Upfront pricing, and technicians who have worked on houses older than the equipment inside them. The local AC company for Riverside, Avondale, Murray Hill and Ortega: air conditioning repair and installation, ductless mini splits, duct work and furnace repair, all from one crew.
Tell us what’s going on — we’ll get back to you in a flash.
The Great Dane difference
Riverside’s AC Company for Older Houses
For more than 20 years Great Dane Heating & Air has kept Jacksonville and Duval County comfortable, a good share of it in houses that were already old when we started. A family company with upfront pricing, comfort techs who treat your home like their own, and a soft spot for shelter dogs.
Riverside, Avondale and Murray Hill are on the route most weeks, and the houses repeat — same eras, same retrofits, same three places the duct went wrong. That is usually why the diagnosis is quick.
Licensed & Insured
Florida state certified contractor CAC036942, fully insured, and accredited with the Better Business Bureau at an A+ rating. Every tech who pulls into your driveway works under that license.
20+ Years in Service
Two decades across Duval County, a good share of it in houses that were already old when we started. The people who answer your call are the same people who show up at your door.
Every Job Gives Back
We’re a proud supporter of the Jacksonville Humane Society. Part of what you spend keeping your home comfortable helps shelter dogs here in Jacksonville find one of their own.
No cost, no pressure
Get a Free Estimate on Your System
Tell us what it’s doing. We find the real problem, give you the whole number before any work starts, and tell you straight if a repair is not worth your money.
When your air conditioner is past its prime, more AC repair isn’t always the answer. A new, energy-efficient AC installation can end the breakdown cycle, cool your home evenly, and take a real bite out of summer power bills.
Our Jacksonville team gives you the honest math on AC replacement vs. repair, sizes the new system correctly for Florida heat, and leaves the job site cleaner than we found it — just like this install.
What a Hundred‑Year‑Old House Does to a Modern Air Conditioner
Almost nothing in Riverside was built with air conditioning in mind, because almost nothing in Riverside was built after it existed. Four things that follow from that.
78°Set to 78° — nine months a year
The ceilingsTen feet of air to move
A twelve‑foot ceiling holds half again as much air as a modern one, and the coolest air in the room sits at the floor while the thermostat reads the middle. Rooms like this are rarely short of capacity. They are short of mixing, which is a fan and a register question before it is an equipment one.
The ductRetrofitted, not designed
None of these houses were built with duct, so every run in them was added later and routed the only way it could go — through a crawl space, up a closet, around a chimney. That is why the far room disappoints, and why a larger outdoor unit almost never fixes it.
The wallsPlaster, lath and not much else
Wall cavities in this housing stock are often simply empty, so the west side of the house keeps gaining heat until well after dark. The system is not failing; it is being asked to keep pace with a wall. Sealing and insulation buy more here than equipment does.
The additionsRooms that came later
Back porches closed in, garages turned into apartments, attics finished off. Each one is load the original system never had, and each is usually fed from the nearest duct rather than its own. It is the commonest single reason one part of a Riverside house never matches the rest.
Riverside Service Area
From Five Points to the Ortega River
Riverside is a short run for us and a dense one — a great many houses inside a small number of square miles. This is where the truck actually ends up.
Five Points
The middle of it. Tight lots, a good share of the housing split into apartments, and outdoor units wherever there was room to put one.
The Historic District
Where what you change on the outside of the house is not entirely up to you. We plan around those rules rather than discover them halfway through.
Avondale
The larger houses on the river side, nearly all of them with duct added long after the house itself was finished.
Murray Hill
Smaller bungalows further west, and the part of the run where a ductless mini split most often turns out to be the right answer.
Ortega
Across the water and still an ordinary stop, at the same pricing as anywhere else we go.
Park & King Street
The commercial spine through the middle. The shops, kitchens and offices along it are work we cover on the commercial side.
$99Refresh & Tune‑Up
Limited‑time offer
$99HVAC Refresh & Tune‑Up
A full seasonal check‑over of the system you already have — so small problems stay small.
Straight talk: If somebody tells you your system is “illegal now” because of the refrigerant rules — it isn’t. R‑410A systems can still be serviced. New equipment moved to R‑454B in 2025 and R‑410A production is stepping down, so topping off an older system gets pricier every year. That’s a reason to plan, not a reason to panic‑buy tonight.
