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Leaving a building empty in Florida? Leave the AC right.

Seasonal restaurants, suites between tenants, winter homes locked up for summer: how to set the air conditioning so the building is dry, and still working, when you come back.

Two hang tags

Open, and empty for the season.

Print them, hang them on the thermostat, and whoever locks up will know what to set.

Hang on the thermostat

Open

  • Cooling set for comfort while people are in the building.
  • Fan on AUTO, so water can drain off the coil between cycles.
  • Filters changed on schedule — monthly in busy spaces.
  • Drain line flushed at every maintenance visit.
Hang on the thermostat

Empty for the season

  • Cooling ON at a higher setting — never OFF. A closed Florida building with the AC off is a mould risk within weeks.
  • Fan on AUTO, not ON. A fan running nonstop blows water from the wet coil back into the rooms.
  • Humidity below 60%. Use the dehumidify setting or a dehumidifier if the system has one.
  • Drain flushed and float switch tested before you leave — a clog while you're away is the costly one.
  • Someone checks in every couple of weeks, or a thermostat that sends alerts.

General guidance — the right setting depends on the building, its equipment and what's stored inside. We'll set it with you.

Why "off" goes wrong

Florida air doesn't stop being wet when you leave.

Air conditioning does two jobs here: it cools, and it pulls water out of the air. Turn it off and the second job stops. Warm, humid air settles into drywall, carpet, furniture and stock, and mould follows.

Leaving it on at a higher setting keeps it running often enough to keep the building dry, while still using less than when you're open.

A small digital humidity monitor on a shelf in a closed-up room, blinds drawn, the display unreadable
The before-season check

What we do before you lock up.

Flush the drain

A drain that clogs in July, with nobody there, is the most common way an empty building gets water damage.

Test the float switch

If the drain does back up, the system should shut off rather than overflow.

Set it with you

Cooling setting, fan on AUTO, dehumidify mode if the system has one — written on the tag.

Check it runs

Refrigerant, coil and filter checked so it doesn't fail a month into the season.

A technician flushing the condensate drain at an air handler in a utility closet, a wet-vac hose attached to the outdoor drain end
The dining room of a restaurant closed for the summer, chairs stacked on tables, blinds half-drawn against bright sun
Businesses

Seasonal restaurants, empty suites, summer churches.

Commercial buildings add a few things to the list: kitchen exhaust that shouldn't pull humid air in when the kitchen is closed, suites whose rooftop unit serves a neighbour too, and stock or equipment that minds humidity.

  • Exhaust and make-up air set for closed hours.
  • Schedules changed on programmable thermostats and controls.
  • A mid-season visit if nobody will be checking in.
  • A start-up check before you reopen.
Homes

Winter homes, locked up for summer.

The same tag works for a house. Many owners also ask a neighbour or house-watcher to check in every couple of weeks, or fit a thermostat that sends an alert if the temperature or humidity climbs. We'll set it up before you go.

After a storm

If your building or house was flooded while you were away, don't restart the air conditioning — equipment that has been under water needs checking first. Call us.

Before you leave

Book a before-season check.

For a storefront, an office, a restaurant or your house.

Schedule a check (954) 569-0801
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