Heat Pump Repair in Brunswick, GA
One outdoor unit cools your home all summer and heats it all winter, so when it acts up you feel it in every season. Call and a licensed local technician can come out.
The short answer
A heat pump is an air conditioner that can also run in reverse. Most heat pump problems come down to the same parts as an AC (capacitors, contactors, fan motors, refrigerant and airflow) plus a few that only heat pumps have: the reversing valve, the defrost controls and the backup heat strips in the air handler.
Check that the thermostat is in the right mode and the filter is clean. If the outdoor unit stays frozen, will not run, or the backup heat never shuts off, call for heat pump repair.
Because Brunswick winters are mild, heat pumps make a lot of sense here, and many homes rely on one for both heating and cooling. That also means the outdoor unit never gets a real season off. A problem that starts as a noise in November can become a breakdown on the first hot week of May, which is why heat pump repair in Brunswick is a year round need.
What heat pump repair covers
- Reversing valves and their solenoid coils
- Defrost control boards and coil sensors
- Backup heat strips, sequencers and relays
- Capacitors, contactors and outdoor fan motors
- Refrigerant leaks and low refrigerant levels
- Outdoor coils clogged or corroded by salt air
- Thermostats set up for the wrong type of system
- Air handler blowers and drain problems
Signs your heat pump needs a technician
- In winter, the house keeps losing ground and the air from the vents feels cool.
- The outdoor unit is encased in ice that does not clear after a defrost cycle.
- The thermostat shows auxiliary or emergency heat running nearly all the time.
- The system heats but will not cool, or cools but will not heat.
- Grinding, screeching or loud banging from the outdoor unit, beyond the soft whoosh of defrost.
- The unit starts and stops every few minutes.
- In summer, any of the usual AC trouble: warm air, ice on the lines or water around the air handler.
Common causes and what they look like
| Symptom | Likely cause | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Stuck in heating or cooling | Reversing valve or its solenoid, thermostat setup | The thermostat must match the valve type. A wiring or setting mistake can look like a failed valve. |
| Ice that never clears | Defrost board or sensor, low refrigerant, outdoor fan not running | Light frost is normal. A thick block of ice is not. |
| Backup heat always on | Outdoor unit not running or losing capacity | The strips keep the house warm while hiding the real problem. |
| Weak heat and weak cooling | Low refrigerant, dirty or corroded coil, clogged filter | These problems show up in both seasons. |
| Outdoor unit silent | Breaker, contactor, capacitor, control board | Check the breaker once. If it trips again, call. |
Urgent, or fine to wait a day?
Call today if the house is getting cold on a frosty night and someone at home is vulnerable to the cold, if the outdoor unit is buried in ice and the backup heat is not keeping up, or if you smell burning when the backup heat comes on. In summer, the same urgency applies to a heat pump that stops cooling during a heat wave.
It can usually wait if the house is holding temperature on backup heat, or the system is simply less effective than it was. Switching to Emergency Heat keeps the home warm while you wait, though it uses more electricity, so treat it as a short term measure.
What the visit includes
The technician checks the thermostat setup first, because a heat pump thermostat configured for a furnace causes strange behavior. Then they test the outdoor unit in both modes, watch a defrost cycle if the weather allows, measure refrigerant pressures, check the reversing valve, and test the backup heat strips and their controls in the air handler. You hear what they found and what they recommend before any work begins.
Helping your heat pump last on the coast
Salt air and constant use are the two things that shorten a heat pump’s life in Brunswick. A few habits help:
- Rinse the outdoor coil gently with fresh water a few times a year, especially if you live near the marsh or the water.
- Keep leaves, pine straw and mulch away from the base so melt water from defrost can drain freely.
- Change the filter monthly in summer and every month or two in winter.
- Have the system checked once a year. Spring is ideal, before the long cooling season. An AC tune up covers a heat pump in cooling mode.
Heat pump questions
Why does the air from my heat pump feel only lukewarm?
Heat pump air is gentler than furnace air. It often comes out of the vents in the 90s, which feels cooler than skin temperature even though it is heating the house. If the house holds its setting, that is normal. If the house keeps losing ground, the air feels cool, or the backup heat light stays on, call.
Is it normal for steam to come off the outdoor unit in winter?
Yes. On cold, damp mornings frost forms on the outdoor coil, and the heat pump runs a defrost cycle to melt it. During defrost the outdoor fan stops, you may hear a whoosh, and steam rises from the unit. It should finish within several minutes and go back to heating. A unit that stays coated in ice for hours needs attention.
What does the Emergency Heat setting do?
It shuts the outdoor unit off and heats the house with the electric strips in the air handler alone. Use it only if the outdoor unit is damaged or iced solid and you are waiting for repair. It heats fine, but it uses much more electricity than the heat pump, so switch back once the unit is fixed.
My heat pump cools fine but will not heat. What could it be?
The usual suspects are the reversing valve that switches the system between modes, the coil that operates that valve, or a thermostat that is not set up for a heat pump. A technician can test each one. In the meantime, check that the thermostat is set to Heat and that its settings match a heat pump system.
How long do heat pumps last on the coast?
It varies with installation, upkeep and how close the home is to salt water. Because a heat pump runs in both seasons, it works more hours than an air conditioner that rests all winter. Yearly maintenance and keeping the outdoor coil rinsed and clear make the biggest difference.
Related services
Heat pump repair across Brunswick
Heat pumps are everywhere in Brunswick, from older homes that were converted over the years to new construction designed around them. For winter heating questions beyond the heat pump itself, see heating and air. For heat pump repair in Brunswick, call and a licensed local technician can come out.