Heating Repair in Hudson, FL

The Census Bureau's American Community Survey estimates which fuel heats each occupied home. Its 2019-2023 estimates for Hudson count about 5,590 occupied homes. About 5,383 of them heat with electricity. Utility gas heats about 103, and bottled, tank or LP gas about 28.

The Department of Energy says electric heating includes central forced-air electric furnaces, as well as wall-mounted or baseboard heating. A heat pump is the other electric choice. The same guide says heat pumps can be used for both heating and cooling. It also says electric heat can be more expensive than other fuel options, and that if electricity is the only choice, heat pumps are preferable in most climates.

Which of these you have changes what a failure means. Our guides on how to tell if you have a heat pump and furnaces versus electric strip heat walk through the difference. If your home is one of the few in Hudson with gas heat, say so when you call.

NOAA's 1991-2020 climate normals for its Weeki Wachee station give the figures below. The station averages 83 days a year with a low of 50°F or colder. The normal low is 55.4°F in November, 51.0°F in December, 50.7°F in February and 54.7°F in March.

NOAA also tracks heating degree days. The National Weather Service explains that degree days assume a home needs no heating or cooling at 65°F. Each degree the day's mean temperature falls below 65°F counts as one heating degree day. The daily counts are added up so months and seasons can be compared.

At Weeki Wachee the annual normal is 676.1 heating degree days, and 511.7 of them fall in December, January and February. January alone has a normal of 217.4. June through September each have a normal of zero.

Pasco County's 2024 Local Mitigation Strategy says at least one advisory related to cold weather should be expected each year. It estimates the county is likely to see one winter weather day and up to 12 days of extreme cold each year. The plan also says Florida homes often lack adequate heating and insulation.

The same Census survey dates Hudson's housing. Of about 7,632 housing units, roughly 2,366 were built from 1970 to 1979 and 2,361 from 1980 to 1989. Another 1,385 date from the 1990s. About 195 were built from 2010 to 2019, and about 49 in 2020 or later.

The GeoPlan Center report shows how quickly that housing went up. It counts 4,693 housing units in 1990 and 7,061 in 2000. Mobile home units numbered 1,206 in 1990 and 1,905 in the 2017-2021 estimates.

Older heating equipment deserves a look before the cold arrives. Nordyne, an electric furnace manufacturer, tells owners to have a qualified serviceman inspect all furnace components and field wiring before each heating season. Its manual also says a furnace installed with aluminum power supply wiring needs its connections checked periodically. The stated reason is to prevent possible equipment failure or a fire hazard.

Manufactured homes. Federal rules require heat producing appliances in manufactured homes to be listed or certified for residential use by a nationally recognized testing agency. The Nordyne manual lists its electric furnaces as approved for mobile, modular and manufactured structures. Our page on mobile home air conditioning covers more about these homes.

Stop at anything that feels unsafe. These are the only checks a homeowner should make.

1. Thermostat settings. Set the system to Heat, with the set temperature above the room reading. The Nordyne owner manual says to make sure the thermostat temperature selector is set above room temperature for heating. It also says to allow at least one hour for the room temperature to stabilize before a second adjustment.
2. The air filter. The Department of Energy says to clean or replace filters on furnaces once a month or as recommended. If the filter is clogged, replace it with one of the same size.
3. Vents, returns and the outdoor unit. The Department of Energy says to keep warm-air registers clear of furniture, carpeting and drapes. Clear the return grilles the same way. If you have a heat pump, pull leaves and yard debris away from the outdoor unit by hand.

If a breaker for the heating system is off or tripped, leave it off and call a licensed contractor. Do not open the indoor unit. The Nordyne manual says there are no user serviceable parts inside the control panel and tells owners not to open it.

If you have a heat pump with an Emergency Heat setting, our guides to emergency heat and auxiliary heat explain what those settings do.

Pasco County's mitigation plan warns that in freezing weather, residential heating could cause fires or carbon monoxide poisoning. Carbon monoxide, or CO, is what the Consumer Product Safety Commission calls a colorless, odorless, poisonous gas.

The CPSC lists the symptoms of CO poisoning as headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, sleepiness and confusion. It advises battery-operated CO alarms or CO alarms with battery backup on every level of the home and outside sleeping areas. If you suspect CO poisoning, it says to get outside to fresh air immediately and then call 911. Our page on carbon monoxide detector placement goes further.

Pasco's mitigation plan says Hurricane Idalia in 2023 brought 4-6 feet of storm surge to northwest Pasco County. The plan says that surge caused extensive damage to residential structures in Hudson, Port Richey and New Port Richey.

The Nordyne electric furnace manual says to ask a service technician to inspect the furnace and replace any part of the control system that has been under water. Do not switch the heat on to test it. Leave its breaker off and call a licensed contractor before the first cold night.

Because Hudson is unincorporated, permits for air conditioning work, including replacement or major repair, come from Pasco County Building Construction Services, not a city. Pasco's permit sheet for residential air conditioning units covers the installation, replacement or major repair of any air conditioning system. For a new installation, it asks for Manual J heat load calculations and Manual S unit selection data.

One condition matters in coastal Hudson. If the property is in a FEMA "A" or "V" zone, as the county's sheet puts it, substantial improvement calculations or a flood zone checklist are required. Ask about your parcel's zone early. The county's Building Construction Services customer service line is (727) 847-8126. Our guide to HVAC permits in Florida explains the general process.

One failed part is a repair. When a diagnosis finds a larger failure on older equipment, you get a written, upfront price, with repair and replacement numbers side by side. Replacement equipment is sized with an ACCA Manual J load calculation and selected with Manual S. Blume does not sell equipment a home does not need, and 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 work on equipment from all major manufacturers, and our EPA Section 608 certified technicians hold the federal credential for handling refrigerant. Our office is at 2840 West Bay Drive #114, Belleair Bluffs, FL 33770. Our core service area is Pinellas, Hillsborough and Pasco counties. Our Hudson service page lists the other work we do here.

A person answers the 24/7 dispatch line. Blume offers 24/7 emergency HVAC service, with same-day response available based on location and technician availability.

Before you call

• Whether the thermostat is set to Heat, and what it reads.
• Whether the outdoor unit runs when the heat is on.
• Whether a breaker is off or tripped. Leave it off.
• Any burning smell, smoke or CO alarm.
• Whether the equipment has been in flood water.
• Whether the home is site-built or a manufactured home.