Orlando's Cold Snap in November 2025: What It Meant for Your Heating System

November 2025 brought unusually cold temperatures to Central Florida. Multiple days saw overnight lows in the upper 30s and low 40s, with some areas of Seminole and Orange County briefly dipping to near-freezing. For a region where November typically stays mild, it was an abrupt reminder that even in Florida, you need a functioning heating system.

At 4 Seasons Air Conditioning, our phones were busy. Many of the calls we received were from homeowners who hadn’t run their heat in 8–10 months and were discovering — in the most inconvenient way possible — that something wasn’t working quite right.

The Most Common Issues We Saw

Heat pump systems not engaging heating mode: The most frequent call we received was from homeowners whose system was blowing air but not warm air. In many cases, the reversing valve or control board had developed a fault that went undetected through spring, summer, and fall when the system was only cooling. The cold snap was the first time in months that anyone switched to “heat” and discovered the problem.

Capacitors and contactors failing on first demand: Electrical components that were already weakened from the previous summer’s heavy use sometimes failed the moment they were called upon for heating. This pattern is very common in Florida: summer kills the system, but the failure doesn’t get noticed until the first cold night months later.

Dirty evaporator coils reducing heat output: Homeowners who hadn’t scheduled their annual maintenance noticed the system running constantly without adequately warming the house. In most cases, heavily fouled evaporator coils were reducing the system’s heat transfer efficiency.

Thermostat communication issues: A surprising number of calls were resolved with thermostat resets or software updates on smart thermostats that had lost communication with the air handler.

Why “My AC Was Working Fine” Doesn’t Mean Heating Is Fine

It bears repeating: air conditioners and heat pumps perform their heating and cooling functions through distinctly different mechanical operations. A heat pump that cools your house flawlessly all summer could have a faulty reversing valve that prevents it from heating — and you’d never know until the first cold night.

This is the core reason we recommend annual maintenance in the fall, before you actually need heat. A technician who visits in October can switch the system to heating mode, verify it’s delivering warm air, check the backup heating elements, and catch any issues before they become emergencies.

Preparing for the Rest of the Winter

The November cold snap was a preview. Central Florida’s coldest months are January and February, and multi-day cold periods below 40°F are entirely possible. Here’s what to do now if you haven’t already:

1. Test your heat — switch your thermostat to heating mode and verify you get warm air from all vents
2. Replace your air filter — a clean filter ensures adequate airflow for both heating and cooling
3. Schedule a tune-up if you haven’t had one in the past 12 months
4. Know your emergency heat — find the emergency heat setting on your thermostat; this bypasses the heat pump and runs only the backup heating strips. If your heat pump fails on a cold night, switching to emergency heat keeps you warm while you wait for service

4 Seasons Air Conditioning serves all of Central Florida with heating repairs, maintenance, and emergency service. If last month’s cold snap revealed a problem with your heating system — or you just want peace of mind before the coldest part of winter arrives — call us at (407) 295-9231.