Heat Pump Repair in Stockton, CA
Homes here need heat from November through April and cooling from May through September. If your system quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers San Joaquin County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Eleven months of work in Stockton
Your heat pump runs almost the whole year here. Heat from November through April, cooling from May through September, only one month off in between. That kind of run time adds up on the parts that switch the system between modes and keep it running steady.
Summer afternoons averaging 91°F push the compressor hard for five straight months. Winter nights averaging 40°F mean the system is often running a defrost cycle to clear frost off the outdoor coil, and that cycle depends on a reversing valve and a defrost control board doing their job every time. When one of those wears out, you will notice the outdoor unit icing over and staying iced, or the house not warming up the way it should.
- 6 months
- November through April, your system heats
- 5 months
- May through September, it cools
- 40°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 91°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
California requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The license comes from the Contractors State License Board. It's tied to the contractor, not to any single job, so the same license that covers an install also covers a repair like this one. The board keeps a record of who holds it, and that record is what you're relying on when you let someone in to work on your heat pump.
A heat pump repair usually means opening the refrigerant side of the system. That part of the job doesn't fall under the state license at all. It falls under a federal rule that applies everywhere in the country, and it requires anyone handling refrigerant to hold EPA Section 608 certification. So on this job two things stand behind the work. The state license stands behind the contractor. The federal certification stands behind whoever actually touches the refrigerant.
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 coming out is warmer than the room but still well below body temperature. If the air is actually cold, or the system is stuck in fan-only mode, check that the thermostat is set to heat and not fan. A refrigerant leak or a failed reversing valve will also keep the air from warming up, and that calls for a licensed contractor.
- Why is there ice on my heat pump?
- Some frost on the outdoor unit during winter is normal, and the system defrosts itself on a cycle. A heavy coat of ice that does not melt off usually means the defrost control or the reversing valve has failed, or the coil sensor is misreading the temperature. Airflow problems, like a dirty coil or a fan that has stopped turning, can also cause ice to build up faster than the defrost cycle can clear it. If the ice keeps coming back after the unit has had a chance to defrost, have a contractor check it.
- Why is my heat pump running but not cooling?
- If the unit is running but the air is not cool, the most common causes are low refrigerant from a leak, a dirty outdoor coil that cannot shed heat, or a compressor that has failed. A clogged filter or blocked vents can also starve the system of airflow enough that it stops cooling the house. On a 91°F afternoon these problems show up fast, since the system has no reserve capacity to fall back on. A licensed contractor will need to check refrigerant levels and the compressor to find which one it is.