AC guides for Tampa Bay homeowners
Plain-language AC guides for Hillsborough and Pinellas: the new refrigerants, SEER2 and utility rebates, permits, what to do after a flood, repair or replace.
Your AC after a flood in Pinellas: replace, and the elevation rule
Helene put condensers under salt water from Clearwater Beach to Shore Acres. What AHRI says about flooded equipment, what the Florida Building Code requires when it is replaced, how Pinellas sets the flood elevation, and what the permit, the quote, and Duke's rebate window should look like.
Why a new AC costs more in Tampa Bay in 2026
A 2026 replacement quote around the bay looks different from a 2022 one. The refrigerant changed, the efficiency scale changed, the federal credit ended, and the two utilities have their own rules. What each piece is, with the dates, so the quote makes sense before you sign.