AC repair
Furnace & heating
Heat pumps
Ductless mini splits
Trane
GoodmanSeasonal tune-up and full diagnostic on your Carrier, Trane, or Goodman system - readings shown to you before any repair is proposed
Diagnosis first, numbers second - you approve the repair price before a single part goes in.
Get your free estimateTrusted AC Repair for Fort Lauderdale Homeowners
When your air conditioner quits in Fort Lauderdale, you don’t have the luxury of waiting. Our summers run hot and humid from May through October, and a dead AC turns a comfortable home into a sweatbox within hours. Dalton Heating & Air Fort Lauderdale has been repairing residential cooling systems under The Garrison Standard since 2003. We show up inside the stated window, put the price in writing before any work starts, and back every repair with a written guarantee for a full year. Most AC repair calls in Fort Lauderdale run $150 – $650 depending on the failed part, and you can read more about how much AC Repair costs before you call. We carry common components on our trucks to get you cooling again the same day. Call (754) 354-6972 and a live person answers, 24/7. No voicemail queue, no callback window.
Key Takeaways
- Straight answer on cost: AC repair in Fort Lauderdale typically runs $150 – $650. We commit to that range in writing before touching your system.
- Same-day service is real: Calls before noon usually get a technician out the same day, especially during the summer months when we staff extra crews.
- The guarantee is written, not verbal: Every repair gets a 365-day guarantee. If it fails in that window, we return at no charge.
- We service nine major brands: Including Carrier, Trane, Lennox, Goodman, Rheem, York, Daikin, Bryant, and American Standard.
- Live phone answer, every hour: A real person picks up at (754) 354-6972. At 2 a.m. on a Sunday, a real person picks up.
Styles & brands we work with
AC Maintenance
AC Maintenance is the scheduled checkup that keeps your Fort Lauderdale cooling system from failing during the worst possible week, and our AC Repair Maintenance Checklist for Fort Lauderdale Homeowners covers everything we inspect. Coastal salt air and constant humidity put extra strain on condenser coils, capacitors, and drain lines here, which means twice-a-year maintenance pays for itself quickly. Dalton Heating & Air Fort Lauderdale performs a full inspection and tune-up for $80 – $200, depending on system size and condition. Our technicians clean the condenser coil, check refrigerant pressure, test capacitors and contactors, clear the drain line, and measure temperature drop across the evaporator coil. Every visit ends with a written report of what we found and what, if anything, we recommend addressing.
Spring Prep Before the Heat Hits
April and May are the months to schedule maintenance in Fort Lauderdale. Once June arrives and the heat index climbs into triple digits, every AC company in Broward County gets slammed with no-cool calls. A May tune-up catches weak capacitors and low refrigerant before they turn into a Sunday emergency. Skipping this window means waiting behind dozens of other homeowners when your system finally gives out.
What a Tune-Up Actually Includes
We check every component that commonly fails in Fort Lauderdale’s climate. Condenser fins get brushed and straightened so air moves freely. The drain line gets flushed because algae grows fast in our humidity and clogged drains cause water damage. Electrical connections get torqued so nothing arcs or overheats. You get the full list in writing when we finish.
AC Service
AC Service is any call where a Dalton Heating & Air Fort Lauderdale technician diagnoses or repairs your cooling system, from a full breakdown to a mystery noise. Our service calls run $150 – $650 for most repairs, and the price is confirmed before work begins. That written number covers the diagnosis, the part, and the labor. If we discover additional problems during the repair, we stop and put the new number in writing before continuing. That’s The Garrison Standard, and it’s been the rule since 2003.
Diagnostic Fee Applied to Repair
When you book a service call, the diagnostic fee covers a full system inspection and a written diagnosis. If you approve the repair, that fee rolls into the repair total. If you decide not to proceed, you pay only the diagnostic charge and you keep the written diagnosis. No pressure, no games, and you keep the paperwork either way.
What We Check on Every Service Call
Our technicians walk a standard checklist before quoting anything. Refrigerant pressures, electrical draw on the compressor and fan motor, capacitor readings, thermostat calibration, and airflow across the coil. The findings are recorded on the invoice so you see exactly what is wrong and what you are paying to fix.
AC Unit Repair
AC Unit Repair means fixing the actual mechanical and electrical components inside your cooling system, not just topping off refrigerant and hoping for the best. In Fort Lauderdale, where systems run 3,000+ hours a year, common failures include burned contactors, seized fan motors, failing compressors, and corroded control boards. Dalton Heating & Air Fort Lauderdale provides AC Repair in Fort Lauderdale for all of them. Most AC unit repair jobs land between $150 – $650, and we stock common parts on our trucks so one visit usually finishes the job.
