Heat Pump Repair in San Mateo, CA
If your system quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers San Mateo County will get in touch.
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San Mateo asks a heat pump to run seven months a year
From November through May your heat pump is the only thing standing between you and a cold house, and winter nights averaging 43°F keep it working through most of that stretch. It never gets a season off to rest, since summer afternoons here only reach 73°F and the county needs no real cooling at all.
Most homes here heat with gas, so the heat pump often shares the job rather than carrying it alone. When it stops keeping up, or shuts off and won't restart, that steady demand is usually why. San Mateo County has also logged 266 damaging wind events over the past ten years, and wind like that can knock out power or rattle the outdoor unit's wiring loose. If your heat pump won't start after an outage, check the breaker before you assume the worst.
- 7 months
- November through May, your system heats
- 43°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 73°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
California requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The license is issued to the contractor, not to the job, so it does not get rechecked every time a truck is dispatched. What it means is the person or company took the state's test and is on record with the Contractors State License Board.
For a heat pump repair, the part of the job the state license does not reach is the refrigerant itself. Any technician who opens that side of the system, here or anywhere else in the country, has to hold EPA Section 608 certification. That is a federal requirement, separate from the state license, and it applies to the person doing the work, not the business.
Sources: California Legislative Counsel · Contractors State License Board
- Why is my heat pump blowing cold air?
- In heating mode, a heat pump puts out air that feels cool next to your skin even when it is working right, because the air leaving the vents is warmer than the room but still well below body temperature. If the air is truly cold, with no warmth to it at all, check that the thermostat is set to heat and not fan only. A dirty filter or a blocked outdoor unit can also stop the system from picking up enough heat to move indoors. If the outdoor unit is frozen or the air stays cold at the vent for more than a few minutes, a contractor can check the refrigerant charge and the reversing valve.
- Why is there ice on my heat pump?
- A heat pump goes through short defrost cycles in cold weather, so a thin coat of frost that clears on its own is normal. Thick ice that builds up and stays is different and usually means airflow across the outdoor coil is blocked. A dirty filter, a coil packed with leaves or debris, or a fan that is not spinning can all stop the coil from defrosting properly. If the ice is not gone within an hour or two, or it keeps coming back, have a contractor look at the defrost control and the airflow before it causes more strain on the compressor.
- Why is my heat pump running but not cooling?
- If the unit runs but the air never feels cool, the most common cause is restricted airflow, usually a dirty filter or a blocked return, or a refrigerant charge that has dropped from a leak. A dirty outdoor coil can also stop the system from releasing heat the way it needs to. Summer afternoons here average 73°F, so it is also worth checking that the thermostat is actually calling for cooling rather than fan only. If airflow and the filter check out, a licensed contractor can check the refrigerant level and the compressor.