Heating Repair in Tarpon Springs, FL

The National Weather Service explains heating need with heating degree days. It explains that degree days assume that at 65°F outside, we don't need heating or cooling to be comfortable. When a day's mean temperature is below 65°F, the gap between the mean and 65 is that day's heating degree days.

NOAA's 1991-2020 normals for the Tarpon Springs Sewage Plant station put the year's heating degree days at 589.4. December, January and February together account for 456.2 of them. January is the peak month at 196.4, with December at 144.9 and February at 115.0.

The station's normal low is 53.5°F in December and 53.8°F in February. November and March carry 54.7 and 61.8 heating degree days.

The Census Bureau's American Community Survey has a table on house heating fuel for occupied housing units. For Tarpon Springs, its 2024 five-year estimates count:

• Electricity: 10,811 homes.
• Utility gas: 475 homes.
• Bottled or tank gas (propane, butane and similar): 355 homes.
• Solar energy: 153 homes.
• No fuel used: 166 homes.

The survey counts no homes heated with fuel oil, coal or wood.

Electric heat comes in more than one form. The U.S. Department of Energy says electric heating includes central forced-air electric furnaces, as well as wall-mounted or baseboard heating. A heat pump is electric too: the Department of Energy says it heats a home by collecting heat from the outside air, water or ground and concentrating it for use inside.

If you are not sure which you have, see how to tell if you have a heat pump and furnace vs. electric strip heat.

The Census Bureau's estimates put the median year built for Tarpon Springs housing at 1984. Of 13,421 housing units, 3,825 were built from 1980 to 1989, more than in any other decade the survey lists. Another 739 were built in 1939 or earlier.

The same survey counts 7,754 single-family detached homes and 1,363 mobile homes in the city. It also counts homes in buildings that range from two units to 50 or more.

Manufactured and mobile homes

Federal manufactured-home standards say a manufactured home shall be provided with a comfort heating system. They also say heat producing appliances in manufactured homes must be listed or certified for residential use by a nationally recognized testing agency. Tell us the home is manufactured when you call.

These are the only checks to make yourself. If a step feels unsafe, stop there.

1. Thermostat settings. Set it to Heat, with the set temperature above what the room reads. ENERGY STAR's checklist says to check thermostat settings to ensure the heating system keeps you comfortable when you are home. See thermostat settings.
2. The air filter. ENERGY STAR says to inspect, clean or change air filters once a month in a furnace or heat pump. It warns that a dirty filter can damage equipment and lead to early failure. Our guide to HVAC air filters covers the options.
3. Vents, returns and the outdoor unit. The Department of Energy says to make sure warm-air registers are not blocked by furniture, carpeting or drapes. Clear the return grilles the same way, and clear leaves and debris from around the outdoor unit by hand.

If you find a tripped breaker, leave it off and call a licensed contractor. Do not open the furnace, air handler or outdoor unit, and leave all wiring alone.

The Census Bureau counts 475 Tarpon Springs homes heated with utility gas and 355 with bottled or tank gas. In those homes, a heating fault can be a safety problem as well as a comfort one.

FEMA and the U.S. Fire Administration say carbon monoxide is a colorless and odorless gas. They say CO poisoning can occur when a fuel-burning appliance such as a furnace or heater is not working or vented properly. Their advice is to install CO alarms in a central location outside each separate sleeping area and on every level of the home. See carbon monoxide detector placement.

ENERGY STAR's checklist says to check all gas connections, gas pressure, burner combustion and heat exchanger. It says improperly operating gas connections are a fire hazard and can contribute to health problems. Gas lines, burners and venting are work for a licensed contractor, never a homeowner. For propane systems, see propane heating.

If you use a space heater while you wait, follow the U.S. Fire Administration's advice. It says heating fires remained the second leading cause of home fires in 2021. Its tips:

• Keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet from all heat sources, including space heaters.
• Never use an oven to heat your home.
• Turn space heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed.

If you have a heat pump, the Department of Energy says its backup electric-resistance heating is more expensive to run. Our page on emergency heat explains that thermostat setting and when to use it.

ENERGY STAR's maintenance checklist is a fair outline of what a heating diagnosis should cover.

• Electrical connections. ENERGY STAR says faulty electrical connections can cause unsafe operation of your system and reduce the life of major components.
• Gas equipment. It says a dirty burner or cracked heat exchanger causes improper burner operation, and that either can make the equipment run less safely and efficiently.
• Thermostat settings, which ENERGY STAR's checklist says to check.
• Filters and airflow, because a dirty filter can damage equipment.

Blume's refrigerant work is done by EPA Section 608 certified technicians, the federal refrigerant-handling credential. Before any work starts, you get a written, upfront price. ENERGY STAR says it's best to check the heating system in the fall.

Blume shows repair-vs-replace numbers 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. Financing is available through Synchrony Bank.

For a mechanical permit, the City of Tarpon Springs Building Development page says to apply online and upload the required documents through its GoPost portal. It says all required fields must be filled out and the scope of work must be accurate.

A homeowner acting as owner-builder must have the city's disclosure form notarized in person at the City Hall Building Development Department, the city says. For flood rules and storm permits, see our Tarpon Springs AC repair page. The city overview is on our Tarpon Springs HVAC page.

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.

What to have ready when you call

• How the home is heated: heat pump, electric furnace or strips, gas or propane, if you know.
• What the thermostat is set to and what it reads.
• Whether a breaker has tripped.
• Any burning or gas smell, or a CO alarm that sounded.
• Whether the home is a house, a condo or a manufactured home.
• The last day the heat worked normally.