HVAC Repair in Lakeland, FL
Homes here need heat from January through January and cooling from February through November. If your system quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Polk County will get in touch.
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Your AC runs almost all year here
Cooling runs February through November in Polk County. Summer afternoons average 92°F, and the compressor works long hours to keep up. That kind of runtime wears on the capacitor and the contactor, the parts that start the compressor and keep it running. When one of them fails, the outdoor unit hums but the fan doesn't turn, or the whole system stops cooling on the hottest part of the day.
Winter is short here, with heat needed mainly on nights that average 51°F. The system does not run long enough or often enough to wear out the same way, but a furnace or heat pump that sits idle most of the year can still fail to start when it is finally needed. Most homes here heat with electricity, so when the power goes out, heat and cooling both stop. Polk County has had 37 damaging wind events over the past ten years, and statewide, over a third of households lost power for at least a day in 2024. When the power comes back, most systems restart on their own, but it is worth checking that yours did.
- 1 months
- January through January, your system heats
- 10 months
- February through November, it cools
- 51°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 92°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 is the state agency that tests contractors and keeps their record on file. A contractor holding this license has passed that exam and is registered with the state. The license belongs to the contractor, not to any single job, so it carries over from one repair to the next.
For a repair to a heating and cooling system, that license is what stands behind the person doing the work. Because Florida licenses at the contractor level, the license itself is the credential here, covering the person and not the job in front of them.
Sources: Florida Legislature · Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation
- Why is my heat not working?
- Most likely something in the ignition or the power supply has failed, since that is what stops a furnace or heat pump from firing. Check first that the thermostat is set to heat and the temperature is above room temperature. If it's electric heat, check the breaker box for a tripped breaker, since 93.1% of homes here heat with electricity. If the system runs but blows cold air, the issue is usually inside the unit itself, and that calls for a contractor to look at it.
- Why is my system running but not cooling the house?
- The system is moving air but something is stopping it from actually cooling that air. A dirty air filter is one of the most common causes, since it chokes off airflow across the coil. Check the outdoor unit too. If it's caked with dirt or grass clippings, it can't release the heat the system is pulling out of your house. If the filter is clean and the outdoor unit is clear, the problem is likely inside the system and needs a contractor to diagnose it, especially with afternoons here reaching 92°F.
- What can I check before calling for HVAC repair?
- Start with the thermostat. Make sure it's set to the right mode and the temperature is actually calling for heat or cooling. Check the air filter next and replace it if it's visibly dirty, since a clogged filter can cause problems that look like bigger failures. Look at the breaker box for a tripped breaker, and if it's an electric system, that's worth checking first given how many homes here run on electric heat. If the system still isn't working after that, a licensed contractor can diagnose what's actually wrong. Florida requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license, so ask for that license number before any work begins.