A Family-Owned HVAC Company in Boca Raton, 20+ Years in the Field
Direct Cooling is a family-owned HVAC company in Boca Raton, founded in 2017 by Francisco (Frank) Rey after more than 20 years of hands-on HVAC work. We are a Florida certified air conditioning contractor (license CAC1819111), BBB A+ accredited since 2021, and small on purpose, so the team that diagnoses your system is the team that comes back.
Why Frank Started Direct Cooling in 2017
Frank spent more than two decades learning the HVAC trade in the field, working on real systems in real homes, before he ever hung a sign. In 2017 he started Direct Cooling LLC in Boca Raton around one idea: do the job right the first time, and tell the homeowner the truth about what the system actually needs.
That background is why the company has stayed small and family-run on purpose. When you call, you are not routed through a call center or handed to whichever technician happens to be free that day. You get the same team, job after job, which means someone actually remembers your system's history the next time you call.
Being family-run also changes who answers for the work. Frank is not a name on a corporate org chart. He is the person who evaluates systems, trains the technicians who show up at your door, and answers for every job Direct Cooling does across Boca Raton and the surrounding cities.
Our office is in Boca Commerce Park in unincorporated west Boca Raton, at 10058 Spanish Isles Blvd. It is a working base, not a showroom: the work happens at your home or your building.
What 20 Years in the Field Means When a Technician Shows Up
Twenty years in the field before founding Direct Cooling means Frank has seen how systems fail, how they age, and how they get oversold by companies chasing the upsell instead of the actual problem. That experience shows up in four habits the whole team follows on every call, from a condo air handler to a commercial rooftop unit.
- Diagnose first, sell secondFrank trains every technician on the team to find the actual fault before anyone talks about parts or new equipment. The recommendation comes after the diagnosis, never instead of it.
- Age, condition and size before any verdictBefore recommending repair or replacement, Frank evaluates the system's age, its condition and whether it was sized right for the home. In many cases a repair is enough, and we will tell you that directly instead of pushing a replacement you do not need.
- Residential units to rooftop systemsFrank has worked on installations from single residential units to full commercial rooftop systems, so the same team can handle a townhome condenser and a rooftop unit over a retail building.
- The owner is still on callFrank personally reviews larger installation jobs before they are scheduled, and he still takes emergency calls himself when the team needs backup.
How to Verify Direct Cooling's Credentials Before You Book
Every credential Direct Cooling lists is public and checkable in a few minutes. The Florida license is searchable on the state's DBPR site, the BBB rating and accreditation date sit on our BBB profile, and the two manufacturer programs are defined on American Standard's and Rheem's own sites. Here is what each one means and where to look.
| Credential | What it means for you | Where to check |
|---|---|---|
| Florida certified air conditioning contractor, CAC1819111 | Issued by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) with Francisco Rey as qualifier, active through August 31, 2028. Under Florida Statutes 489.105, a certified contractor may contract in any jurisdiction in the state. | DBPR license search |
| BBB A+ rating, accredited since December 15, 2021 | The Better Business Bureau lists Direct Cooling LLC as an accredited business with an A+ rating, and Francisco Rey as managing owner. | BBB profile |
| Expertise.com, Best HVAC and Furnace Repair Services | Direct Cooling appears on Expertise.com's lists for both Boca Raton and Deerfield Beach. Expertise.com says it scores companies on more than 25 variables across five categories, including licensing, user reviews and mystery shopping calls. | Boca Raton list, Deerfield Beach list |
| American Standard Customer Care Dealer | American Standard describes its Customer Care Dealers as independent dealers it hand-picks, a program it has run since 1998. | American Standard, or our American Standard page |
| Rheem Pro Partner | Rheem's Pro Partner program is for licensed contractors who buy at least 60% of their equipment from Rheem, hold a four-star average from at least 30 reviews a year, complete at least 10 hours of training a year, and are re-evaluated every year. | Rheem Pro Partner brochure, or our Rheem page |
| 4.9 stars on Google from 360+ reviews | Our Google rating as of October 1, 2026, written by customers across Boca Raton and nearby cities. | Reviews and our Google Business Profile |
Florida Statutes 489.119(5)(b) requires a contractor's certification number in every advertisement and offer of services, which is why CAC1819111 appears across this site. If a company's number is missing from its ads, ask why.
Where Our Work Shows Up in Public Permit Records
Permits are the most honest proof that an HVAC company does the work it advertises. Palm Beach County's ePZB permit portal lists 24 permits under license CAC1819111 in unincorporated areas of the county from 2018 through 2026, with at least one permit in every one of those years.
Most of them are in west Boca Raton ZIP codes (33496, 33433, 33434, 33498 and 33428), and they include like-for-like system changeouts, general mechanical work, a 2026 mini split and commercial jobs. Others are in west Boynton Beach, west Delray Beach and Lake Worth. The City of West Palm Beach's permit system shows a 2022 changeout to a 2.5-ton, 16 SEER Rheem system, and the City of Delray Beach shows a 2024 mechanical permit.
Treat that as a floor, not a total. Several city portals, including Boca Raton's, cannot be searched by contractor, so work inside those city limits is not counted here. We publish ZIP codes and job types, never street addresses, because our customers' homes are not marketing material.
Why it matters to you: a permitted job is tied to a licensed contractor of record and is subject to the building department's inspection. Whoever you hire, ask whether your job needs a permit and who will pull it.
