AC not cooling or stopped24/7
Warm air, no start, a breaker that trips, ice on the lines. The call that does not wait.
Call 813-522-6238Hillsborough · Pinellas · English and Spanish
A local AC contractor for your side of the bay.
Warm air from the vents at 4 p.m., a system that quits on the first 95 °F day, a replacement quote with a refrigerant you have never heard of: call and get connected with an independent local air-conditioning contractor who works your part of Hillsborough or Pinellas.
Outside, a July afternoon
91 °F
Inside, the setpoint
76 °F
Tampa International, 1991–2020 July normal high. The record is 100 °F, set July 27, 2025.
What people call about
Seven kinds of call, each with its own page. A system that has stopped goes straight to the phone; everything else can start with the form.
AC repair
Leaks, drains, airflow, capacitors, surge-damaged boards. Diagnosed before it is quoted.
Read moreReplacement and installation
Load calculation, SEER2, the new refrigerants, permits, the two utilities, the flood rule on the coast.
Read moreHeat pump and heating
Cold air in January, strip heat on the bill, a conversion that may qualify for a Duke rebate.
Read moreTune-up and maintenance
Drain line, coils, capacitor, charge. A spring visit that makes August predictable.
Read moreDuctwork, airflow, and humidity
Rooms that never cool and a house that feels damp: measured on the air side, not by condenser size.
Read moreMini-split and ductless
Garages, Florida rooms, additions, and houses with no ducts. Permitted.
Read moreWhy the season is the story
The numbers a Tampa Bay system runs against
Tampa International's climate normals, and the day the record fell.
91 °F
July normal high
With a 76.6 °F low; August is similarly hot, at 91.2 °F.
73 °F
July dew point
Relative humidity 76 to 78 %. Humidity, not temperature, is what a badly sized system loses to.
100 °F
July 27, 2025
The first 100 °F reading in 135 years of Tampa records; the previous mark was 99 °F.
3,000+
run hours a year
A typical central system here; coastal condensers last 10 to 15 years, inland longer.
Two utilities, two sets of rebate rules
Your utility decides which rebate program you can apply to
Hillsborough is mostly Tampa Electric and Pinellas is Duke Energy Florida; your electric bill says which one you have. The tiers, the paperwork, and the prerequisites differ, and the amounts are on the utilities' own pages, so the site links there instead of quoting them.
Tampa Electric
Hillsborough: Tampa, Brandon, Riverview, Carrollwood
Two tiers, SEER2 15.2 and SEER2 16.2, for heat pumps and straight-cool systems paired with a new natural-gas furnace.
Ductless mini-splits excluded. Application within 90 days of installation, with the AHRI certificate and the paid invoice; the contractor usually files it.
TECO Heating & Cooling programDuke Energy Florida
Pinellas: St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Largo, Pinellas Park
A Duke Home Energy Check (Duke does not charge for it) within the previous 24 months comes first; then SEER2 15.2 for a replacement AC or heat pump, and two tiers (SEER2 15.2 and 16) for replacing strip heat with a heat pump.
Emergency replacement: the check can be done within 12 months after. Licensed, insured AC contractor required; filed on Duke's rebate portal.
Duke HVAC replacement rebatesThe federal Section 25C credit is unavailable for equipment placed in service after December 31, 2025. Florida's separate federally funded rebate programs were not open for applications when this was written; do not count on either for a 2026 install.
Three numbers that decide a replacement
The rules behind the quote
A replacement in Tampa Bay is a permitted job under federal efficiency and refrigerant rules and the Florida Building Code. These three come up on every quote.
14.3
SEER2: the federal floor
The minimum for a split-system AC under 45,000 Btu/h in the Southeast since 2023 (13.8 above that; heat pumps 14.3 with 7.5 HSPF2). The utility tiers start above it, at 15.2.
DOE 2023 standards700
GWP: the refrigerant line
Since January 1, 2025, components for new residential systems cannot use a refrigerant above 700 GWP; new systems run R-454B or R-32. An EPA rule effective July 27, 2026 lets units made in or imported into the US before 2025 be installed while stock lasts. Existing systems can still be serviced, whether R-410A or the older R-22.
EPA rule, via NAHB+1 ft
Flood elevation in Pinellas
Exterior equipment replaced after flood damage goes at or above the flood elevation required for that property (Florida Building Code R322.1.6). Pinellas County requires at least a foot above the base flood elevation for new and substantially improved buildings, and cities can set more; the county's Flood Information Services gives the number for an address. A surge-flooded condenser usually comes back on a platform, unless it already sat on one that meets the requirement.
