HVAC Installation in Tallahassee, FL
A new system here will heat from November through March and cool from April through October every year. Tell us about the house, and a licensed contractor who covers Leon County will get in touch.
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Twelve months of work, either heating or cooling
In Leon County, whatever system you put in almost never gets a real break. Cooling runs April through October, seven months, with afternoons averaging 91°F. Heat takes over November through March, and winter nights average 42°F. That's the whole year, one season handing off to the next.
Most homes here heat with electricity, so the system doing your cooling is usually the same one keeping you warm. It needs to be sized right for both jobs, not just the Florida heat everyone thinks about. And with 473 damaging wind events recorded here over the last ten years, a new install is worth doing in a way that holds up when the power doesn't.
- 5 months
- November through March, your system heats
- 7 months
- April through October, it cools
- 42°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 91°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
Florida requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The Construction Industry Licensing Board tests contractors before it issues that license, and it keeps a record of who holds one. The license belongs to the contractor, not to any single job, so the same license that covers a repair down the street covers a full system installation at your house.
For an installation like this, that license is what stands behind the work. In most cities and counties, a job like this also needs a permit from the local building office, with an inspection once the work is done. That inspection is separate from the state license. It's the check that someone other than the installer looked at the finished job.
Sources: Florida Legislature · Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation
- When should I replace my HVAC system?
- Once repairs keep coming back, or one big repair costs a large share of what a new system would, replacement makes more sense than another fix. Efficiency drops well before a system fails outright, so climbing energy bills without a clear reason are worth paying attention to. Here, the system runs nearly year round, heat from November through March and cooling from April through October, so a unit that's struggling gets little rest to hide it. If yours short cycles or can't keep up on the hottest afternoons, have a contractor look at it before you're stuck deciding in an emergency.
- Should I replace my furnace and air conditioner at the same time?
- If both are near the end of their life, yes, replacing them together usually makes sense. A furnace and air conditioner installed at the same time are matched to work together, and a mismatched pair, one old and one new, can run less efficiently than either would on its own. That said, if your furnace was just replaced and only the air conditioner has failed, there's no reason to tear out a good furnace early. A contractor can tell you whether your existing equipment is compatible with a new match or whether replacing both is the better call.
- What happens during an HVAC installation?
- A contractor removes the old equipment first, then sets the new furnace, air handler, or condenser in place and connects it to your ductwork, refrigerant lines, gas line, or electrical circuit, depending on what the system needs. After everything is connected, they test the system, check refrigerant charge and airflow, and confirm the thermostat is talking to the equipment correctly. Florida requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license through the Construction Industry Licensing Board, so the work has to meet code, including proper venting and electrical hookups. The exact steps and how long they take depend on what's being installed and the condition of your existing ducts and lines, so a contractor can walk you through what your specific job involves.