Florida House Bill 481 (and Senate Bill 612), if enacted, would modify the definitions of work that could be performed by Class A and B HVAC contractors and Mechanical contractors in Florida to include additional electrical work. The proposed bills would also make it easier for warranties on HVAC equipment to be transferred when a property is sold.
The bills first amend the portions of 489.105, Florida Statutes, that define the work that Class A air-conditioning contractor, Class B air-conditioning contractor, and Mechanical contractors can do in Florida. Specifically, the following, underlined language is added to the scope of work allowed for each license:
to replace, disconnect, or reconnect power wiring on the line or load side of the dedicated existing electrical disconnect switch on single phase electrical systems; to repair or replace power wiring, disconnects, breakers, or fuses for dedicated HVAC circuits with proper use of a circuit breaker lock
This alters the type of electrical work HVAC contractors can perform.
The second major change impacts warranties for HVAC systems and how they can and must be transferred to new property owners after July 1, 2024. Specifically, the changes indicate (1) that a warranty cannot be conditioned on any sort of product registration requirement, assuming the warranty is still in effect at the time of the sale, and (2) that in general, HVAC warranties cannot be limited or reduced based on a failure to submit a registration card.
If enacted, the statute would take effect July 1, 2024.