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Heat Pump Repair in Montgomery County, PA
Heat pumps fail differently from furnaces, and a good deal of what looks like a fault is not one. We diagnose cold-climate and conventional systems, ducted and ductless. 24/7 line, same-day service available.
24/7
EMERGENCY LINE ANSWERED
25+
YEARS OF EXPERIENCE
SAME-DAY
SERVICE AVAILABLE
100%
CUSTOMER SATISFACTION GUARANTEE
COMMON FAILURES
What actually goes wrong
Heat pump calls cluster around four faults. Each one below is something we have diagnosed and repaired on systems in Montgomery County. Most are diagnosed on the first visit.
MOST COMMON HEAT PUMP SERVICE CALLS
Outdoor fan will not run
The most common heat pump call we take. We have repaired this on recently installed systems in Lansdale more than once — the fan stops, the house goes cold, and the fault is rarely the whole unit.
Defrost cycle faults
A heat pump ices up on purpose and clears itself. If it stays iced, or steams constantly, the defrost board, sensor or reversing valve is where to look.
Auxiliary heat running constantly
If strip heat or the backup furnace runs when it should not, bills jump and the heat pump is doing none of the work. Usually a thermostat configuration or staging fault.
Zone control faults
On a zoned system one area goes cold while the rest is fine. We diagnosed and fixed a three-zone control module in Norristown that restored even heat without replacing anything.
WHAT A REPAIR VISIT INCLUDES
What you get when we come out
Diagnosis before a quote
We find the fault and tell you what it is. No price goes on paper before we know what is wrong.
A 21-point inspection
Our service calls cover the whole system, not only the part that failed. It is how a second problem gets caught before it becomes a second call.
A written price upfront
You see the cost before work begins. No hidden fees and no surprise invoice afterwards.
Honest repair-or-replace advice
If the unit has years left in it we say so. If replacing is the better value we explain why rather than simply quoting it.
Cold-climate and conventional
We service cold-climate air-source systems as well as standard heat pumps, ducted and ductless, including Carrier and Mitsubishi equipment.
Defrost, staging and charge
We test the defrost cycle, how auxiliary heat is staged, and refrigerant charge — the three things most often set up wrong.
DEFROST AND AUX HEAT
What is normal, and what is not
More heat pump service calls turn out to be normal operation than any other system we work on. Before you call, it is worth knowing which of these is a fault and which is the system doing its job.
01
Steam from the outdoor unit is normal
A heat pump periodically reverses to melt frost off the outdoor coil. The steam that comes with it is the system working, not failing. It should clear within a few minutes.
02
Light frost is normal, solid ice is not
A thin coat of frost on the coil is expected in winter. A unit encased in ice is not, and that one is worth a call.
03
Lukewarm air at the vents is normal
Heat pump supply air runs noticeably cooler than a furnace's. It feels tepid at the register and still heats the house steadily. Judge it by the room temperature, not the vent.
04
Aux heat on a bitter morning is normal
Backup heat is meant to help on the coldest days. Aux heat running constantly in mild weather is not, and it will show up on your bill.
05
Do not leave it on EM HEAT
Emergency heat bypasses the heat pump completely and is expensive to run. It is for when the heat pump is genuinely down, not a winter setting.
06
If it is encased in ice, switch it off
Running a heat pump against a solid block of ice can damage the compressor. Turn it off at the thermostat and call us.
WHERE WE WORK
FAQ
Common questions answered
My heat pump is blowing cool air. Is it broken?
Probably not. Heat pump supply air is cooler than furnace air by design — it heats the house steadily rather than in hot bursts, so it feels tepid at the vent. If the house is not reaching the temperature you set, that is a different matter and worth a call.
Why is my outdoor unit steaming?
That is the defrost cycle, and it means the system is working properly. The unit briefly runs in reverse to melt frost off the outdoor coil, which produces steam. It should clear within a few minutes and then resume heating.
Do you service ductless mini-splits?
Yes, including Mitsubishi systems. We corrected a mini-split drain fault in Fort Washington where foam behind the sheetrock was blocking the line, and sorted a Mitsubishi unit in Ambler that had stopped responding to its remote.
My bills jumped this winter. Is the heat pump at fault?
Often it is the auxiliary heat rather than the heat pump. If backup heat is staging in when it should not, or the thermostat has been left on emergency heat, the expensive part of the system is doing work the efficient part should be doing. That is worth diagnosing.
Heat pump not keeping up? Call now.
24/7 emergency line and same-day service available across Montgomery County.