Heating Repair in Tampa
Tampa winters are short but the cold snaps are real. We repair heat pumps, furnaces, and dual-system setups to keep your home comfortable. Our technicians are trained on all major brands including Trane, Carrier, Lennox, and Rheem.
(656) 888-2982Is This Happening to You?
No heat when you need it
The system blows cold air or nothing at all when set to heat mode. Could be a reversing valve issue, thermostat problem, or failed heat strips.
Heat pump running constantly
The outdoor unit never shuts off even after reaching temperature. May indicate low refrigerant or a stuck reversing valve.
Burning smell from vents
A dusty or burning smell when the heat first kicks on is normal (dust burn-off). A persistent electrical burning smell is not — shut the system off and call us.
High electric bills in winter
If your heat pump is relying too heavily on auxiliary/emergency heat strips, your electric bill will spike. The heat pump itself should be doing most of the work.
Tampa winters are short, but when a cold front drops temperatures into the 30s and 40s, your heating system needs to work. Most Tampa homes use heat pumps for heating — the same outdoor unit that cools your home in summer reverses operation to pull heat from outdoor air and move it inside. When the heat pump fails in heating mode, you're left with only the backup electric heat strips, which can cost 3–4 times more to operate.
How Tampa Heat Pumps Work in Winter
A heat pump doesn't generate heat like a furnace — it moves heat from outside air into your home by reversing the refrigerant flow. Even when it's 40°F outside, there's enough thermal energy in the air for the heat pump to extract. The system is efficient down to about 35–40°F. Below that, the auxiliary heat strips kick in to supplement.
The reversing valve is the key component that switches the system between cooling and heating modes. When this valve sticks or fails, the system can't transition to heat mode properly.
Common Heating Repairs
Reversing valve failure: The valve sticks in cooling mode and won't switch to heat. Symptoms include cold air from vents when set to heat, or the system running constantly without reaching the set temperature.
Defrost board issues: In heating mode, the outdoor coil gets cold enough to collect frost. A defrost control board triggers periodic defrost cycles to melt this frost. When the board fails, ice builds up on the outdoor unit and heating capacity drops dramatically.
Heat strip failure: The auxiliary/emergency heat strips are electric resistance heaters inside the air handler. If one or more strips fail, you lose supplemental heating capacity. If the thermostat is calling for emergency heat (the "EM HEAT" light), you may be running on strips alone — which is expensive.
Thermostat problems: A thermostat that's misconfigured, has a dead battery, or has a faulty temperature sensor can prevent the system from switching to heat mode or cause it to cycle erratically.
Low refrigerant in heat mode: A heat pump needs proper refrigerant charge for both cooling and heating. A leak that was tolerable in summer (slightly warm air) becomes obvious in winter when the system can't generate adequate heat.
Tampa-Specific Heating Issues
Tampa homeowners often wait until the first cold snap to turn on the heat, only to discover the system doesn't work properly. This is because:
- The heating system may not have run in 8–10 months - Components like the reversing valve can stick from lack of use - Dust accumulation on heat strips causes burning smells - Thermostat batteries may have died during the off-season
We recommend running your heat for 15 minutes in October or November — before you actually need it — to catch any issues while the weather is still comfortable.
Heating not working? Call (656) 888-2982 for same-day service.
What to Expect
Same-day scheduling
Call (656) 888-2982 and we'll get a technician to your home the same day for most heating repair calls.
Heating system diagnosis
We test the heat pump, reversing valve, heat strips, thermostat, and all electrical components to identify the exact problem.
Clear pricing before work
You know exactly what the repair costs before we start. If replacement makes more sense, we'll tell you.
Repair and verify
We complete the repair and run the system in heat mode for at least 15 minutes, measuring supply air temperature to confirm proper operation.