1,600 | Orlando; a recharge alone runs about 75 minutes, a leak search adds 2–4 hours on top of it. |
| Compressor replacement | $1,200–$2,800 | Orlando market range — weigh it against a full changeout before authorising it. |
Researched Central Florida ranges gathered 12 September 2026 for research/pricing.json: Orlando-metro contractor-published prices corroborated against a third-party Orlando cost guide, with any aggregator figure labelled as such. These are market ranges, not our prices, and not a quote.
Sources for this page
- Smart Home Air & Heat — AC repair cost Orlando 2026
- Clear Comfort Orlando — published prices (serves Lake Mary)
Researched 6 September 2026. Fees, rebate amounts and code minimums change — check the issuing authority before you rely on a figure.