Independent HVAC & Duct Inspections Across Palm Beach County
Full Spectrum Environmental inspects air conditioning systems and ductwork across Palm Beach County and reports what we find. We are an environmental consulting firm, not a contractor: we do not perform duct cleaning, remediation or mechanical repair, and we are not compensated based on what a report recommends. You take the findings to whichever contractor you choose.
Two Different Questions. Two Different Inspections.
Most people who call us about an air conditioning system in Palm Beach County are asking one of two things — and they are not the same question.
Either something in the air isn’t right. A smell when the system kicks on. Dust that comes back three days after cleaning. Somebody in the house who feels better when they leave it. You want to know whether the system is the source.
Or you’ve been told something about your equipment, and you want to know whether it’s true. A replacement quote. A repair with a number on it that doesn’t sit right. Three companies out to the same house and three different answers.
Full Spectrum Environmental handles both. We’re an environmental consulting firm — we inspect, we document, and we tell you what we found. We are not the company that shows up afterward to sell you the cleaning or the repair.
Coil & Air Handler
The evaporator coil and the air handler cabinet — accumulation, moisture, corrosion, and visible growth on the surfaces the air passes over.
Blower & Blower Wheel
Loading on the wheel and housing, which costs airflow long before anyone notices it at the register.
Plenum & Splitters
What is visible inside the supply plenum and accessible splitters, and whether the plenum is sweating because of where it sits.
Accessible Ductwork
The interior of accessible runs — debris, moisture, disconnections, and the condition of the lining.
Leakage & Condensation
Whether the distribution side is leaking or condensating, and what that is doing to the space around it.
Refrigerant-Side Performance
Gauges on the system: subcooling and superheat, read against what the equipment should be doing.
Airflow & Distribution
Whether the system is moving the air it is rated to move, and whether it is reaching the rooms that are complaining.
Overall Operating Condition
The state of the equipment as a whole, and whether a diagnosis you have been handed is supported by what the system is actually doing.
Cleanliness Inspections — Is the System a Source?
This is the hygiene question: is your equipment or your ductwork contributing to the air problem you’re having, or is something else going on in the building?
We look at the equipment and the distribution side of the system — the coil, the blower and blower wheel, the plenum, the interior of splitters and accessible duct runs, and the ductwork itself. Whether it’s leaking. Whether it’s condensating. What’s actually visible inside it, as opposed to what’s assumed about it.
Accumulation, moisture and visible growth are the findings that matter, and where they are matters as much as whether they’re there. Debris in a duct run is a different problem from growth on a coil, and both are different from a plenum that’s sweating because of where it sits.
What you get: a written assessment of whether the system is contributing, what the condition actually is, and what scope of corrective work — if any — is warranted. Sometimes the answer is that the system is fine and the problem is elsewhere in the building. That’s a real finding, and it’s worth knowing before you spend money on ductwork.
Scope varies by system, building and access. Each inspection is quoted to the property.
- There’s a persistent musty smell
- They’re buying or selling and want the system looked at before closing
- They just paid for a duct cleaning and want to know it was done
- A property manager or HOA needs documentation
- They’ve been told they need remediation and want that verified first
Functionality Inspections — A Second Opinion You Can Act On
This is the performance question: is the equipment actually doing its job, and does what you’ve been told about it hold up?
You’ve been told you need a new system. Or a repair with a number on it you don’t understand. Or you’ve had three companies out and gotten three answers. We’ll put gauges on it and tell you what we find. We don’t sell you the repair, so there’s nothing riding on the answer.
Gauges go on the system. We look at refrigerant-side performance — subcooling, superheat — along with flow and the overall operating condition of the unit. What comes out of it is a judgment about whether the equipment is performing the way it should, and whether the diagnosis you were handed is supported by what the system is actually doing.
What you get: an independent read, in writing, that you can take back to whoever gave you the quote.
Scope varies by system, building and access. Each inspection is quoted to the property.
- They’ve been quoted a replacement and aren’t sure
- A repair estimate doesn’t add up
- A new install isn’t performing the way it was sold
- They’re buying a property and want the system evaluated before closing
- A property manager is vetting a contractor’s recommendation across a portfolio
- A commercial operator has equipment that isn’t holding conditions
In Florida, the Two Questions Are Connected
A system that isn’t performing correctly isn’t pulling water out of the air the way it’s supposed to. In this climate, humidity is the thing that feeds growth — on coils, in plenums, inside ductwork, and on the furnishings in the room.
So a cleanliness problem is frequently a performance symptom. Which is why so many people in this county have paid for duct cleaning twice. The cleaning was real and the work was done, but nothing corrected the condition that put the growth there in the first place.
That’s the case for looking at the mechanical side even when the complaint is about the air. It’s also why we won’t tell you to clean something without saying what we think caused it.
