Heat Pump Repair in San Rafael, CA
If your system quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Marin County will get in touch.
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Your heat pump works nine months of the year here
San Rafael needs heat October through June. Winter nights average 43°F, so the heat pump is cycling on most nights for the better part of the year. That is a lot of hours on the compressor and a lot of defrost cycles when the outdoor coil frosts up and has to clear itself.
Most homes here run gas heat instead, so a heat pump often sits unused for stretches, then gets asked to work when a cold night hits. A unit that has been idle can struggle to start, or the reversing valve can stick from sitting. If your heat pump is blowing cold air on a 43°F night, or it is not coming on at all, that is usually where to look.
- 9 months
- October through June, your system heats
- 43°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 71°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
California requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The Contractors State License Board tests contractors before issuing a license and keeps a record of who holds one. That license belongs to the contractor, not to any single job, so the same license that qualifies someone to install a system also covers a repair like this one.
A heat pump repair usually means opening the refrigerant side of the system, and that work requires the technician to hold EPA Section 608 certification, the same federal rule that applies in every state. The state license is what stands behind the contractor in California. The federal certification is what stands behind anyone touching the refrigerant, here or anywhere else.
Sources: California Legislative Counsel · Contractors State License Board
- Why is my heat pump blowing cold air?
- In heating mode, the air coming out of the vents will feel cool even when the system is working right, because it is usually well under body temperature. If it feels cold rather than lukewarm, or the air is actually cold, check first that the thermostat is set to heat and not fan only. A frozen outdoor coil, a low refrigerant charge, or a failed reversing valve will also leave you with cold air, and those need a contractor to sort out.
- Why is there ice on my heat pump?
- Some frost on the outdoor unit during a defrost cycle is normal, especially on cold nights, and it should melt off within about an hour on its own. Winter nights here average 43°F, and heat pumps run defrost cycles to clear the coil in that kind of weather. If the ice is thick, covers the whole unit, or is not clearing, it usually means airflow is blocked, refrigerant is low, or the defrost control has failed, and a contractor will need to find which one it is.
- Why is my heat pump running but not cooling?
- If the outdoor unit is running but the air inside is not getting cooler, start with the filter. A clogged filter chokes off airflow across the indoor coil and can ice it over, which then blocks cooling even though the system sounds like it is working. A dirty outdoor coil, low refrigerant, or a failing compressor will cause the same symptom, and a contractor will need to check pressures and airflow to tell which one it is.