When a Repair Beats a Replacement
If your system is under 10 years old and the compressor is still healthy, repair is usually the right financial call. A $400 capacitor or contactor replacement buys you years more service. Marco Benitez, who leads our Fort Lauderdale team, tells homeowners the truth: when a repair costs more than half of a new system and the unit is past its expected life, replacement makes more sense.
Repairs We Won’t Do Halfway
We don’t patch refrigerant leaks without finding and sealing the leak. We don’t replace a capacitor without checking what caused it to fail in the first place. A repair that ignores the root cause just means another service call in three weeks. That’s why every Dalton repair gets a written 365-day guarantee. If the fix doesn’t hold, we return free.
AC Capacitor Replacement
AC Capacitor Replacement is one of the most common repairs we perform in Fort Lauderdale, and it’s usually a quick fix when caught early. The capacitor is the component that gives your compressor and fan motor the electrical jolt they need to start. Fort Lauderdale heat and constant cycling wear capacitors out faster than the national average. A replacement typically runs $150 – $350 including the part and labor, and Dalton Heating & Air Fort Lauderdale carries most capacitor sizes on our trucks for same-day fixes.
Signs Your Capacitor Is Failing
A weak capacitor often gives warning before it dies completely. Your AC may hum but fail to start, or start slowly and then trip its breaker. The fan may spin, but the compressor won’t kick on. If you hear a humming sound from the outside unit and nothing is turning, cut power to the system and call us. That hum means the capacitor is trying and failing, and a hard-start attempt can damage the compressor.
Why We Check Capacitors During Every Visit
Capacitors lose strength gradually, not all at once. A technician with a multimeter can measure the capacitor’s actual microfarad reading against its rated capacity. When it falls more than 10% below rating, replacement is indicated, even if the system is still running. This is a safety issue as much as a reliability issue: a failed capacitor can take out the compressor, and that’s a $1,500-plus repair.
AC Recharge
AC Recharge, also called a refrigerant recharge, is the process of restoring the cooling fluid your system needs to reach your set temperature. If your AC runs constantly but your home never gets cool, low refrigerant is often the culprit. In Fort Lauderdale, where systems run nearly year-round, slow leaks are common. A recharge typically falls within the $150 – $650 repair range depending on the refrigerant type and leak severity. Dalton Heating & Air Fort Lauderdale always pressure-tests and leak-searches before adding refrigerant. Adding refrigerant to a leaking system without fixing the leak is a shortcut we don’t take.
R-22 vs. R-410A: What It Means for Price
Older Fort Lauderdale homes with pre-2010 systems often run R-22 refrigerant, which is no longer manufactured and costs significantly more per pound. If your system needs R-22 and has a leak, the cost per pound can push the bill to the top of the repair range. Newer systems use R-410A, which is still widely available and cheaper to top off. We’ll give you the per-pound and total price in writing before we add a single ounce.
Why a Proper Leak Search Matters
Refrigerant doesn’t burn off. If your system is low, it leaked somewhere, and that leak will not fix itself. We use an electronic leak detector and sometimes UV dye to pinpoint the source. Small pinhole leaks in the evaporator coil are common in Fort Lauderdale because salt air accelerates corrosion. We find the leak, quote the repair, and only then recharge the system. You bill reflects a real fix, not a temporary reprieve.
Emergency AC Repair
Emergency AC Repair is what Dalton Heating & Air Fort Lauderdale does when a system fails overnight, on a weekend, or during a heat wave and someone’s health or a pet’s safety is at risk. Fort Lauderdale nights in August rarely drop below 80 degrees with 90 percent humidity. An AC failure in those conditions is not an inconvenience, it’s a health risk for seniors, infants, and people with respiratory conditions. We answer the phone 24/7 with a live person and can often dispatch a technician the same night. Emergency repair costs stay within the standard $150 – $650 range. We do not charge overtime markup for nights or weekends.
What Counts as a Real Emergency
A no-cool call when the house is 88 degrees and climbing is an emergency. So is water pouring from an air handler onto the floor, or a burning smell from the vents. A system that’s cooling weakly but holding temperature can usually wait for a standard appointment. Call us either way. The live person who answers will help you decide if you need a same-night visit or a next-morning slot.
