Replacement
AC replacement for Boca Raton houses
A new system is a housing decision here. A condenser on a Highland Beach pad does not age like a unit on a shaded lot in West Boca, and a Broken Sound home with larger glass loads is different from a compact Mission Bay courtyard.
What we’d tell you first
Plain notes, the way a tech would say them on the phone. Then call or book if you want someone at the house.
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Ask for both scopes
When repair and replacement are both plausible, you should see both. A sticker tonnage from the old cabinet is not a sizing plan.
When replacement is the honest call
We would rather repair a sound system than sell a new one. Replacement is the clearer spend when the metal, the compressor, or the humidity performance says the old equipment is done.
Most homes on this stretch of coast cool for eight months or more and heat for a short stretch in winter. Equipment is chosen for cooling and moisture removal first.
- Coil metal is flaking, especially near open water or the Intracoastal
- The compressor failed and the rest of the system is already old
- Rooms stay clammy after repairs because the equipment short-cycles
- A renovation changed the glass or the floor plan and the old tonnage was never revisited
- The air handler and the condenser are leftovers from two different decades
How a replacement is decided
The old tonnage sticker is a clue, not a prescription. Glass, ceiling height, occupancy, and whether the ducts can move the air come first. A large Broken Sound home and a smaller Boca Del Mar ranch do not share a default size.
When both repair and replacement are plausible, you should see both scopes. No script that opens on a new heat pump.
Install day covers the pad, the disconnect, the line set, the drain, and the permit path for the city or county you are actually in. We also confirm the electrical circuit can carry the new equipment. Utility rebates change — we only quote an incentive we can document that week.
Local climate and permits
Coastal pads need coil and cabinet choices that tolerate salt film. Inland pads need airflow and dehumidification that survive a long wet season. City of Boca Raton and Palm Beach County permits apply when the changeout requires them.
Gated clubs and HOAs often care about pad location, screen walls, and noise. Share access rules early so the install does not stall at the gate.
Heat pumps, because this is Florida
A heat pump is the usual replacement because it cools through the long season and covers cool January mornings. We size it for humidity, not for a northern heating chart.
Questions we’d answer on the phone
The short version before anyone is standing in the yard.
How do you choose repair versus replace?
Age, coil condition, repair cost relative to a new system, and whether the house can get dry. Near-water exposure moves the answer earlier. A sound inland system with a failed capacitor does not get the same speech.
Do you pull permits?
Changeouts that require a permit get one, including work in the City of Boca Raton and unincorporated Palm Beach County. Ask which office applies if you are near a city line.
Will a new system need a panel upgrade?
Sometimes. Older Boca homes with limited spare capacity may need a heavier circuit or a panel upgrade before a modern heat pump lands. We measure that before you buy equipment.