No heat in January or no cooling in July — a heat pump failure can't wait. Call and we'll connect you with an independent, licensed heat pump specialist near you.
Reversing valves, defrost boards, inverter drives — heat pumps have parts a furnace tech may rarely touch. We route these calls to technicians who service heat pumps regularly. Ask for the diagnosis in writing before authorising any major repair, and ask them to price it against the system's remaining life.
Not for you if: the system is brand new and under warranty — call the installer first. This page is about diagnosing and fixing equipment out of that window.
We don't publish a national average price — too many of these vary by home and market to make one honest. Here's what does move it, everywhere.
A stuck reversing valve — the part that switches a heat pump between heating and cooling — is a bigger repair than a sensor or capacitor, and it's one of the few components unique to heat pumps rather than shared with straight AC.
A failed defrost board or sensor can look like "the outdoor unit is a block of ice," but the fix is electrical, not mechanical — a different repair than a compressor issue that presents the same way to a homeowner.
A heat pump moves refrigerant in both directions depending on mode, so an incorrect charge often shows up as poor performance in only heating or only cooling. Correcting it takes more precision, and time, than a straight recharge.
Variable-speed heat pumps have more electronics to diagnose than older single-stage units — though they're also usually more efficient the rest of the year.
Like any HVAC trade, heat pump technicians are busiest at the coldest point of winter. That doesn't change what a repair costs, but it can affect how many local quotes you're able to line up on short notice.
Blowing cold in heat mode, ice that won't clear, short-cycling, or rising bills — the pattern narrows down whether it's the reversing valve, the defrost cycle, or something simpler.
The technician checks refrigerant charge in both operating directions, tests the reversing valve and defrost board, and reads the fault history — heat pumps fail differently depending on which mode was running.
What failed and what it costs, priced against the system's remaining life if it's an older unit — ask for that comparison before you authorize anything.
After the repair, the technician verifies both heating and cooling modes run correctly — not just the mode that was failing.
Could be the reversing valve, refrigerant, or a stuck defrost cycle.
Some frost is normal; a solid ice block means the defrost cycle failed.
Starting and stopping constantly wears the compressor — and spikes your bill.
A struggling system draws more power to deliver less comfort.
Every market page we publish cites its own verified climate and utility data — a couple of examples:
Longer run times are normal in cold weather — heat pumps deliver steady, lower-temperature heat. But if the house still isn't warm, have it checked.
Depends on age and the failed component. A fair technician will price the repair against the system's remaining life — ask for that comparison in writing, and treat a straight push to replace without one as a reason to get a second opinion.
Usually no: steam during defrost is normal. Smoke or burning smells are not — shut it down and call.
In heating mode, a heat pump periodically reverses briefly to melt frost off the outdoor coil — a little steam and a short pause in heating are normal. A stuck defrost cycle looks like a solid block of ice that never clears, or the system blowing cool air for long stretches. Either is worth a call.
Most repairs — boards, sensors, the reversing valve — aren't weather-dependent. Refrigerant work has some cold-weather handling considerations a technician manages on-site; it doesn't usually rule out a winter repair, just how it's approached.
One call connects you with an independent, licensed local specialist — no pressure, no obligation.