How Emergency Dispatch Works
When you call at 11 p.m., you get a real dispatcher who asks a few targeted questions about what your system is doing. That person schedules a technician and you get a call when the tech is en route. The technician arrives in a marked Dalton vehicle, in uniform, with a badge. The price goes in writing before any work starts, even at midnight. The Garrison Code applies at every hour.
AC Not Blowing Cold Air
AC Not Blowing Cold Air is the most common complaint we hear in Fort Lauderdale from April through October, and it has a dozen possible causes. The fix might be a $20 capacitor or a $6,500 compressor replacement, which is why guessing without testing is a waste of money. Dalton Heating & Air Fort Lauderdale diagnoses the exact cause with instruments, not assumptions. Most no-cool calls fall in the $150 – $650 range, and we’ll confirm the exact number in writing before touching anything.
Common Causes We Find
Low refrigerant, failed capacitors, clogged air filters, frozen evaporator coils, tripped breakers, and locked-up condenser fan motors. Some of these are quick fixes. Others point to a deeper problem. A frozen coil, for example, usually means low refrigerant or restricted airflow, and adding refrigerant will not fix the underlying issue. We diagnose the cause and explain what we found in plain language.
What to Check Before You Call
Check your thermostat is set to cool and the filter is not blocked solid with dust. A clogged filter can cause a freeze-up that looks like low refrigerant but resolves with a filter swap and a defrost cycle. If the outside unit is running but the air is warm, shut the system off to prevent further compressor strain and call us. If the outside unit is not running at all, check the breaker panel before you call, because a tripped breaker costs nothing to reset if that is the only issue.
See the difference
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AfterBrands We Service
Our Fort Lauderdale technicians are factory-trained on nine major residential HVAC brands, so we arrive already knowing the failure patterns and quirks of your specific unit. A York heat pump fails differently than a Bryant split system, and a tech who only knows one brand misses the subtle signs. Dalton Heating & Air Fort Lauderdale carries OEM and equivalent parts for York and Bryant on most trucks, which means we can often complete the repair on the first visit. Daikin systems, which are increasingly common in newer Fort Lauderdale homes, require specific diagnostic protocols that our techs have been trained to follow. We also service American Standard units, known for their heavy-duty compressors, with OEM parts whenever available.
Whether your system is a York from 2012, a Bryant from 2008, a Daikin from 2021, or an American Standard from anyone’s guess, we can diagnose it and fix it. We service all major residential makes, and if we don’t have the part on the truck, we’ll get it ordered same-day and keep you posted on the timeline. Call (754) 354-6972 with your make and model and we’ll tell you exactly what to expect before we even arrive.
Signs You Need a Pro Right Now
- Warm air from the vents while the system runs. This usually means low refrigerant, a failed compressor, or a control problem. Running the system in this condition can cause further damage and won’t cool your home, so shut it off and call.
- Ice on the refrigerant lines or the outside unit. Ice means the system is working against a restriction or running low on refrigerant. Continuing to run it can damage the compressor, and that’s the most expensive component to replace.
- Water pooling around the air handler. Fort Lauderdale humidity creates constant condensation, and a clogged drain line overflows fast. Water damage to ceilings and floors adds hundreds to the repair bill, so call before the drip becomes a flood.
- A burning smell from the registers. Dust burning off after months of inactivity is normal. A persistent electrical or plastic smell is not. That can mean a failing motor, capacitor, or control board, and it needs professional attention immediately.
- Breaker tripping repeatedly. A breaker that trips once may be a fluke. A breaker that trips twice means the system is drawing too much current, which often points to a failing compressor or fan motor. Stop resetting it and call a technician.
Our Process, Step by Step
Every Dalton Heating & Air Fort Lauderdale call follows the same five steps. No shortcuts, no surprises, no cleanup left to you.
- 1
You call and get a live person. A dispatcher answers, takes your details, and schedules a window that works for you. Emergency calls get priority routing based on urgency, not on who paid for a premium tier.
- 2
The technician arrives inside the stated window. You get a call when the tech is en route, and the tech arrives in a marked Dalton vehicle, in uniform, with a badge. This is The Garrison Code: arrive inside the stated window, every time.
- 3
Diagnosis with instruments, not guesses. The technician checks refrigerant pressures, electrical draw, capacitor readings, temperature drop, and airflow. You get the findings explained in plain language, along with the repair cost in writing.
