HVAC Work in Longwood: What the Housing Stock Tells Us

Longwood is two-thirds single-family detached, 67.5 percent, with a median build year of 1983 and 54.3 percent of all housing built in the 1970s and 1980s. Owner-occupancy is 69.4 percent. This is a homeowner market with a large population of forty and fifty year old houses.

The Woodlands is a good example of what that means on the ground. It was developed in the late 1960s on the site of the former Longwood Slade Airport, which is why the entrance road is Slade Drive. Homes of that era were built before modern duct sealing practice and before the current understanding of load calculation, and most have had their systems changed out two or three times since.

We work throughout Longwood, including The Woodlands, Sweetwater Oaks, Sabal Point and Wekiva Cove.

Schedule a Second-Opinion Service Call

Permits for HVAC Work in Longwood

Replacing or modifying air conditioning equipment requires a mechanical permit. In Longwood that goes through the City of Longwood Building Division, filed through its SmartGov online portal, which publishes a dedicated mechanical permit application. We pull it as part of the job. A contractor who offers to skip the permit is telling you something about how they work.

What We See Most Often on Longwood Systems

Attic equipment in 1970s and 1980s subdivisions

Fifty-four percent of Longwood’s housing dates from those two decades, and the air handler is usually in the attic. Summer attic temperatures and constant condensation are hard on coils, pans and the duct insulation around them.

Duct leakage in forty-year-old systems

Flex duct installed in the 1970s has usually sagged, separated at a boot, or been crushed by someone working in the attic. The conditioned air is going into the attic instead of the bedroom, and no new condenser fixes that.

Historic-district buildings with no duct path

In the historic district, some structures date to the 1870s and 1880s and have no cavity to run a duct system through. Forcing one in is expensive and usually disappointing. Ductless is frequently the better engineering answer.

Condensate drains that were never sloped properly

A drain line with a belly in it holds water, grows algae and blocks. It is a ten-minute clear and a two-hour correction, and it is the most preventable shutdown we see.

The Longwood Historic District

Longwood has a designated historic district listed on the National Register since 1990, with 37 contributing structures, most of them dating to the 1870s and 1880s. The 1873 Inside-Outside House, the 1879 Christ Episcopal Church and the 1885 Bradlee-McIntyre House are all in it.

Buildings this old are a specialist problem. There is no original duct system to work with, the wall and ceiling assemblies were not designed to carry one, and anything visible from the street may be subject to review. Mini-split and ductless systems often make more sense here than a conventional ducted retrofit, because they solve the comfort problem without cutting a distribution system into a structure that cannot easily take one.

One practical warning for anyone with a Longwood mailing address: the city publishes its own FAQ titled “Is my address or parcel located within the City of Longwood?” because many Longwood-addressed properties, Sabal Point and Sweetwater Oaks among them, may sit in unincorporated Seminole County. We verify the parcel before pulling a permit rather than going by the mailing address.

Book a Repair Evaluation

Commercial HVAC and Refrigeration in Longwood

The SR 434 and CR 427 corridors carry Longwood’s commercial base, a mix of small retail, office and food service where the equipment is typically rooftop units and small-footprint refrigeration.

Roberts Mechanical handles commercial HVAC and refrigeration alongside residential work, including rooftop units, walk-in coolers and freezers, ice machines, DOAS equipment, cooling towers and chillers. The same repair-first approach applies: we evaluate what a system has left before anyone signs off on a capital expense.

What We Do in Longwood

• AC repair and diagnostics
• AC installation and replacement
• Maintenance and tune-ups
• Second opinions on replacement quotes
• 24/7 emergency service
• New construction HVAC
• Commercial HVAC
• Commercial refrigeration
• Walk-in coolers and freezers
• Commercial ice machines
• DOAS units and ventilation
• Cooling towers and chillers
• Custom design and engineering

Common Questions From Longwood Customers

Can you put central air in a house built in the 1880s?

Sometimes, but it is usually the wrong answer. A house with no original duct system and no cavity to run one in is often better served by a ductless or mini-split approach. We will tell you which applies to your building rather than selling you the one we would rather install.

My address says Longwood. Is my house in the city?

Not necessarily. The city publishes an FAQ on exactly this question because many Longwood-addressed parcels sit in unincorporated Seminole County. We check before we permit.

Is Longwood’s permit process online?

Yes. The City of Longwood Building Division uses SmartGov, and publishes a dedicated mechanical permit application. We handle the filing.

Would a mini-split work in my older home?

Often, yes. In a house with no duct path a ductless system solves the comfort problem without cutting a distribution system into a structure that cannot take one. We will tell you when it is the right answer and when it is not.

My attic ductwork is original. Should I replace it?

Have it inspected first. Some of it is fine and some of it is doing nothing. Sealing and correcting the runs that matter is usually cheaper and more effective than a full replacement.

How fast can you get here?

We run 24/7 emergency service. Call 407-405-2658 and we will tell you honestly when we can be there rather than quoting you a window we cannot hold.

Request Service in Longwood