Heat Pump Repair in Santa Rosa, CA
If your system quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Sonoma County will get in touch.
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Seven months of heat, mild nights, and long dry spells
Your heat pump works from November through May here, close to seven months a year. Winter nights average 40°F, mild compared to colder parts of the country, so the system runs long and steady rather than in hard bursts. That steady cycling still wears on the parts that start and stop it, and a heat pump that has run every night for months will show its weak points by spring.
Sonoma County sees its share of storms, 120 damaging wind events over the last ten years. Wind that strong can knock the power out, and outages take a heat pump down with them. Most units come back on their own once power returns, but if yours doesn't restart, that's worth a call rather than a wait.
- 7 months
- November through May, your system heats
- 40°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 79°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
California requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The license is tied to the contractor, not to this particular repair. It tells you the state has that contractor on record, not that this specific job will be checked by anyone.
A heat pump repair means working on the refrigerant side of the system, and that falls under a separate federal rule. Anyone handling refrigerant, in California or any other state, has to hold EPA Section 608 certification. That is a technician credential, not a business license, and it applies everywhere, not just here.
Sources: California Legislative Counsel · Contractors State License Board
- Why is my heat pump blowing cold air?
- In heating mode, a heat pump moves air over a coil that is not as hot as a furnace's, so the air can feel cool even when it is working right. If the air feels truly cold, not just cool, check that the outdoor unit is running and not caked in ice. It could also be stuck in defrost mode, low on refrigerant, or the reversing valve could be stuck between heating and cooling. A contractor can check the refrigerant charge and the valve to find out which.
- Why is there ice on my heat pump?
- Some frost on the outdoor coil during cold weather is normal, and the unit clears it on its own through a defrost cycle. Winter nights here average 40°F, cold enough for this to happen often. If the coil is heavily coated in ice, or ice is not melting between cycles, something is keeping it from defrosting properly. That points to a low refrigerant charge, a failed defrost sensor, or a fan that has stopped moving air across the coil, and any of those needs a contractor to diagnose.
- Why is my heat pump running but not cooling?
- A heat pump that runs but does not cool the house usually is not moving heat the way it should. Check the outdoor unit for a coil blocked by leaves or debris, since that stops it from releasing heat outside. If the coil is clear, the cause is more likely low refrigerant, a failing compressor, or the reversing valve not switching over. A contractor will need to check the refrigerant charge and pressures to know which one it is.