Nothing happens when you call for cooling: no fan, no outdoor unit, nothing. Before you assume the system is dead, a few simple things cut power to an AC on purpose — and resetting them takes minutes.
The number-one cause we find on no-start calls in Fort Lauderdale is a tripped float switch: algae clogged the condensate drain, the pan filled, and the switch killed the system to stop a flood. The fix is often a cleared drain, not a new unit.
Check These First
Thermostat: fresh batteries, set to COOL, setpoint well below room temp. A blank screen is usually batteries — or a tripped float switch cutting low-voltage power.
Breaker: find the AC breaker in your panel. If it's tripped to the middle position, push it fully OFF, then ON, once. If it trips again, leave it off and call us.
Float switch: look at the air handler's drain line. If the small PVC line has a switch with a raised float, the pan is full and the drain is clogged. Don't bypass the switch — it's saving your ceiling.
Outdoor disconnect: the gray box near the condenser has a pull-out or switch. It should be ON. Storms and yard work knock these off more often than you'd expect.
What a Tripped Float Switch Means
Florida humidity grows algae in condensate drain lines, and in Fort Lauderdale the drain runs almost year-round. When the line clogs, the emergency pan fills and the float switch shuts the system down. That's the switch doing its job.
We clear the line, treat it to slow regrowth, and make sure the pan drains properly. On the same visit we check the rest of the system, because a clogged drain rarely travels alone.
Electrical Causes Behind a Dead System
If the float switch, thermostat, and breaker are all fine, the no-start is electrical: a failed capacitor, a burned contactor, a blown fuse in the disconnect, or a failed control board. Afternoon lightning strikes take out control boards and capacitors across Broward County every summer.
Because we do both trades, our techs test the full electrical path — disconnect, wiring, capacitor, contactor — in the same visit as the AC diagnosis.
Common questions
The thermostat is blank. Is the AC broken?
Usually not. Dead batteries are the first suspect. If fresh batteries don't help, a tripped float switch has cut power — the drain is clogged and the pan is full. Both are quick fixes on a service call.
I reset the breaker and the AC ran for a minute, then died again. Now what?
Leave the breaker off and call us. Something is tripping it — a short, a failing compressor, or a ground fault — and forcing it risks real damage.
Could a storm have killed my AC?
Yes. Lightning and power surges damage capacitors, contactors, and control boards. If the outage lines up with a storm, tell us when you call — and ask about whole-home surge protection for next time.
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(561) 786-1337