Heat pump repair in Portland and Vancouver

Your heat pump needs a look when the house can't hold the temperature you set, or when the system acts in a way it didn't before. Heat pumps tend to run longer, steadier cycles than a furnace. Long run times alone aren't a problem. A house that keeps losing ground is.

The air from a heat pump also feels milder than air from a gas furnace. Warm, not hot, is normal. Cool air that lasts, though, is worth a call.

Start with the thermostat, the filter, and power. These checks are safe and take a few minutes.

Anything past this, like panels, wiring, or refrigerant lines, is for a technician.

A light layer of frost on the outdoor unit in cold, damp weather is normal, and the heat pump should clear it with a defrost cycle. During defrost you may see steam and hear a whoosh as the system switches over. That's expected.

Thick ice that covers the coil and stays is not normal. Common causes include a failed defrost control or sensor, an outdoor fan that isn't running, a stuck reversing valve, low refrigerant from a leak, or water dripping onto the unit from a gutter. Don't chip or pry at the ice. That can damage the coil. Call and describe what you see.

Aux heat is backup heat that comes on by itself when the heat pump needs help, such as during defrost or a cold snap. Emergency heat is the same backup source, turned on by you, with the heat pump locked out.

Some aux heat is normal. Aux heat that runs much of the time on mild days can mean the heat pump isn't doing its share, or the thermostat is set up wrong. Electric backup heat usually costs more to run than the heat pump itself, so it's worth a check.

ENERGY STAR advises picking a steady temperature and leaving it there, because heat pumps don't save energy by being turned down at night the way a furnace can. A big jump in the setting can also bring on backup heat.

Many heat pump problems come from one failed part in either the indoor or outdoor unit. A technician checks both halves, in heating and cooling modes where the weather allows, and looks at how the thermostat stages backup heat.

In summer, a heat pump cools the same way a central AC does. ENERGY STAR describes a ducted heat pump as a central air conditioner that also works in reverse. So cooling problems like a frozen coil, a clogged condensate drain, or a failed capacitor show up on heat pumps too.

Refrigerant work is only for certified technicians. Under Section 608 of the Clean Air Act, federal rules bar venting refrigerant while servicing equipment, and technicians who handle it need EPA certification. Never try to add refrigerant yourself.

Low refrigerant usually means there's a leak somewhere. Adding more without finding the leak is a short-term patch. When a leak is found, we explain where it is, what fixing it involves, and whether repair still makes sense for your system.

Repair is usually worth it when one part has failed, like a capacitor, fan motor, contactor, or sensor, and the rest of the system is sound. We fix what can be fixed, and we tell you straight when it can't.

Replacement may make more sense when a major part like the compressor fails, or a leak keeps coming back. If that's where we land, we say so and show you why. You get the price before any work starts, and you decide.

Got a quote that says “replace” with no repair option? Ask for the repair price too, and what's wrong in plain words. A fair recommendation holds up when you see both side by side.

A heat pump repair visit follows six steps.