Who We Inspect For
Homeowners and high-end residential clients across Palm Beach County. Buyers and sellers who need a system evaluated inside a transaction timeline. Property managers and HOA boards who need documentation rather than a sales pitch. Commercial building operators dealing with occupant complaints, humidity, or equipment that isn’t holding conditions.
If you manage multiple properties and want a consistent standard applied across them, that’s work we do regularly.
HVAC and Duct Inspections by City
- HVAC & Duct System Inspections in West Palm Beach
- HVAC & Duct System Inspections in Palm Beach Gardens
- HVAC & Duct System Inspections in Jupiter
- HVAC & Duct System Inspections in Juno Beach
- HVAC & Duct System Inspections in North Palm Beach
- HVAC & Duct System Inspections in Delray Beach
Related: HVAC & ductwork assessments · IAQ & ventilation diagnostics for building managers · commercial indoor air quality inspection · moisture intrusion & HVAC-linked water damage
Request an Inspection
Serving West Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Jupiter, Juno Beach, North Palm Beach, Delray Beach and the surrounding Palm Beach County communities. Call (561) 206-2573 or submit an inquiry and we’ll scope it to your property.
Common Questions
What does an HVAC inspection consist of?
It depends on which question you’re trying to answer. A cleanliness inspection looks at the condition of the equipment and the duct system — coil, blower, plenum, duct interiors — for accumulation, moisture and growth. A functionality inspection puts gauges on the system and evaluates whether it’s performing. Scope is set by the system and the building, and we quote it to the property.
How long should an HVAC inspection take?
Long enough to look properly. A single residential system is usually a matter of hours; a commercial building with multiple units and long duct runs takes longer. We’d rather give you a real timeline once we know what we’re looking at than quote a number that turns out to be wrong.
How do you inspect ductwork?
Visually and physically, wherever the system gives us access — plenums, splitters, accessible runs, and the connections where leaks and condensation tend to show up first. What’s reachable varies a great deal between a slab-on-grade house, a condo and a commercial building.
Do home inspectors check air ducts?
Generally not in any depth. A standard home inspection confirms the system runs and produces cold air. It isn’t an environmental assessment of what’s inside the duct system, and it isn’t a performance evaluation of the equipment. That’s a different scope and usually a different set of credentials.
How can I test for mold in my air ducts?
Growth in a duct system is established by looking at it and, where warranted, by sampling analyzed at an accredited laboratory. Be careful with anyone who tells you over the phone that you have mold in your ducts before they’ve been to the property — particularly if the same call ends in a cleaning quote.
Is it common to have mold in ductwork?
In South Florida, microbial growth in and around air handlers and duct systems is common enough that it should never be assumed and never be dismissed. Humidity is the driver. The useful question isn’t whether it’s common — it’s whether it’s in your system, and what put it there.
Can mold in my air ducts make me sick?
Exposure affects people differently and sensitivity varies a great deal between individuals. If people in a building are consistently symptomatic in it and better out of it, that’s worth investigating properly rather than guessing at. We aren’t physicians and we don’t diagnose; we document what’s in the environment so you and your doctor have something factual to work from.
Is air duct cleaning really worth the money?
Sometimes clearly yes, sometimes clearly no — which is exactly why an inspection first tends to pay for itself. If the system is a source, cleaning it is worth doing. If it isn’t, you’ve spent money without touching the actual problem. And if there’s a condition causing the contamination, cleaning alone won’t hold.
How much does it cost to clean air ducts in Florida?
Pricing varies widely by system size, access and what’s actually being done, which is part of why quotes for the same house can differ so much. We don’t perform cleaning, so we have no stake in that number — but we can tell you whether the scope you’ve been quoted matches the condition of your system.
Related services
Part of our HVAC and ductwork assessment services. See also air flow assessment, IAQ & ventilation diagnostics, and indoor air quality testing.
HVAC and duct inspections for homes and condominiums where a smell, recurring dust, or a repair quote needs an independent read.
HVAC and duct inspections for yachts, vessels and marine facilities, where air handling runs hard in a salt environment.
HVAC and duct inspections for complex buildings where ventilation, humidity and occupant complaints have to be tied to the mechanical system.
HVAC and duct inspections for managed properties, where tenant complaints and contractor recommendations both need documenting.
HVAC and duct inspections for hotels, resorts and vacation rentals, where guest complaints and humidity control are the same problem.
HVAC and duct inspections for workplaces and industrial facilities where air handling affects exposure and comfort.
HVAC and duct inspections for insurance matters, where the condition of the system has to be documented independently.
HVAC and duct inspections for schools, childcare facilities and campuses, where ventilation and humidity affect everyone in the building.
HVAC and duct inspections for municipal buildings and public facilities, with findings written for the record.
Cant Find What You're Looking For?
If you’re not seeing the exact service you need, don’t worry—we may still be able to help. Some of our commercial or industrial hygiene services can be adapted for several purposes on a case-by-case basis, including advanced air testing, occupational exposure assessments, and specialized dust or silica sampling.
We’re always happy to discuss your unique concerns.