Why is my AC not cooling?
In Altamonte Springs the short list is a tripped breaker, a failed run capacitor, a condenser coil packed with oak debris, or — most often — a blocked condensate line that has tripped the float switch and shut the system down on purpose. Check the breaker and the drain before you call anyone.
Work down the list in this order
Cheapest firstThe breaker, and the disconnect outside
Two switches, not one. The panel breaker and the pull-disconnect by the condenser. If a breaker trips again immediately, stop and call — that is a fault, not a nuisance trip.
The condensate drain and the float switch
This is the most common avoidable failure in this market. At roughly 75% average humidity the system removes litres of water a day through a line that grows algae. When it blocks, the float switch cuts the system as designed. The equipment is fine; the drain is not.
The filter and the return
A filter that has not been changed since the last service will freeze a coil. In a condo the filter is often behind a closet door nobody opens.
The outdoor unit: is it running at all?
Humming with no fan is the classic weak run capacitor. Coil packed with leaf litter is the classic Spring Oaks or Weathersfield call — the oak canopy shades the condenser and then buries it.
Do not top up the refrigerant and walk away
Refrigerant is not consumed. If it is low, it leaked, and a system that needs topping up every season has a leak nobody has found.
Humidity: NOAA 1991–2020 US Climate Normals, Orlando International Airport (USW00012815).
If it is running and blowing warm, that is a different page
Two different faults“Not cooling” and “running but not cooling” sound like the same complaint and lead to different diagnoses. If the indoor blower is moving air and the air is not cold, the fault is on the refrigeration side or in the airflow, not in the power supply.
What it costs to find out
Researched ranges| What is being priced | Researched range | What moves it |
|---|---|---|
| Diagnostic / service call | $75–$150 | Orlando-market diagnostic or dispatch fee. After-hours calls commonly $150–$250. |
| Run capacitor | $150–$400 | Florida market, parts and labour. National average around $250. Quoted metro ranges: Tampa Bay $279–$425, Cape Coral $150–$350, Naples $225–$475, Fort Lauderdale $270–$390. |
| Compressor | $850–$2,400 | What most US homeowners pay, against a national average of about $1,600. Broader industry quotes run $1,200–$3,500 depending on system type, refrigerant and labour complexity. |
Sources: Angi (capacitor), HomeAdvisor and This Old House (compressor), a Central Florida contractor's published Altamonte Springs replacement range and Florida PACE (replacement). Compiled September 2026.