Heat Pump Repair in Charlotte, NC
Homes here need heat from October through April and cooling from May through September. If your system quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Mecklenburg County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Charlotte runs your heat pump all year
Your heat pump doesn't get a break here. It carries the house from October through April, then flips over and carries it again May through September. That's 12 months of runtime a year, more hours on the compressor and the reversing valve than a system that only has to do one job.
Winter nights averaging 32°F sit right where a heat pump has to work hardest, pulling heat from cold air and defrosting the outdoor coil over and over through the night. That cycle wears on the reversing valve and the defrost control. In summer, afternoons near 88°F push the compressor hard for months at a stretch. And with storms knocking out power, 25% of North Carolina households lost power for at least a day in 2024, a heat pump that was already struggling to hold temperature can lose the house entirely until the power and the system both come back.
- 7 months
- October through April, your system heats
- 5 months
- May through September, it cools
- 32°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 88°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
North Carolina requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
That license comes from the State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors. It covers the contractor, not this specific repair. It is a record the state keeps on the business doing the work, not a one-time approval for this job.
A heat pump repair almost always means opening the refrigerant side to check the charge or the coil. Federal law covers that part no matter what state you're in. Whoever actually handles those lines needs an EPA Section 608 certification. That certification is separate from the contractor's state license. On a heat pump repair in North Carolina, two things stand behind the work. The state license is on the contractor. The federal certification is on whoever opens the system.
Sources: North Carolina General Assembly · North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors
- Why is my heat pump blowing cold air?
- In heating mode, air from a heat pump is warm compared to outside air but cooler than what a furnace puts out, so it can feel cold even when the system works fine. If the air is actually cold, not just cool, check that the thermostat is set to heat and not fan only. A dirty filter or frozen outdoor unit can also cut heat output enough that the air feels cold. If the outdoor unit is running but the coil is iced over, or the system runs constantly without warming the house, have a contractor look at it.
- Why is there ice on my heat pump?
- Some frost on the outdoor unit during winter is normal. Your heat pump defrosts itself on a schedule, melting that frost and briefly blowing cool air inside while it does. A heavy buildup of ice that does not clear, or ice that forms on the coil in warm weather, means something is wrong. That can come from low refrigerant, a failing defrost control, or a fan that has stopped moving air across the coil. Keep the area around the outdoor unit clear of leaves and debris, and have a contractor check it if the ice does not go away on its own within a few hours.
- Why is my heat pump running but not cooling?
- If the outdoor unit is running but the house is not cooling down, start with the filter and the outdoor coil. A clogged filter or a coil packed with leaves and dirt blocks airflow enough that the system can't move heat out of the house. Check that the thermostat is set to cool, not just fan, and that nothing is blocking supply vents inside. If the filter and coil are clean and it still is not cooling on an 88 degree afternoon, the refrigerant charge may be low or a part inside the system has failed. Only a technician with EPA Section 608 certification can open the refrigerant side to check that.