- 4
You approve the written price before work starts. The number on the quote is the number you pay. If additional work is needed, we stop and put the new number in writing before continuing. No door-surprise pricing.
- 5
The repair is completed, tested, and guaranteed in writing. After the fix, the tech runs the system through a full cycle to confirm it’s cooling correctly. You receive a written invoice with the 365-day guarantee clearly stated. The work area is left clean.
How Much Does AC Repair Cost in Fort Lauderdale?
AC repair in Fort Lauderdale typically costs $150 – $650, with the final number depending on the failed component. A capacitor replacement runs $150 – $350 including part and labor. A condenser fan motor typically lands between $350 and $600. A contactor or control board repair falls between $200 and $450. A full compressor replacement can push toward the top of the range and sometimes beyond, depending on system size and warranty status. These ranges reflect actual Fort Lauderdale market pricing for diagnosed repairs, not vague estimates.
The biggest variable in price is the part itself. Refrigerant type matters too: older R-22 systems cost more to recharge than newer R-410A units because R-22 is no longer manufactured. System accessibility matters as well. Attic units in older Fort Lauderdale homes take longer to work on than ground-level closets. Every Dalton Heating & Air Fort Lauderdale quote includes labor and the part, so there are no line-item surprises when the invoice arrives.
The best way to avoid overpaying is to get a written diagnosis before any money changes hands. A free estimate over the phone is worthless because the technician cannot see the system. Our on-site diagnostic gives you the exact repair cost in writing. If you choose not to proceed, you pay only the diagnostic fee and keep the written report. Call (754) 354-6972 to schedule, and ask about the free estimate on system replacements.
Our Service Area Near Fort Lauderdale
Dalton Heating & Air Fort Lauderdale serves the city of Fort Lauderdale plus most surrounding Broward County communities. We regularly run calls to Pompano Beach, Plantation, Lauderhill, Margate, Oakland Park, Hallandale Beach, Dania Beach, West Park, Lighthouse Point, and Pembroke Park. Typical response time for non-emergency calls is same day or next morning. Emergency calls in Fort Lauderdale proper often get a technician out the same night. If you’re north of us, see our AC Repair in Pompano Beach page for more local detail. If you’re west, check AC Repair in Plantation. And for the full picture on what we cover, start at our home page.
Serving Fort Lauderdale, FL - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the Fort Lauderdale area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
Frequently Asked Questions About AC Repair in Fort Lauderdale
AC repair is the diagnosis and correction of any fault that prevents your cooling system from working safely and efficiently. It includes electrical work like capacitor and contactor replacement, mechanical work like fan motor and compressor repair, and refrigerant leak detection and recharge. Dalton Heating & Air Fort Lauderdale handles all of it under one written guarantee.
Most repairs are completed in one to three hours from the time the technician arrives. Common fixes like capacitor replacements take under an hour. Compressor replacements can take half a day. You’ll get a time estimate with your written price before any work begins.
Most AC repairs in Fort Lauderdale run between $150 and $650 depending on the failed part. A capacitor is at the low end. A condenser fan motor is in the middle. A compressor is at the high end. Call (754) 354-6972 for a written quote, and remember the diagnostic fee rolls into the repair if you approve it.
Yes. We service all nine major residential HVAC brands including York, Bryant, Daikin, and American Standard. Our technicians are factory-trained on each brand’s specific failure patterns and carry OEM and equivalent parts for most of them on the truck.
In most cases, yes. We answer the phone 24/7 with a live person, and Fort Lauderdale emergency calls often get a same-day visit. Call (754) 354-6972 and the dispatcher will tell you exactly when a technician can arrive, no callback needed.
Every repair includes a written 365-day guarantee. If the repair fails within that year, we return at no charge and fix it. That’s the 365-Day Done Right Promise, and it’s part of The Garrison Standard on every job, every time.
Clear a path to the indoor unit in the attic or closet, and make sure the outside condenser is accessible. Move anything stored around the outside unit. If you have a pet that gets anxious around strangers, secure them before the tech arrives. That’s it. We bring everything else.
Schedule Your AC Repair Service in Fort Lauderdale Today
Call (754) 354-6972 now and a live person will schedule your Plantation AC Repair or Fort Lauderdale service, usually same day. Your price goes in writing before we start, and the repair is guaranteed for a full year. No-obligation estimates on every call. We’re here 24/7.
Written by Marco Benitez, Owner at Dalton Heating & Air Fort Lauderdale, serving Fort Lauderdale since 2003.