Heating Repair in Pinellas Park, FL

The Census Bureau's American Community Survey publishes estimates of house heating fuel for occupied homes. For Pinellas Park, its 2019-2023 estimates count about 20,226 homes on electricity out of roughly 21,805 occupied homes. About 664 use utility gas, about 130 use bottled, tank or LP gas, and about 468 use no heating fuel at all.

Electric heat can mean one of two things.

A heat pump. This is the same outdoor unit that cools in summer, run in reverse. In winter it pulls heat from the outside air and moves it indoors, so the outdoor unit runs in heat mode as well.

Electric strip heat. These are electric resistance heating elements inside the indoor equipment. A heat pump may have them as a supplement, which the thermostat calls auxiliary heat.

Not sure which system you have? Our guide on how to tell if you have a heat pump walks through it.

NOAA publishes 1991-2020 climate normals for the weather station at St. Petersburg International Airport. Its average January low is 52.5°F, with 55.1°F in February and 56.0°F in December. The station averages about 34 nights a year at or below 50°F, about 4 at or below 40°F, and fewer than one at or below freezing.

Frost on the outdoor unit

A guide from the Consortium for Energy Efficiency, hosted by the U.S. Department of Energy, explains that frost forms when the outdoor coil drops below 32°F. The heat pump then runs a defrost cycle, briefly switching to cooling mode to melt the ice. Fans may stop or slow, and backup heat may come on to keep the house steady. The guide says defrost typically takes 5 to 15 minutes.

The same guide says a heat pump stuck in defrost or covered in ice needs an HVAC professional. More on this is in our guide to heat pump defrost mode.

These need no tools and no panels opened. If anything feels unsafe, stop and call.

1. The thermostat. Set it to Heat, not Auto or Cool, with the set temperature a few degrees above what the room reads. The Consortium for Energy Efficiency guide recommends Heat mode in winter and Cool mode in summer, rather than the Auto mode that switches between them.
2. The filter. A dirty filter strains a heat pump, according to the same guide, which suggests washing or replacing ducted-system filters about every 90 days. If yours is grey and matted, put in a clean one. Our guide to HVAC air filters shows where filters usually sit.
3. Vents, returns and the outdoor unit. Move rugs, furniture and stored items off supply vents and return grilles. Outside, clear leaves and anything leaning on the unit, and do not cover it, because the guide warns that covering a heat pump in winter blocks the airflow it needs.

If a breaker for the heating system has tripped, leave it off and call a licensed contractor. Leave refrigerant, wiring and the inside of the cabinets to a licensed contractor too.

The Consortium for Energy Efficiency guide lists signs that a heat pump needs a qualified HVAC professional.

• The heat pump does not run at all, or keeps cycling off and on.
• The thermostat never reaches the temperature you set.
• The thermostat shows auxiliary heat all the time.
• A strange smell comes from the unit or the ducts.
• The outdoor or indoor coil is frozen.
• The unit or the ductwork is making excessive noise.

Add one more: a tripped breaker on the heating circuit. Any of these is worth a call rather than another night of guessing. For after-hours help, see our Pinellas Park emergency HVAC page.

Lennox, a heat pump manufacturer, notes that depending on the thermostat, emergency heat may come on by itself or be turned on manually. Lennox explains that emergency heat shuts the heat pump off completely and runs only the backup heat source.

Lennox describes it as reliable and effective but less efficient than the heat pump, and warns that the energy bill can climb quickly if it runs for days or weeks. It suggests using it when a technician tells you to, or when the heat pump has failed and you need heat until it is repaired. The Consortium for Energy Efficiency guide adds that frequent use of auxiliary strip heat is a reason to have the system checked.

In short, emergency heat can get a Pinellas Park home through a cold night. It does not tell you why the heat pump stopped. Our guide to emergency heat explains the setting in more detail.

If you use a space heater while you wait, follow the U.S. Fire Administration's advice. It advises placing one on a solid, flat surface at least three feet from anything that can burn. It also advises plugging it directly into a wall outlet rather than an extension cord or power strip, and checking the cord and plug for damage.

Carbon monoxide is the other risk. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission advises CO alarms, battery-operated or with battery backup, on every level of the home and outside sleeping areas. It lists the symptoms of poisoning as headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, sleepiness and confusion.

The CPSC also warns never to run a portable generator inside a home or garage, even with the doors and windows open.

Pinellas Park is an incorporated city, so permits for homes inside it come from the City of Pinellas Park, not from Pinellas County. The county's building office issues permits for unincorporated areas and several other municipalities, and directs city residents to their own building department. The city's Building Development Division, at 6051 78th Avenue N, performs permit plan reviews and inspections.

The city lists mechanical or HVAC replacement among work that requires a permit. Its mechanical permit requirements call for an HVAC layout with equipment information.

For manufactured homes, the federal construction standards (24 CFR 3280.707) say heat-producing appliances must be listed or certified for residential use by a nationally recognized testing agency. Our Pinellas Park heat pump repair page covers manufactured-home equipment in more depth.

When both options make sense, Blume shows repair and replacement side by side and does not sell equipment a building does not need. Replacement equipment is sized with an ACCA Manual J load calculation and Manual S selection. Refrigerant work is done by EPA Section 608 certified technicians, the federal refrigerant-handling credential, 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 are brand-agnostic and service all major manufacturers' equipment. Our office is at 2840 West Bay Drive #114, Belleair Bluffs, FL 33770, and our core service area is Pinellas, Hillsborough and Pasco counties. You get a written, upfront price before any work starts.

Before you call, note these

• Whether the outdoor unit runs when the thermostat is on Heat.
• What the thermostat shows: mode, set temperature, room temperature, and any auxiliary or emergency heat light.
• Whether a breaker for the system has tripped.
• Any smell, frost, ice or unusual noise.
• Whether the home is a block house, a condo or apartment, or a mobile home.
• Whether the home heats with electricity, gas or LP.

For cooling problems, see our Pinellas Park AC repair page, and for the city as a whole, our Pinellas Park service page.