AC Maintenance in Temple Terrace, FL

The National Park Service's National Register nomination for the city's golf course says real estate developer William E. (Bill) Hamner purchased Riverhills Ranch, 'a large ranch and hunting preserve north of Tampa, Florida, on the Hillsborough River,' in 1920-1921. The same document describes the rolling terrain along the river that the course was laid out on.

NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals for the Tampa International Airport station give the regional picture. The station sits in Tampa, not Temple Terrace, so read the figures as a guide to the area. There, the normal daily high is already 83.0°F in April and reaches 88.3°F in May. It is still 85.6°F in October. From June through September, the normal overnight low stays above 75°F.

Heat is only half the job

Tampa Electric's spring tune-up advice notes that air conditioners work hard to remove moisture as well as to cool the air. It adds that high humidity makes the system run more often. UF/IFAS Extension makes the same point for Florida homes: a properly sized, well-maintained system plays an important role in controlling indoor humidity.

So the best time for maintenance is before that long stretch begins. A system that goes into May with a dirty coil or a partly blocked drain has months of hard running ahead of it.

Temple Terrace is recognized as a Tree City USA. The city employs a full-time City Arborist to oversee the preservation of its urban tree canopy. Under a canopy like that, leaves and twigs can collect on and around an outdoor unit.

Spring adds pollen. In a March 2026 UF/IFAS article, an Extension agent for Hillsborough County said live oaks and cedars would start over the coming month. The same article gives the height of pollen season as March and April.

That timing lines up with the cooling check. ENERGY STAR advises checking the cooling system in the spring, because contractors get busy once summer comes.

Before anyone trims a limb over the unit

If a large branch hangs over the outdoor unit, talk to the city before cutting it back. The city's ordinances call for a permit to prune large limbs or to remove protected and grand trees. Its City Arborist will inspect at no fee for owners planning to prune or remove a tree. Clearing fallen leaves from around the unit, with the system off at the thermostat, is a homeowner job.

A useful visit leaves you with readings, not just a rinse of the outdoor coil. ENERGY STAR's tune-up checklist for contractors gives a fair outline of the work, and each item has a reason behind it.

Electrical connections and motors

ENERGY STAR lists tightening all electrical connections and measuring voltage and current on the motors. It notes that faulty connections can cause unsafe operation and shorten the life of major components. This is technician work, and the panels on both units stay closed for homeowners.

Coils and airflow

Dirty coils reduce the system's ability to cool the home and make it run longer, ENERGY STAR says. The checklist also covers cleaning and adjusting the blower so the system moves the right amount of air. Static pressure is the resistance the blower pushes against as it moves air through the filter, the indoor coil and the ducts. Blume commissions systems with measured static pressure, airflow and refrigerant charge, documented, so later visits have numbers to compare against.

Refrigerant charge

Refrigerant is the fluid that carries heat out of the house. ENERGY STAR lists checking the refrigerant level and adjusting it if necessary, because too much or too little makes the system less efficient. Blume has EPA Section 608 certified technicians, which is the federal refrigerant-handling credential.

Condensate drain and start-up

The condensate drain carries away the water the indoor coil pulls out of the air. ENERGY STAR warns that a plugged drain can cause water damage in the house and affect indoor humidity levels. UF/IFAS Extension lists maintaining the system and cleaning condensate drain lines among practical steps against indoor moisture. The checklist ends with the starting cycle, confirming the system starts, runs and shuts off properly.

Once a year, in spring, is the baseline. Tampa Electric's advice is to service cooling systems annually and adjust them for maximum efficiency. ENERGY STAR suggests tying the check-up to the spring time change so it is easy to remember.

Storm preparation is another reason to book before summer. The City of Temple Terrace's hurricane page asks residents to check emergency equipment, such as flashlights, generators and storm shutters. Adding the air conditioner to that list of emergency equipment to check is a reasonable step.

Ask about a second, mid-season visit if the system ran almost nonstop last summer, if pets or dust load the filter quickly, or if the drain has backed up before.

Tampa Electric's free audit

In a 2017 letter to the Florida Public Service Commission, the City described a relationship with Tampa Electric's service going back to the city's incorporation in 1925. The utility offers a free in-home energy audit, scheduled on weekdays. Its spring tune-up article says the visit assesses heating and cooling systems, attic insulation, weather stripping and more. Tampa Electric says the analyst will inspect your home and identify areas where you can save.

Three things are yours to handle, and they make each professional visit more useful.

• Filter. Tampa Electric advises changing air-conditioning filters monthly and making sure each one is installed facing the correct direction. Check it more often through the March and April pollen peak. Our guide to HVAC air filters explains sizes and ratings.
• Thermostat settings. UF/IFAS Extension says research-based recommendations generally suggest 78°F when you are home. If you want to reduce usage, Tampa Electric suggests raising the thermostat as high as you comfortably can. See our page on thermostat settings for more.
• Vents, returns and the outdoor unit. Keep supply vents and return grilles open and free of furniture. Turn the system off at the thermostat, then clear leaves, twigs and acorns from the top and sides of the outdoor unit.

Leave everything else to a licensed contractor. Do not open either unit's panels, touch the wiring or the capacitor, add refrigerant, or work on the drain line yourself.

Do not wait for the scheduled visit if you notice any of these:

• Warm air from the vents, or a house that will not reach the set temperature.
• Water around the indoor unit, or a system that shuts itself off.
• Ice on the refrigerant lines or the indoor coil.
• A house that feels damp or smells musty with the AC running. Our guide on why a house stays humid with the AC running covers the usual causes.
• A tripped breaker for the air conditioner. Leave it off and call a licensed contractor.
• New grinding, squealing or banging, or a burning smell. Turn the system off and call.

For a system that stops entirely, Blume offers 24/7 emergency HVAC service, with same-day response available based on location and technician availability.

Blume Mechanical Service is a Class A licensed Florida air conditioning contractor, license CAC-1822618, and is fully insured. We work on residential and commercial systems from our office in Belleair Bluffs, and our core service area is Pinellas, Hillsborough and Pasco counties, which includes Temple Terrace. We are brand-agnostic and service all major manufacturers as a licensed contractor.

If a visit turns up a problem that adjustment will not fix, you get a written, upfront price before any work, with repair and replacement laid out side by side. Blume does not sell equipment a building does not need. Paid priority scheduling is also available.

For a season-by-season list, see our AC maintenance checklist for Florida homes. Plan details are on the AC maintenance plan page. Permits, flood planning and other local HVAC questions are on our Temple Terrace HVAC page. For Tampa itself, see our Tampa AC maintenance page.