Paw Partner
Community
Why There Is a Dane on the Van
Nobody picks a Great Dane for a logo by accident. The company was built by people who are frankly soft about animals, and a part of what every job pays for is pointed back at the pet population of Duval County.
In practice that means rescue events, time spent at the shelter, and a Rescue of the Week going out to our followers — and it is why Great Dane is a Paw Partner Corporate Sponsor of the Jacksonville Humane Society.
A working air conditioner is comfort. In a house built before anybody expected one, getting there takes a little more thought — and it is worth more once you have it, especially with small people in the rooms upstairs.
Vetted people in an old house
Florida state certified — licence CAC036942 — fully insured, and BBB accredited at an A+ rating. Plaster walls, tight crawl spaces and finished attics all reward a crew that has met them before.
Indoor air quality in older rooms
Duct that runs through a crawl space pulls in whatever is under the floor, and Florida humidity feeds what grows in it. Filtration, purification and humidity control treat the air itself, not only the temperature.
Every AC repair, done once
We show you the part that failed and the number to fix it before we start, then test the system and leave the room the way we found it. Our work is guaranteed — that is the whole point of the name on the truck.
Free estimate, honest answer.Tell us what your system is doing and we’ll tell you what it actually needs.
Paul came out and replaced our blower motor and saved the day. He fielded my call on Sunday evening, then did the service Monday afternoon. Friendly, efficient, and professional.
After years of feeling vulnerable to dishonest HVAC companies, a neighbor put me in touch. He quickly earned my trust — quick to return calls, reasonable rates, and he’s never tried to sell me things I don’t need.
We’ve used him for everything from small tweaks to replacing our entire unit. Quick, reliable, honest, and clean — and he beat the prices of every competitor. Yes, we priced out seven.
Fast and efficient, unbelievably affordable pricing. He quickly figures out the problem and explains it in a way anyone can understand. You automatically feel like you can trust him.
Our A/C went down and the team showed up Monday morning first thing. We had cool air flowing in no time. The crew was fast, clean, and finished under time.
Mike and the team were very professional, friendly, and knowledgeable. The price was not unreasonable. So happy we found this company — we know we will be taken care of in the years to come.
Just had Great Dane install a new A/C in my home. Mike came to my home, saw what I had, and I told him what I wanted installed. There was absolutely no sales pressure.
Mike came out and gave an estimate with no fluff, which is what I like. He was honest and professional. The team that installed the unit worked well together and the work performed was stellar!
The questions Jacksonville asks us most — straight answers, no jargon.
One room is always warmer than the rest. Is the system undersized?+
Usually not. The duct in a house this age was added decades after the walls went up, and the last run on the trunk was fitted wherever there was space rather than where the airflow wanted to go. We measure what is actually reaching that register against what is leaving the air handler — the gap between the two tells you whether it is duct, return or genuinely the equipment, and only the last of those needs a new machine.
The upstairs never matches the downstairs. What fixes that?+
A finished attic or second floor in a house like this is usually fed from a system sized for the floor beneath it, through a run that had to climb to get there. The honest options are rebalancing what exists, adding a return, or putting that floor on its own ductless head. Which one is right comes out of readings that take about an hour to gather.
The thermostat says 73 and the room does not feel like it.+
Under a ten or twelve foot ceiling the thermostat is reading air at five feet, while the coolest air in the room sits at the floor and the warmest is above your head. That is a mixing problem rather than a capacity one. Fan settings, register throw and where the return sits move that further, and far more cheaply, than a larger system.
Can you put a modern system in a house with no ductwork?+
Yes, and it is a good part of what we do on this side of town. Ductless mini splits were made for exactly this situation — a room, a floor or a converted space that no duct run reaches without opening up finished plaster. They also let you condition the part of the house you are actually in rather than paying to cool all of it.
Will new equipment cause a problem with the historic district?+
What goes inside the house is your business. Anything that changes the outside can fall under the district rules, and where the outdoor unit sits is the usual question. We settle that location before anything is ordered rather than after, which saves everybody a second visit.
