Heat Pump Repair
A heat pump that's misbehaving is running your electric bill up while letting your comfort down — often at the same time. Our technicians diagnose the actual fault, explain it in plain English, and repair it with the parts and refrigerant handling the job requires.
Heat Pumps Fail Differently Than Furnaces — Diagnose Them Accordingly
A furnace is a fire in a box: it's either making heat or it isn't. A heat pump is a refrigeration circuit running in either direction, and its failures are correspondingly more subtle — a system can run constantly while delivering half its rated capacity, and the only symptoms are rooms that never quite get comfortable and a power bill drifting upward month after month. Low refrigerant charge, a sticking reversing valve, a failing defrost sensor, or a weak capacitor all produce that same vague "it's running but not really working" feeling, and each has a completely different fix.
That's why our repairs start with measurement rather than assumption: temperature split across the coils, refrigerant pressures against manufacturer charts, electrical values on motors and capacitors, defrost cycle behavior. In our climate, where heat pumps work hard through damp 35-45°F winters — the exact conditions that make defrost systems earn their keep — an accurate diagnosis is the difference between a targeted repair and a season of expensive guessing. Homeowners from Birch Bay to Burlington get the measured answer, the price, and the choice before any part goes in.
What Competent Heat Pump Repair Requires
Heat pump work sits at the intersection of three trades — refrigeration, electrical, and airflow — and a weak leg in any of them produces bad repairs. Refrigerant work demands EPA certification and the discipline to find and fix leaks rather than just topping off a charge that will leak out again. Electrical diagnosis has to distinguish a failing capacitor from the compressor it's about to take down with it. And airflow problems masquerade as refrigerant problems constantly: a starved coil from a crushed duct or filthy filter mimics low charge on the gauges. Technicians who check all three legs fix systems; technicians who check one leg replace parts.
Low charge means refrigerant went somewhere. We locate the leak — recharging without repair is renting a fix.
Filters, coils, and ducts checked before refrigerant conclusions — half of "low charge" calls aren't.
The small electrical parts that fail first get measured, because catching them saves the compressor they protect.
Post-repair temperature split and pressures confirm the system is actually performing, not just running.
Why LaVergne's?
Beyond the Repair Call
Whether your system needs one part or a bigger conversation, these related services cover the full picture of home comfort.
Heat Pump Maintenance
Most of the repairs we run were preventable. Seasonal maintenance catches weak capacitors, dirty coils, and low charge before they strand you.
Learn More →Heat Pump Replacement
When a compressor fails on an aging unit, repair math changes fast. See how we frame that decision honestly.
Learn More →Ductless Mini-Split Repair
Wall-mounted heads blinking error lights or dripping? Ductless systems have their own diagnostic playbook, and we run it.
Learn More →Thermostat Services
Sometimes the "broken heat pump" is a thermostat mis-staging it. Configuration and replacement done right.
Learn More →Furnace Repair
Dual-fuel home? We service the furnace side of hybrid systems too, including the handoff logic between them.
Learn More →Heating Services
Every heating configuration we service, from boilers to heat pumps, in one place.
Learn More →System Running Constantly but the House Stays Cold?
That's a diagnosable, fixable condition — and every week you wait shows up on your power bill. Get it measured.
What These Heat Pump Symptoms Usually Mean
Two heat pump behaviors alarm homeowners unnecessarily, and two get ignored when they shouldn't. Worth knowing: steam rising off the outdoor unit during a defrost cycle is normal, and brief cool air from vents during that defrost is too. The four patterns below are the ones that genuinely warrant a call — each maps to a fairly short list of causes we can test for directly.
Outdoor Unit Iced Over
Frost that melts off periodically is normal. A unit encased in ice that never clears means the defrost system has failed — and running it that way damages the compressor.
Lukewarm Air in Heat Mode
Heat pump air runs cooler than furnace air by design — but if supply air barely beats room temperature, suspect low charge or a reversing valve fault.
Breaker Trips or Hard Starts
Humming, clicking, or tripping at startup points to capacitor or contactor failure — cheap parts that destroy expensive ones when ignored.
Short Bursts, Constant Stopping
Starting and stopping every few minutes (short-cycling) can be thermostat placement, an oversized system, or a pressure fault — all worth catching early.
Heat Pump Repair FAQs
Helpful answers about Heat Pump Repair from the experienced team at LaVergne's.
Why is my heat pump blowing cool air in heating mode?
First, calibrate expectations: heat pump supply air typically runs 85-105°F — noticeably cooler than a furnace's blast, and it can feel cool against skin while still heating the house fine. Genuinely cool air, though, points to low refrigerant charge, a reversing valve stuck toward cooling, or the system running in defrost more than it should. A temperature-split measurement tells us in minutes which situation you have.
Is ice on my heat pump normal in winter?
Light frost, yes — that's physics, and the unit periodically melts it off automatically in a defrost cycle (the steam and whooshing sound alarm people, but they're normal). Ice that builds and never clears, or a unit frozen into a solid block, means defrost has failed — commonly a sensor, control board, or the reversing valve — and continuing to run it risks the compressor and fan blades.
Should I use emergency heat while I wait for repair?
If your system has it and the heat pump isn't producing, yes — that's what it's for. Know two things: emergency heat (electric resistance strips) costs substantially more per hour to run, so it's a bridge rather than a lifestyle, and using it takes strain off a struggling heat pump, which can prevent secondary damage before we arrive. Just don't let its higher cost pressure you into ignoring the underlying repair.
How much does heat pump repair typically cost?
It spans a wide range for an honest reason: the same "not heating" complaint can be a capacitor at the low end or a compressor at the high end. That's why our process is diagnostic fee, findings, firm quote, then your approval — the sequence that guarantees you never fund a repair without knowing what it is and what it costs first.
My heat pump is running constantly — is that bad?
Not necessarily, and this surprises furnace people. Heat pumps are designed to run long, steady cycles, especially in cold weather — that's their efficient mode, not a malfunction. The concerning versions are: running constantly while the house loses ground, or running constantly with unusually high bills. Both suggest a capacity problem (charge, coils, or airflow) worth measuring rather than living with.
Do you repair systems you didn't install?
All the time — any major brand, ducted or ductless, whoever installed it. We'll never make a warranty situation worse either: if your unit's compressor or parts are still under manufacturer warranty, we'll tell you and structure the repair to use it.