During Hurricane Ian, Orlando Sanford International Airport recorded 16.1 inches of rain, the most of any airport weather station in the metro. We connect Sanford homeowners and landlords with independent local air duct and HVAC companies for free, no-obligation quotes.
Get a Free QuoteSanford sits on Lake Monroe in Seminole County, on the wetter north side of the metro. National Hurricane Center data put Ian's total at the Sanford airport at 16.1 inches in September 2022. Milton followed in October 2024 with 10.09 inches and a gust of about 85 mph at the same airport, and a volunteer CoCoRaHS gauge southwest of town caught 11.04 inches. Irma had already left nearly 12 inches in 2017.
When water gets into an air handler, a return plenum or insulated duct, the Florida Department of Health warns that running the system without proper cleaning "will spread mold throughout your home." EPA adds that wet or moldy insulated duct "cannot be effectively cleaned and should be removed and replaced." For a flooded system, that's usually a job for an AC contractor, not a quick vacuum. Read about mold in AC vents and ducts.
About 63,730 people live in Sanford (ACS 2024 5-year). The median home was built in 1994, and 52.0% of homes are owner-occupied, so the city is close to an even split between owners and renters. In rentals, the landlord or manager usually arranges AC work.
Henry Shelton Sanford founded the town in 1877. After an 1887 fire burned the wooden First Street buildings, they were rebuilt in masonry, and by the early 1900s Sanford was known as "Celery City." Its lakefront downtown historic district was listed on the National Register in 1976.
A musty smell from the vents is one of the most common reasons Sanford homeowners ask for quotes. Ducts are only part of the system. The coil, the drain pan and the blower sit inside the air handler, where moisture comes off the coil all summer. EPA's mold guide says to "keep air conditioning drip pans clean and the drain lines unobstructed and flowing properly" and to keep indoor humidity below 60%.
Opening the air handler to clean the coil, pan or blower is air-conditioning contractor work under Florida law, the same as duct cleaning that removes grilles. Ask for a CAC/CMC license number and check it at MyFloridaLicense.com. A county business tax receipt is not a license. This is general information, not legal advice. See AC coil and air handler cleaning and air duct cleaning.
If water reached the air handler or ducts, don't assume it is. The Florida Department of Health warns that running a flooded system without proper cleaning will spread mold through the home, and EPA says wet insulated duct should be replaced, not cleaned. Have an AC contractor assess it. For health concerns, talk to your doctor.
Not always. The smell often starts at the coil, drain pan or a slow condensate line inside the air handler. EPA notes that mold returns if the conditions causing it are not corrected. Ask any company to show you the contamination they find and explain where it is coming from before you agree to work.
EPA and NADCA put typical whole-system duct cleaning at $450 to $1,000 per system, and AC cleaning or a tune-up typically runs $75 to $200. These are estimates, not quotes. Your price depends on the system, access and contamination. NADCA warns that $99 whole-house specials often leave out key components.
We don't do the work ourselves and aren't a contractor. Ask for free quotes and compare written estimates.
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