Licensed & Insured Technicians
Heat Pump Services
Year-Round Efficiency — Expert Repairs for Heating & Cooling
Specialized diagnostics and repair for heat pumps to maximize year-round heating and cooling efficiency.
Expert Heat Pump Services — What You Need to Know
Heat pumps are the most energy-efficient comfort systems available, capable of delivering 2–3 times more energy than they consume. But because they provide both heating and cooling by reversing the refrigerant cycle, they run year-round and require technicians who understand their unique operation. Many standard HVAC companies misdiagnose heat pump problems because they don't fully understand how the reversing valve or defrost cycle works. Our technicians specialize in heat pump systems.
Heat Pump-Specific Diagnostics
The most common heat pump failure is a faulty reversing valve — the four-way valve that switches refrigerant flow direction between heating and cooling mode. A stuck reversing valve will cause your system to heat when it should cool, or vice versa. We test the solenoid and the valve body independently to determine whether a full valve replacement or just a solenoid repair is needed. We also diagnose defrost control board failures, which cause excessive ice buildup on the outdoor coil during heating season.
Optimizing Heat Pump Performance
Many heat pumps are paired with auxiliary electric or gas heat strips that activate when outdoor temperatures drop too low for the heat pump to operate efficiently. We verify that auxiliary heat activates at the correct outdoor temperature setpoint, that the backup heat strips are fully functional, and that the system is not running auxiliary heat unnecessarily (which is extremely expensive). A properly tuned heat pump with correctly configured auxiliary heat can cut your winter heating costs by 50% or more compared to a straight electric furnace.
Our Heat Pump Services Process
We test the system in both heating and cooling modes to identify mode-specific failures.
We test the four-way valve, solenoid, and defrost board independently.
We verify refrigerant charge and test all electrical components.
We confirm your backup heat activates correctly and is not wasting energy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to the most common questions we hear from homeowners.
When a heat pump blows cold air in heat mode, the most common causes are: a stuck reversing valve keeping the system in cooling mode, low refrigerant reducing heating capacity, a defrost cycle running (normal — blows slightly cool air for a few minutes), or failed auxiliary heat strips that aren't supplementing output. If cold air persists for over 15 minutes with outdoor temps above 35°F, call for a diagnostic.
The reversing valve can fail two ways: the valve body gets stuck from debris or contamination, or the solenoid coil burns out. A failed solenoid is $150–$250. A stuck valve body needs full replacement at $400–$800, as it requires refrigerant recovery, brazing in the new valve, and recharging.
Most heat pump thermostats activate auxiliary electric heat strips when outdoor temps drop below the balance point — typically 30–40°F. Your thermostat will show "Aux Heat" when this happens. If aux heat runs continuously when outdoor temps are above 40°F, your heat pump is underperforming due to low refrigerant, a dirty coil, or a reversing valve fault.
Some ice formation on the outdoor coil in winter is normal — modern heat pumps have an automatic defrost cycle that reverses flow every 30–90 minutes to melt it. Abnormal icing is when the outdoor unit becomes completely encased in thick ice that never melts. This indicates a failed defrost control board, a stuck defrost thermostat, or low refrigerant charge.
For homeowners in moderate climates where temperatures rarely drop below 20°F, a cold-climate heat pump can replace both your AC and furnace with a single highly efficient system. Modern cold-climate units (Carrier Infinity, Mitsubishi Hyper-Heat) maintain heating efficiency down to -13°F. The combined system cost ($4,000–$10,000) is often comparable to buying a new AC and furnace separately, with lower operating costs providing a 4–8 year payback.