Heating Repair in Valrico, FL

NOAA's climate normals include a station in Plant City, about 9 miles northeast of Valrico. The figures below are that station's 1991-2020 averages, not readings taken in Valrico.

• January is the coldest month. It averages about 7 nights at or below 40°F, and about 2 nights at or below freezing.
• December averages about 4 nights at or below 40°F, and February about 3.
• November and March each bring a night or two at that level.
• June through September record no heating degree days at all. A heating degree day measures how far a day's average falls below 65°F.

Across December, January and February together, the station averages about 39 nights at or below 50°F and about 14 at or below 40°F.

What a failure means depends on the equipment. This page covers three kinds of heat.

A heat pump. In winter it pulls heat from the outside air and moves it indoors, and in summer it works in reverse to cool. A Consortium for Energy Efficiency heat pump guide, posted by the U.S. Department of Energy, says it delivers a steady, gentle stream of warm air, while fuel-fired systems give hot air in shorter bursts.

Electric heat strips. Trane describes heat strips as electric elements installed in the indoor air handler. Trane calls them a backup heat source for a heat pump.

A gas furnace. If your home has one, say so when you call, because a gas furnace adds burner, gas pressure and heat exchanger checks.

Not sure which you have? Our guide on how to tell if you have a heat pump and our page on furnaces and strip heat explain the difference.

Only these three checks are safe for a homeowner. If anything feels wrong, stop.

1. The filter. ENERGY STAR advises inspecting, cleaning or changing the filter once a month on a furnace or heat pump.
2. Thermostat settings. Confirm the mode is Heat and the setpoint is above the room temperature. Tampa Electric advises changing a heat pump setting only two degrees at a time so the heat strips do not switch on, and leaving the fan on Auto. Trane says Emergency Heat is for a true emergency only.
3. Vents, returns and the outdoor unit. Move furniture and rugs off supply vents and return grilles. Pull leaves and yard debris away from the outdoor unit by hand. The heat pump guide advises against covering a heat pump in winter, because it needs airflow.

If a breaker has tripped, leave it off and call a licensed contractor. Do not open any panel on the indoor or outdoor unit. The wiring, the heat strips and the refrigerant are work for a licensed contractor.

A diagnosis confirms the cause. These are the usual starting points.

Frost on the outdoor unit

The heat pump guide explains that frost forms on the outdoor coil when it drops below 32°F. The heat pump then runs a defrost cycle, which typically takes 5 to 15 minutes. The fans may stop or slow, and the backup heat may come on. If the unit stays stuck in defrost or is covered in ice, the guide says to call a professional. Our defrost mode page shows what normal looks like.

AUX HEAT on the thermostat

Trane says auxiliary heat comes on when it is below 40 degrees outside or below a set aux heat trigger temperature, when the heat pump is in defrost, or when the heat setting is raised by more than 3-4 degrees. If it stays on when it is warmer than 40 degrees, Trane says that points to a heat pump or thermostat problem. See our page on auxiliary heat.

The house never reaches the setting

The heat pump guide lists warning signs worth a call:

• the heat pump does not run, or keeps cycling off and on;
• the room never reaches the setpoint;
• auxiliary heat shows on the thermostat all the time;
• strange smells or loud noise from the unit or the ducts;
• frozen indoor or outdoor coils.

A burning or electrical smell

Turn the system off at the thermostat and call. Do not run the heat again until a technician has looked at it.

Tampa Electric describes its territory as Hillsborough County and parts of Pasco, Pinellas and Polk counties. Check your own bill to confirm your utility. In January 2026 the utility reminded customers that a cold snap can raise a bill even when the thermostat stays the same. The system simply has to run longer to hold the indoor temperature.

A sudden jump is a different matter. The heat pump guide names a sudden increase in electricity use as the most common sign that a heat pump is not working properly. The same guide says auxiliary heat uses electric strips as a supplement, and it calls that mode costly and inefficient. Our page on emergency heat explains when to use it while you wait for a repair.

If you use a space heater while you wait, follow these rules from the U.S. Fire Administration and Tampa Electric.

• Keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet from the heater.
• Turn it off when you leave the room or go to bed.
• Use a heater that shuts off if it tips over.
• Use a cord rated for its power, never a light-duty extension cord.
• Keep it out of the bathroom.
• Never use the oven to heat the home.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission advises battery-operated CO alarms, or CO alarms with battery backup, on every level of the home and outside sleeping areas. It lists headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, sleepiness and confusion as symptoms of poisoning. ENERGY STAR warns that gas connections that are not working properly are a fire hazard. Our pages on space heaters and carbon monoxide detector placement cover both.

Because Valrico is not incorporated, the county is the permitting authority. Hillsborough County says most construction needs approval and permits from its Building Services. Its permit resources list the repair or replacement of an existing heating or air-conditioning system as a project that may need only a mechanical permit.

The county also says a hired contractor will obtain all the necessary permits. Before you hire, it advises checking that the contractor holds a valid license and is insured to work in Hillsborough County. Our page on the Florida HVAC permit process walks through the steps.

With so few cold nights, leaving a heating fault until next year is tempting. On a heat pump, though, the machine that heats is also the one that cools, so the repair is not only about winter. The U.S. Fire Administration also advises having heating equipment cleaned and inspected by a professional every year.

One failed part is a repair. If the diagnosis finds a larger failure on older equipment, Blume shows the repair and the replacement side by side and does not sell equipment a home does not need. Replacement equipment is sized with an ACCA Manual J load calculation and Manual S selection. Financing is available through Synchrony Bank.

Blume Mechanical Service, LLC is a Class A licensed Florida air conditioning contractor (license CAC-1822618) and is fully insured. We are brand-agnostic and service equipment from all major manufacturers. Refrigerant work is done by EPA Section 608 certified technicians, the federal refrigerant-handling credential. You get a written, upfront price before any work starts.

Our office is at 2840 West Bay Drive #114, Belleair Bluffs, FL 33770. Our core service area is Pinellas, Hillsborough and Pasco counties. For other HVAC service here, see our Valrico HVAC page.

What to have ready when you call

• Whether the outdoor unit runs when the thermostat is set to Heat.
• What the thermostat shows, and whether AUX or EM HEAT is lit.
• Whether a breaker has tripped.
• Any smell, frost or ice you have noticed.
• Whether the home is a house or a mobile home, and whether it has gas heat.
• When the heat last worked.