Tallahassee winters are mild and unpredictable, which creates a specific problem: heating systems sit unused for months, then get asked to run hard during a hard freeze in January. Failures tend to reveal themselves on the coldest night of the year because that is the first time the system has been tested.
Seminole Heating & Air plans to service the heating equipment common in this area — heat pumps, electric strip heat, and gas furnaces — for homes across Tallahassee and the surrounding communities after launch.
Common heating problems in North Florida homes
- Heat pumps stuck in cooling mode due to a failed reversing valve or its solenoid.
- Failed electric heat strips or their sequencers, leaving the home with only heat pump output on a cold morning.
- Defrost control board and sensor problems that let the outdoor coil ice over during a freeze.
- Furnace ignition and flame sensor issues after months of inactivity.
- Thermostat wiring or configuration problems, especially after a thermostat has been swapped by someone unfamiliar with heat pump staging.
- Airflow restrictions that trip high-limit switches and cause the system to cycle off before the house warms up.
Signs your heating needs attention
- Air from the vents feels cool or barely warm when heat is calling.
- The system runs a long time without reaching the setpoint on a cold morning.
- A burning smell that persists past the first few minutes of the season's first run.
- The outdoor unit ices over and does not clear.
- The breaker trips when heat is called.
- Heat works intermittently, or only in emergency or auxiliary mode.
What to check before requesting service
- Confirm the thermostat is set to HEAT with a setpoint above room temperature.
- Check the filter — heating restrictions cause limit trips just as cooling restrictions cause frozen coils.
- Verify breakers for both the air handler and outdoor unit are on.
- Make sure supply registers are open and not blocked by furniture.
- A faint burning odor on the first heat cycle of the season is usually dust on the heat strips and typically clears within a cycle.
Why heat pumps behave differently than people expect
Most Tallahassee homes heat with a heat pump, which delivers warm-but-not-hot air over longer cycles rather than the blast of heat a gas furnace produces. Air that feels lukewarm at the register is often completely normal.
During a hard freeze, supplemental electric heat engages to keep up, and defrost cycles periodically reverse the system to melt frost off the outdoor coil — which can look alarming with steam rising off the unit. Knowing the difference between normal heat pump behavior and an actual fault saves a lot of unnecessary worry.
Frequently asked questions
- Why is my heat pump blowing cool air?
- It may be in a defrost cycle, which is temporary. If the air stays cool through normal operation, likely causes include a reversing valve fault, low refrigerant, or failed auxiliary heat. It should be diagnosed rather than guessed at.
- My heat only works on 'emergency heat.' Is that okay?
- It will keep the house warm, but emergency heat is expensive to run and it means the heat pump side is not working. Have it looked at rather than riding out the winter on strip heat.
- Do I need heating service if I barely use it?
- Yes, and arguably more so. Systems that sit idle for most of the year are the ones that fail when finally called on. A fall check is inexpensive insurance before the first cold snap.