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No Bad Jobs: Three Generations of One Family at Northrich Florida
Episode 1 of The ABC Mechanical Podcast. Our General Manager sits down in Weston with Cliff Dickinson and his son Alex of Northrich Florida to talk about a family rule called no bad jobs, why they hire for character first, and how they grow their own engineers. Watch the episode, then read the story.
The Rainy Season Ended October 15. Your Building’s Humidity Did Not.
The dry season started on the calendar, but the average October dew point in Miami is still about 70°F. Why buildings feel clammier in October than in August, the five settings that usually cause it, and a one-page Humidity Check for your engineer.
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Eight Projects, Five Companies, One Table: How ABC Mechanical Plans With Its Partners
On October 13, 2026, ABC Mechanical sat down with its controls, equipment, electrical and roofing partners at Northrich Florida in Weston to plan eight school HVAC projects together. Watch the recap, then see how the day was run and why every trade gets a seat at the table before the first unit is lifted.
FPL Pays Rebates on Efficient Commercial AC. Here Is the Paperwork That Gets It Paid.
FPL's Business HVAC Program pays rebates on qualifying chillers, rooftop and split systems, and pump drives. The unit gets picked first, and the check depends on the paperwork. What the current standard pays, what has to be true before you order, and a printable one-page closeout check.
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How We Replaced a Miami Beach Gym's AC in Under 48 Hours
The fitness center at 300 Collins needed a new air conditioning unit and had a 48-hour limit. Day one: grilles off, panels down, old unit out. Day two: a new high-efficiency fan coil set in place, press-fit copper, clean wiring, every connection tested. The gym reopened cooler and more efficient. Watch the job, then see what any property manager can take from it.
The Mechanical Code Changes December 31. Here Is What Your Next Permit Has to Show.
Florida's 9th Edition Building Code, Mechanical is scheduled to take effect December 31, 2026, and Miami-Dade is already enforcing that date. Your existing equipment does not have to be replaced. Your next permit is judged against the edition in effect the day you apply. Seven changes to know, five questions to ask before the 2027 budget is adopted, and a printable one-page check.
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How We Replaced a School's Failed Chiller Over Labor Day Weekend
A South Florida school's chiller failed, and there was one holiday weekend to replace it before students walked back in. The old unit came out and the new one was set by crane on Friday night. Saturday was piping. By Monday the building was cool and nobody missed a day. Watch the whole job, then see what any school facilities team can take from it.
South Florida's Hottest Summer on Record Just Ended. Here Is What to Check.
Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach just closed out their hottest summers on record and Miami tied its own, in one of the driest summers on record. Equipment rarely breaks during a season like that. It breaks in the eight weeks afterward, when the load starts swinging and everything that wore out in silence gets asked to start and stop again. The six things to check on the roof now, why the drought did damage the heat did not, and how to get the answer into the 2027 budget before it is adopted. Includes a printable one-page check.
Florida Law Does Not Make Your Board Save for the Air Conditioning
Florida's Structural Integrity Reserve Study names seven building components, and the cooling system is not one of them. The exact statutory language, the two-part test that almost every summary misquotes, why the declaration of condominium decides more than the price tag does, and the two changes House Bill 913 made in 2025 that quietly made deferral easier. Plus the five things a board can do before the next budget meeting.
New York Tightened Its Cooling Tower Law. Florida Has None.
An Upper East Side outbreak ended at 94 cases and 11 deaths, and New York responded on August 5 by moving cooling towers to inspection every 31 days. Florida's version of that law died in committee in 2020. No registry, no required test, no inspector. What that leaves on a condo board, plus seven questions every board should be able to answer and a printable one-pager for your next meeting.
How Cooling Load Is Calculated for a Commercial Building
One ton per 400 square feet is a guess, not a calculation. The eight steps a real load calc follows — envelope gain, internal gain, design conditions, outside air — and the sensible-versus-latent split that decides whether your building feels cool and dry or cold and clammy. Plus why a bigger unit makes humidity worse, not better.
