Every year it happens the same way: Tampa gets its first genuinely cold night, thousands of heaters kick on for the first time in eight months — and a bunch of them don't. Thursday night drops to 57°, the coldest night of the fall so far. If your heat hasn't run since March, tonight's the night you find out whether it still works. Here's the playbook.
First: the 5-minute checks
“First cold snap, my phone blows up with the same call: ‘heat worked fine last year.’ Yeah — and it sat for eight months since. Heat strips seize, sequencers stick, breakers weaken. Get it checked in the fall and the cold snap is just weather.”
Heat pump vs straight cool: know which you've got
Tampa homes run one of two setups, and it changes what "heater not working" means. Straight cool with electric heat strips is the most common here: the AC cools, and separate electric strips make the heat. Those strips are expensive to run, and the sequencer that stages them on is one of the most common things we replace. If your heat runs but your electric bill explodes, a strip may be stuck on.
A heat pump runs the whole system in reverse to heat — much more efficient. It has backup heat strips for when it gets properly cold (mid-30s and below), and it goes through defrost cycles where it can briefly blow cooler air — that's normal, not a breakdown. But if the outdoor unit ices up and never defrosts, that's the problem.
Don't know which you've got? You're not alone — half our customers don't. Quick tell: if your thermostat has an "emergency heat" setting, you've got a heat pump. Takes a tech ten seconds to confirm either way.
When it's urgent
If it's below 50° outside and you've got kids, elderly family, or anyone sensitive to cold in the house with no heat — treat it as urgent. We run 24/7 emergency service through cold snaps for exactly this reason. A house in Tampa isn't built to hold heat the way a northern house is; it gets cold inside fast once the sun goes down.
The smart move: check it before the snap
This is the entire argument for a fall tune-up. Our $75 tune-up (through November 30) tests the heating side before you need it: heat strips fired and verified, sequencer checked, thermostat heat mode confirmed, electrical inspected. Finding a dead heat strip on a calm October afternoon costs $75 and a scheduled visit. Finding it at 9pm on a 57° Thursday costs an emergency call — and you're not the only one calling that night.
What we find on first-cold-night calls
The usual suspects, in order: failed sequencers (the relay that stages your heat strips on), burned-out heat strips, thermostats that lost their heat programming, weak breakers that trip under heating load, and high-limit switches tripped from dirty filters. Almost all of it is findable in a fall checkup. Almost none of it announces itself in advance.
Questions & Answers
Why is my heater not working when I first turn it on?
First cold snap of the year is when dead heat strips, stuck sequencers, and mis-set thermostats all reveal themselves. Check that the thermostat is on HEAT and set above room temp, check the breaker, then give it 5 minutes — heat strips take a moment. If still nothing, call before the rush.
Do I even need heat in Tampa?
Tampa sees 30s and 40s most winters, with occasional hard freezes. Your heat side sits unused for 8+ months; that's exactly when parts seize up unnoticed. Thursday night drops to 57° — the coldest night of the fall so far.
Is it an emergency if my heat doesn't work?
If it's below 50° and you have kids, elderly, or anyone sensitive to cold in the house — yes, treat it as urgent. We run 24/7 emergency service through cold snaps for exactly this.
How do I know if I have a heat pump or straight cool?
If your thermostat has an "emergency heat" setting, you've got a heat pump. Otherwise you likely have straight cool with electric heat strips — the most common setup in Tampa. Either way, a tech can confirm in seconds.
What does a heater tune-up include?
Our $75 fall tune-up covers the heating side too: heat strip testing, sequencer check, thermostat heat-mode verification, and electrical inspection. Through November 30.
Heat won't kick on?
Don't wait for the coldest night of the fall. $75 tune-up covers the heating side — or call now if it's urgent.
Call (813) 770-2722 $75 Fall Tune-Up