Heat Pump Repair in Clayton, 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 Johnston County will get in touch.
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Clayton heat pumps work almost year round
Your heat pump runs nearly every month here. It heats from October through April, then switches over and cools from May through September. That switch happens in the reversing valve, and a valve that cycles that often is one of the first things to stick or fail.
Winter nights averaging 33°F push the system into defrost mode again and again to keep the outdoor coil clear. Summer afternoons averaging 89°F keep the compressor under load for months at a stretch. Between the two, the unit rarely gets a real break, and that shows up first as weak heat on cold nights or warm air on hot afternoons instead of a full shutdown.
- 7 months
- October through April, your system heats
- 5 months
- May through September, it cools
- 33°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 89°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
North Carolina requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
North Carolina licenses HVAC contractors through the State Board of Examiners of Plumbing, Heating and Fire Sprinkler Contractors. That license belongs to the contractor, not to any single job, so the one who holds it is the one accountable for the work done on your heat pump.
A heat pump repair usually means opening the refrigerant side of the system. Federal law requires anyone who does that to hold EPA Section 608 certification, in North Carolina or any other state. Your license here covers who is allowed to do the job. The certification covers the part of it that involves refrigerant.
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, the air coming out of your vents is warm compared to the room, not hot like a furnace's. If it feels cold instead, the system may be stuck in defrost, low on refrigerant, or the reversing valve may have failed to switch modes. A thermostat set to the wrong mode causes this too, so check that before anything else. If the thermostat is set right and the air still feels cold at the vent, a contractor needs to check the refrigerant charge and the reversing valve.
- Why is there ice on my heat pump?
- Some frost on the outdoor unit during winter is normal. Your heat pump pulls heat from the outside air, and moisture in that air can freeze on the coil, especially on cold, damp days. The unit should run a defrost cycle every so often to melt it off and switch back to heating. If the coil is heavily coated in ice, not just frost, or the ice does not clear within a few hours, something in the defrost control or the airflow is not working and a contractor should look at it.
- Why is my heat pump running but not cooling?
- If the outdoor unit and indoor blower are both running but the air is not cold, the system is likely low on refrigerant or the airflow across one of the coils is blocked. A dirty filter or a coil coated in dirt or ice can stop the system from moving enough heat out of the house. On a 89°F afternoon, a system that is even slightly low on charge will struggle to keep up. Check the filter first. If it is clean and the air still is not cooling, a contractor holding EPA 608 certification will need to check the refrigerant charge, since that part of the job is federally regulated.