The house is a hundred years old. Is it worth upgrading?+
The age of the house tells you very little about the system inside it. What matters is what the current equipment measures and whether the duct attached to it can carry what a new unit would produce. We look at both before quoting, because new equipment on an old retrofit run is how people end up disappointed with a machine that is working perfectly well.
There is a musty smell when the system starts. Where is that from?+
Frequently from under the floor. A great many of these houses sit over a crawl space, and duct running through it will draw in whatever is down there through any joint that has worked loose. Sealing the duct usually does more for the smell than anything you add at the air handler.
What is the $99 HVAC Refresh & Tune‑Up?+
A full seasonal check‑over of the system you already have — measurements taken, the parts that genuinely foul cleaned, and a straight answer about what needs attention and what does not. In a retrofitted house it is also the visit where duct problems tend to surface. Cannot be combined with any other offer, one per household.
Does it matter that the walls have no insulation?+
It matters more than most equipment decisions. An uninsulated wall on the west side keeps handing heat back to the room well after sunset, so the system runs longer for the same result. Sealing and attic insulation buy more comfort per dollar in this housing stock than an upgrade to the machine itself.
Do you actually cover Riverside, or is it extra?+
It is one of the shorter runs we make. Riverside, Avondale, Murray Hill and Ortega are all inside the normal service area, at the same pricing as anywhere else we go. Great Dane is licensed in Florida as CAC036942, which you are welcome to look up before you let anybody into the house.
Will you tell me if I do not need the work?+
Yes, and in this housing stock it comes up often, because what people brace for is being told a house this old needs everything replaced. Frequently it does not. If a part is drifting but has not failed you get told that too, with the reading that shows it, so the decision stays yours.
Anything worth checking before I call?+
Three things, none of which cost anything. Check the breaker for the air handler and for the outdoor unit. Look at the filter, because a collapsed one starves the system and imitates a far bigger fault. And if you have a crawl space, look for duct that has sagged or come apart — in these houses that is the likeliest single answer.
Everything we do, in your neighborhood.One crew for all of it — not a different company for each job.
AC Repair
Fast, honest fixes when the cool cuts out. We diagnose it right and quote it upfront — before the work starts.
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AC Replacement & Installation
Right-sized new systems with honest quotes. We help you pick what actually fits your home and budget.
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Emergency AC Repair
Broke down in the Florida heat? Call and we’ll tell you what it is likely to be, and whether it can safely wait until morning.
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Heating Repair
Warm and ready for the cold snaps. Furnaces, heat strips and everything in between.
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HVAC Maintenance
Seasonal tune-ups that prevent summer breakdowns and keep your energy bills in check.
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Heat Pump Services
Efficient heating and cooling in one system — perfect for Florida weather.
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Ductless Mini-Splits
Cool the rooms your ducts can’t reach — garages, additions, sunrooms and more.
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Air Duct Cleaning
Cleaner air and better airflow from every vent in the house.
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Indoor Air Quality
Purifiers, filtration and humidity control so your family breathes easier.
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Commercial HVAC
Installs, repairs and maintenance that keep Jacksonville businesses comfortable.
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Commercial AC Repair
When the cooling quits mid-shift, we find the real fault and give you the number before any work starts.
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Commercial AC System Replacement
Right-sized equipment for your space, quoted upfront so there are no surprises on the invoice.
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Commercial Preventative HVAC Maintenance
Scheduled tune-ups that catch small faults early — before they turn into a closed sign.
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Commercial Indoor Air Quality
Filtration and humidity control for offices, shops, salons and waiting rooms.
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Commercial Air Duct Cleaning
Cleaner air and better airflow through every vent in the building.
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Paw Partner
Meet the Jacksonville Humane Society →
Mini-split install, done right
Wiring up a new system
High-efficiency system on a fresh pad
Twin-system install
Bryant condenser on a fresh pad
Condenser replacement
New air handler, tucked in clean
Delivery day
The big teal truck
Our smallest biggest fan
Come say hi at the home show
Airflow Why Your AC Freezes Up in a Florida Summer
Repair How to Reset Your AC After a Power Outage
Humidity Why Your House Feels Sticky at 74 Degrees