Pinellas CountyAfter Helene
A condenser that sat in salt water needs a professional look, and usually replacement
Helene's surge on September 26, 2024 reached 6.67 feet above the normal high tide at Clearwater Beach and 6.31 feet at St. Petersburg, both records. AHRI's guidance is that flood-damaged heating and cooling equipment should be replaced and not repaired, and inspected by a qualified contractor, not by the homeowner; the code says a replacement in a flood hazard area goes at or above the flood elevation required for the property. If your quote does not mention the elevation, ask.
How the line works
Call or send the form
Say what the system is doing, where the house is, and which utility you are on. English or Spanish.
A contractor takes the call
A phone call connects you to an independent local air-conditioning contractor who serves your area; the form gets you a call back. Ask for the license number; a certified contractor's begins with CAC, and you can verify it on the DBPR site.
Diagnosis, quote, permit, work
Ask the contractor to measure before quoting, to put the finding and the price in writing, to pull the mechanical permit for a change-out, and to file the rebate if the system qualifies. Those are the things to confirm before you sign.
Tampa Bay Cooling Line connects homeowners with independent local air-conditioning contractors. We are not an air-conditioning contractor. Service availability, pricing, and timing are determined by the contractor.
Both sides of the bay
Tampa, Brandon, Riverview, and Carrollwood in Hillsborough; St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Largo, and Pinellas Park in Pinellas. Each city page has the permit office, the utility, the housing, and the local rule that matters.
A referral line, not a contractor
Tampa Bay Cooling Line takes the call and passes it to an independent local air-conditioning contractor who serves your area. We do not employ technicians, set prices, pull permits, or handle refrigerant; the contractor does, under their license. What we add is the part homeowners usually have to research on the worst day of the summer: which utility, which rule, which permit, and what the quote should show.
Questions people ask before they call
My AC is running but blowing warm air. What do I do first?
Check that the thermostat is on Cool and set below the room temperature, look for ice on the copper lines, and check the two AC breakers. If there is ice, switch the system to Off and the fan to On so it thaws. If a breaker trips again after one reset, leave it off. Then call: the line connects you to a contractor who serves your area. If you use the form instead, you get a call back.
Do I need a permit to replace my AC in Tampa Bay?
Yes, everywhere. A change-out needs a mechanical permit, pulled by the contractor: City of Tampa or Hillsborough County (HillsGovHub) on the Hillsborough side, the city building department (St. Petersburg, Clearwater, Largo, Pinellas Park) or the county on the Pinellas side. For a mechanical-only job, Hillsborough requires a Notice of Commencement only at $15,000 or more; the permitting office confirms it for the actual scope. A like-for-like part repair does not need a permit.
Which rebate do I qualify for?
It depends on your utility. Tampa Electric (Hillsborough) has two tiers at SEER2 15.2 and 16.2 for heat pumps and gas-paired systems, filed within 90 days, mini-splits excluded. Duke Energy (Pinellas) requires a Duke Home Energy Check (Duke does not charge for it) within 24 months first, then SEER2 15.2 for a replacement, with a higher tier for strip-heat conversions. The amounts are on their pages. The federal 25C credit ended after 2025.
What is this new refrigerant, and is my old system illegal now?
New systems use R-454B or R-32, mildly flammable "A2L" refrigerants that need matched equipment; that is why a 2026 quote looks different from a 2022 one. Your existing system is legal to keep and to service, whether it uses R-410A or the older R-22 (check the label on the outdoor unit). An EPA rule effective July 27, 2026 also lets contractors keep installing R-410A units made in or imported into the US before 2025 while stock lasts, so ask which refrigerant a quote is for and why.
How do I check that a contractor is licensed?
Air conditioning is a state-licensed trade in Florida. A certified contractor's number begins with CAC (Class A or B); a registered one with RA, valid only in its local jurisdiction; mechanical contractors are CMC or RM. Verify on the DBPR site at MyFloridaLicense.com. In Pinellas, a contractor can also hold a county license through the PCCLB; state-certified contractors are exempt from that. We do not verify licenses for you; you should.
Should I repair or replace?
The honest test is age, refrigerant, and the part. A capacitor or a drain line on any system is a repair. A compressor on a 12- to 15-year-old system, or a coil that has leaked before, is a replacement conversation. Ask for both quotes in writing, with the equipment's age and refrigerant on them, and decide on the numbers.
Get an AC contractor on the phone
Call, or send the form and get a call back. Say what the system is doing, where the house is, and which utility you are on.
Line: Calls answered 24/7, every day
Tampa Bay Cooling Line connects homeowners with independent local air-conditioning contractors. We are not an air-conditioning contractor. Service availability, pricing, and timing are determined by the contractor.