A heat pump makes more different noises and does more different things than a plain air conditioner, because it reverses direction, defrosts itself and, on most modern units, changes speed. A lot of what worries people is normal.
What is not normal: no heating or cooling, ice that does not clear, a breaker that keeps tripping, or a sound that is new and continuous. A technician measures the system in the mode that is failing and gives you the price in writing.
Most of the noises a heat pump makes are the machine doing its job: the whoosh is the reversing valve, the hum is the compressor, the click is a relay. A short list of sounds means a part is wearing out, and one or two mean turn it off now.
Why people call us for heat pump repair
- Not heating or cooling
- Outdoor unit iced over
- Error codes on the controller
- Short-cycling
- Unusual noise
$69 diagnostic, credited toward the work
- Refrigerant and reversing-valve check
- Defrost cycle test
- Control-board diagnostics
- Airflow check
- Written repair options
How a heat pump repair visit goes
An owner answers the phone, 6am to 10pm, seven days, and we usually get to you within a few hours. Tell us what the system is doing and where it is. If it is not safe to run, we say so before anyone drives out.
A heat pump is tested in the mode that is failing, because heating faults and cooling faults are different. The reversing valve, the defrost control and the sensors only show up in one of them. Refrigerant charge, capacitor, compressor amperage, airflow and both coils get measured.
Before any work starts you see a written price. Go ahead and the $69 diagnostic is credited toward it. Our labor carries a one-year warranty on top of the manufacturer's. The system is run in both modes before the technician leaves.
We repair, maintain and install these brands. Logos identify the equipment we work on and do not imply endorsement by the manufacturer.
Before you call
Normal: the whoosh, the hum, the defrost pause
The reversing valve shifts with a rushing sound when the system changes mode and at the start and end of every defrost cycle. On a cold damp morning the outdoor unit pauses heating for a few minutes to melt frost off its coil. Both are normal. Read more
Book a visit: rattling, buzzing, clicking with no start
Rattling is the most common complaint and usually the simplest: a loose panel screw, a fan guard, a twig in the fan, a unit settled off level. A louder electrical buzz is often a worn contactor, a capacitor on its way out or a loose wire. Repeated clicking with no start is the compressor trying and failing. Read more
Shut it off and call: grinding, banging, a hiss that does not stop
Metal-on-metal grinding is a failed fan bearing or a blade hitting something. Loud banging is a broken fan blade or a blower wheel loose on its shaft. A steady hiss with ice on the lines is a refrigerant leak. Turn it off at the thermostat, then at the disconnect next to the outdoor unit. Read more
It is just an AC in summer
In cooling mode a heat pump and a central air conditioner are the same machine, so heat-wave problems have the same causes: a dirty coil, a low charge, a weak capacitor or leaky ducts. Read more
Often booked with a repair
Common questions
No. The whoosh, sometimes with a soft thud, is the reversing valve shifting. It happens when the system changes between heating and cooling and whenever a defrost cycle starts or ends. What matters is a sound that is new, louder than before or continuous. Read more
It is defrosting. On a cold damp morning the outdoor coil frosts over, and the unit pauses heating for a few minutes to melt it off. That is normal. Ice that builds up and never clears is not. Read more
No more than an air conditioner does. In cooling mode a heat pump and a central AC are the same machine. If it cannot keep up, the usual suspects are the same too: a dirty coil, low charge, a weak capacitor or leaky ducts. Read more
Compare the repair against the life the system has left, not against the price of a new one. A heat pump runs in both seasons, so the hours add up faster than on an AC. We check the compressor and the charge so you can judge, and price both options when both make sense. Read more
$69, told to you before you book. It covers the visit and a written quote, and it is credited toward the work if you go ahead.
Usually within a few hours. We are open 6am to 10pm, seven days.
Two usual reasons: the backup electric heat strip is running more than it should, often because the outdoor unit is struggling or the thermostat is calling for it too readily, or a coil is dirty and the system is running longer for the same heat. Both are measurable on a visit. Read more
Schedule service
Fill in the form or call. We are on the phones 6am–10pm.
818-277-5056Licensed #1119892 · Veteran-owned · Pasadena & Reseda