Tyler Kirwin spent five years in the U.S. Marine Corps. In addition to serving his country, Kirwin also learned a trade, focusing on air conditioning and refrigeration needs.
After his service, Kirwin worked for several companies in Southwest Florida, but after following orders from others for all those years, Kirwin decided that he wanted to call the shots when it came to things like sales strategies and customer service.
So, Kirwin sold his boat, motorcycle and pickup truck to buy a work van, then outfitted it with everything he needed to launch his own HVAC business. He spent time studying for the different licenses and certifications required and took advantage of the Veterans Florida Entrepreneurship Program hosted by Florida Gulf Coast University, which offers tuition-free training experiences for military veterans and their families at every stage of a business journey. “That helped out a lot with structuring the business and coming up with an actual plan,” says Kirwin.
West Coast Cooling, family owned and operated, opened its doors on Nov. 10, 2022, just weeks after Hurricane Ian swept through Southwest Florida. “Ever since then, I’ve been doing a lot with condo associations, working with restoration companies and trying to get everything pieced back together,” says Kirwin.
Based in Cape Coral, West Coast Cooling offers heating, ventilation and air-conditioning services throughout Lee, Charlotte and Collier counties. The company can handle everything from preventative maintenance and repairs to installation of new systems for residential and light commercial clients.
“We try to be very fairly priced, and I like to think of ourselves as the most ethical company in the area,” says Kirwin. “That is huge with me, and I stress it to my employees as well. Be nice and courteous to the customers. Treat them well and treat them the way that you would want to be treated.”
His years in the Marines have helped shape the way Kirwin approaches his business. “It molded me to be who I am, and it’s just a hard work ethic,” he says. “We do what we need to do to get the job done. We know how to think outside the box and to make these things happen. We know how to work with other contractors and with other people.”
Because Kirwin understands the sacrifices that come with service to the country and others, West Coast Cooling offers a discount for veterans, first responders and members of law enforcement. But the company stands ready to serve any kind of client throughout the area.
“We want to let people know we’re here for them,” says Kirwin. “We’re here for the community, and we want to do the best service possible for them.”
Educating customers about how to maintain and care for their HVAC systems is a big part of what Kirwin does. One thing he’s done recently has been helping people understand changes to refrigerants coming in 2025. A new mandate from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency taking effect Jan. 1, 2025, will phase out the use of the R-410A refrigerant in HVAC systems and require that it be replaced with refrigerants that are more environmentally friendly.
“It’s a rather quick transition in comparison to the last refrigerant transition,” says Kirwin. “We’re trained on it and have the knowledge about what it is and how to use it.”
He recommends that customers have West Coast Cooling perform system maintenance every six months. “Dirty coils are going to rob you of your efficiency for your unit, both the cooling capacity of the unit and the energy efficiency of it,” he says. “You want to get those coils properly cleaned out twice a year at minimum.”
The most common service call he receives is due to a clogged drain line. “When the line gets clogged, it shuts everything down,” says Kirwin. “We clear out those drain lines every maintenance that we do.”
This can be a big problem for condo complexes where units share a common drain line. Even if the safety switch turns off an air-conditioning unit after the line gets clogged, the water in the line ends up going somewhere, often into the unit on the lower level beneath it.
“One thing that we do for a couple of condo associations that are on a quarterly maintenance plan with us is we come out every three months and suck out those common drain lines to help prevent that from happening,” says Kirwin.
The impacts of Hurricanes Ian, Helene and Milton have kept West Coast Cooling busy on various restoration projects. “We work hand-in-hand with roofers,” says Kirwin. “A lot of AC units weren’t up to code being up on the roof. They now need to be up on a stand, so when the next re-roof has to happen, those AC units don’t need to be pulled for the roofers to do their jobs. So that’s something we’ve done a lot of, working hand-in-hand right next to the roofers to remove the AC units, then re-set the AC units back in place up on the proper stands that are approved by the roofers.”
West Coast Cooling handles all the HVAC work at more than 50 multifamily properties in Southwest Florida for United Restoration Services, which offers licensed restoration, renovation and damage prevention services. That company has offices in Cape Coral, Terra Ciea and Destin, Florida, as well as in other locations around the country. “We’ll be doing a couple large projects with them with over 70 or 80 AC units that have to be changed out at once,” says Kirwin.
The company has been nothing but pleased with Kirwin’s work. “He’s a very hungry young veteran who stays on top of everything,” says Paul Stroade, owner of United Restoration Services. “He’s always quick to get to you, and he keeps our customers informed of what’s going on so they’re comfortable and they are in the know.
“He’s reliable, he’s trustworthy and he does what he says,” continues Stroade. “You can count on him. As a contractor, when your clients are depending on you and you give them the level of service you do, you want your subs to give them that same level of service. Sometimes it’s difficult to find someone who treats your customers the same way you do, and he does. He’s always on top of it all and gets the job done. We’re always extremely happy with his service; he’s just one of those guys who does it right.”
Though 2024’s hurricane season is hopefully in the rear-view mirror, Kirwin has one tip for folks to remember when it’s stormy. “Turn your air conditioning off when the lights start to flicker,” he says. “We’ve changed out a lot of blower motors that failed due to power surges. And that can be costly.”
West Coast Cooling currently has six employees helping the company respond to service calls and work with new customers. “And I’m hoping that that grows,” says Kirwin. “We don’t want to grow too quickly, but we do anticipate that number growing.”
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