EPA's reconsideration rule, final on May 21, 2026, removed the January 1, 2026 installation deadline for pre-2025 R-410A split equipment, and EPA says existing systems can keep being used and repaired. The system's age and condition decide whether to replace it, not a sales script. Details are in our refrigerant changes guide.
Questions to Ask Any Boca Raton HVAC Company Before Work Starts
If you are comparing HVAC companies in Boca Raton, a handful of questions separate a licensed, accountable contractor from a crew that just answers the phone. These are the same questions we expect customers to ask us, and every answer for Direct Cooling is on this page.
- What is your Florida license number, and is it certified or registered? Look it up yourself on the DBPR site before anyone starts work.
- Will my job need a permit, and who pulls it?
- Who will actually come to my house, and will it be the same team next time?
- What did you find, and what do the system's age, condition and sizing say about repairing versus replacing?
- Are you an authorized dealer for the brand you are recommending, and what did the manufacturer require for that status?
- Can I reach someone after hours if the system fails at night or on a weekend?
- Where can I read your reviews on a site you do not control, such as Google or the BBB?
Based in Boca Commerce Park, Serving South Palm Beach and North Broward
Direct Cooling works from an office in Boca Commerce Park in west Boca Raton and serves homes and businesses across south Palm Beach County and north Broward County. The dispatch line takes calls and texts 24/7 for AC emergencies, and the office keeps Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM hours.
Palm Beach County
Boca Raton, West Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach, Lake Worth and West Palm Beach.
Broward County
Call or text, 24/7
(561) 210-7605. Dispatch is monitored around the clock for AC emergencies.
Office hours
Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM, for estimates, membership questions and scheduling.
Builders and general contractors
New construction and remodel installs can be coordinated directly with our team around your build timeline.
Why a Small, Family-Run HVAC Company Can Be the Safer Hire
A small HVAC company is only a safer hire if it is licensed, reachable and accountable, and Direct Cooling is all three: a state-certified contractor, a 24/7 dispatch line, and an owner who reviews the larger jobs himself. What size adds is continuity. The technician who handled your last repair is often the same one who shows up for your next tune-up, so nobody needs your system's history explained from scratch.
That continuity is also why the membership plan exists. Two tune-ups a year let the same team track how your system is aging, so a weak part gets flagged in April instead of failing in August.
Staying small is a choice Frank made in 2017 and keeps making. The person whose name is on the license still answers for every job.
Questions About Direct Cooling
Direct CoolingFL Certified AC Contractor CAC1819111 Dispatch 24/7 Hi, this is Direct Cooling. Tap a question below for a straight answer.
Tap a question to ask
- Who owns Direct Cooling in Boca Raton?
- Direct Cooling LLC is owned by Francisco (Frank) Rey. The BBB lists him as managing owner, and the Florida DBPR lists him as the qualifier on certified air conditioning contractor license CAC1819111. Frank worked in HVAC for more than 20 years before founding the company in 2017, and he is still involved every day, including reviewing larger installation jobs before they are scheduled.
- Is Direct Cooling a family business?
- Yes. Direct Cooling is family-owned and family-run, and it has stayed small on purpose so customers work with the same technicians over time instead of a rotating call center staff. That is also why you can reach a real person on the team by calling or texting (561) 210-7605, day or night.
- How long has Direct Cooling been in business?
- Direct Cooling was founded in 2017; the BBB lists its business start date as June 29, 2017. Frank's own HVAC experience goes back more than 20 years before that, so the company's technical depth is older than its founding date.
- Is Direct Cooling licensed and insured?
- Yes. Direct Cooling is licensed and insured, and holds Florida certified air conditioning contractor license CAC1819111, active through August 31, 2028. You can confirm the license yourself on the DBPR license search at myfloridalicense.com. Direct Cooling is also a BBB accredited business with an A+ rating, accredited since December 15, 2021.
- How can I check a Florida HVAC contractor's license?
- Use the Florida DBPR license search at myfloridalicense.com and search by the license number shown in the contractor's ads. Florida law requires that number on every advertisement and offer of services. Check that the status is current and active and that the business name matches. A certified contractor, like Direct Cooling, may work in any jurisdiction in Florida.
Talk to the Team That Actually Knows Your System
A repair, an installation, or just a question about who you are hiring: call or text (561) 210-7605 and you will reach Frank's team, not a call center.
Sources · page reviewed 2026-10-06
- Florida DBPR, license search (CAC1819111), read 2026-10-06
- Florida Statutes 489.105, definitions (certified contractor), read 2026-10-06
- Florida Statutes 489.119(5)(b), license number in advertising, read 2026-10-06
- BBB, Direct Cooling LLC business profile, read 2026-10-06
- Expertise.com, Best HVAC and Furnace Repair Services in Boca Raton, read 2026-10-06
- Expertise.com, Best HVAC and Furnace Repair Services in Deerfield Beach, read 2026-10-06
- American Standard, Customer Care Dealers, read 2026-10-06
- Rheem, 2025 Pro Partner contractor brochure, read 2026-10-06
- Google Business Profile, Direct Cooling (4.9, 360+ reviews as of 2026-10-01), read 2026-10-06
- Palm Beach County PZB, Building Division Permit Center (ePZB permit search, contractor CAC1819111), read 2026-10-06
- EPA, Technology Transitions final rule fact sheet (May 2026), read 2026-10-06
- EPA, Frequent Questions on the Phasedown of HFCs, read 2026-10-06
- Direct Cooling, original About page copy by Frank Rey (site backup), read 2026-10-06