HVAC Prices Went Up Again in August
Daikin, Goodman and Amana raised list prices up to 7% on August 3, and some parts lines went up 16% or more. It’s the fifth round of increases this year. What’s driving it — tariffs, the A2L refrigerant switch, freight and labor — and the five moves that keep a South Florida building from buying at the worst possible moment.
The Summer HVAC Checklist That Prevents July and August Breakdowns
A printable uptime checklist for facility and HOA managers — weekly, monthly, heat-event, and contractor tasks you can hand straight to your engineering department. Plus the three board-ready formulas that show what neglect costs and what maintenance saves. Print it or download the PDF.
Getting School HVAC Ready Before Students Return
Broward opens August 10, Miami-Dade August 13. The week-by-week pre-opening sequence for a South Florida campus — drying the building, restoring capacity, verifying ventilation and humidity, and testing controls before the first bell.
Feels Like 110: 7 Things You Can Do to Keep Your Facility Cool
Heat advisories, feels-like temps up to 113°, Saharan dust, and FPL's new rates are hammering South Florida buildings. Why your equipment runs at its limit, seven things to do this week, and the warning signs that mean it's time to call.
Cooling Towers Are Public Health Infrastructure
What the 2026 New York City Legionnaires' cluster teaches South Florida building owners about cooling tower maintenance — and why year-round warm water makes this market uniquely exposed. Download the full white paper as a PDF.
Repair, Upgrade, or Replace? A Commercial HVAC Decision Guide
Fixing an aging commercial system one breakdown at a time is the most expensive way to run it. The five indicators — age, repair cost, efficiency, refrigerant phase-down, and downtime risk — that decide whether to repair, upgrade, or replace, plus the equipment brands ABC specifies to the building, not the truck.
Join the Winning Team: HVAC Jobs in Miami
The best teams win together — and so do the best HVAC crews. See how the ABC Mechanical team works like a World Cup squad, and how you can join us. We're hiring techs, pipefitters, and apprentices in Miami and South Florida.
When the Doral Fires Hit, So Did the Smoke
The June 2026 wildfires near Doral pushed smoke and ash across Miami-Dade. What it does to your AC, how to run your system during a fire, and the cleanup that protects it afterward.
How Much Cooling Power Does a World Cup Stadium Need?
The 2026 World Cup is in Miami. The staggering cooling demand of a 65,000-seat venue — 8,000 tons and up — why Hard Rock cools differently, and what it shares with the home down the street.
How a Large Building Beats a South Florida Summer
Inside the chiller plant on a 95° design day: why summer is the real stress test, why humidity—not heat—fails first, and the four things that separate buildings that ride it out from the ones that go down.
The True Cost of Waiting: Preventative Maintenance for Condos
A white paper for boards, managers, and owners: how preventative maintenance moves every lever in a South Florida high-rise — mechanical, financial, legal, and human.
RED Friday: Why We Wear Red Every Friday
R.E.D. = Remember Everyone Deployed. What the tradition means, where it came from, and why it matters to a veteran-owned, veteran-managed team.
Why We Brought SBS In: A Day of Controls & Building Automation
Inside a hands-on training day with Smart Building Solutions — controls, building automation, energy management, and the Lynxspring platform. Plus the highlight video.
Billed for Your Worst 15 Minutes: Summer Demand Charges
Commercial power bills hide a demand charge set by one 15-minute HVAC peak. The six fixes that pull summer cooling costs back down.
Hurricane Season HVAC Prep: A South Florida Owner's Checklist
A 9-step pre-season checklist plus the post-storm restart sequence that protects compressors, electrical, and your warranty.
Why AC Units Die Faster Within 5 Miles of the Beach
Salt-air corrosion can cut AC service life from 12 years to 6. Here's the four-tier defense that doubles it back.
Why Bigger Isn't Better: AC Sizing for Florida Humidity
An oversized AC in Florida leaves your home cold and clammy. Manual J sizing — and what it actually takes to get comfort right.
Indoor Air Quality in South Florida Schools
The four levers — ventilation, filtration, humidity, PM — that drive measured IAQ outcomes for K-12 facilities.
A Property Manager's Capital-Planning Primer
The 6 line items that drive 80% of high-rise mechanical capital — plus what every board should know about the R-410A phase-down.
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