Moving to St Petersburg, Florida, was a large change for me… I grew up in the northeastern part of the country, where the summers are short and winters are brutal, then there was no need for central air conditioning, then my buddy and I got by with window air conditioners in the bedrooms, and there were years when the units were unnecessary.
The heater ran for eight straight months, handling uneven temperatures down to downside twenty-five.
Snow shovels, ice scrapers, rock salt, heavy boots and wool coats were essential. I was eager to head south. I expected severe heat and humidity however didn’t totally understand the difficulties, but running an air conditioner just about year round is lavish. The excess humidity creates problems with indoor air quality. It encourages the growth of mold, mildew, dust mites, bacteria, viruses and cockroaches. The Summer weather in St Petersburg is as problematic as the winter weather up north. It’s essential to tighten up the condo to prevent energy waste. I am once again trapped indoors for months at a time! When the temperature soars into the nineties, I feel tired, sluggish and unproductive. I’ve learned the importance of taking easily nice care of the air conditioner. To make sure it operates at peak efficiency, capacity and reliability, I change the air filters every four to six weeks. I arrange for professional service from a local St Petersburg Heating & Air Conditioning company every Spring. The specialist cleans the condensate drain and coils, tests the refrigerant charge, verifies the accuracy of the control unit, tightens wires and makes little adjustments. I make sure that the HVAC duct gets checked for leaks and cleanliness as well.