Heat Pump Repair Service in Des Plaines & Chicago: Signs Your Heat Pump Needs Help This Winter

Signs your heat pump needs repair

• It blows cool air and the house falls behind. Heat-pump air often feels only warm against your hand. That is fine while the room temperature holds. If the thermostat setting keeps slipping away, something is wrong.
• Ice that will not clear. A light, even frost that melts during defrost is expected. A coil, fan or cabinet buried in solid ice is not. That usually points to a defrost sensor, defrost control, airflow or refrigerant problem.
• Constant defrost. A unit that seems to defrost every few minutes, or never defrosts at all, has a control or charge problem. Running it that way stresses the compressor.
• Backup or emergency heat always on. If "Auxiliary Heat" shows on the thermostat through mild weather, the heat pump may not be producing heat, or the staging may be set wrong. Electric backup heat left running can raise your bill quickly.
• Short cycling. Starting and stopping every few minutes can come from a restricted filter, a thermostat problem, low charge or a failing component.
• Strange noises. Grinding, rattling, a fan striking ice, or loud buzzing from the outdoor unit deserve attention. A brief whoosh and a cloud of steam during defrost are normal.
• Bills climbing without explanation. Higher winter use is expected. A sharp jump with no change in weather or habits often means backup heat is doing work the heat pump should be doing.

What homeowners can safely check first

Before you call, a few simple checks can save a visit or help the technician:

• Thermostat mode. Confirm it is set to Heat, not Cool or Emergency Heat, and that the setting is above room temperature.
• Air filter. A clogged filter restricts airflow and can cause short cycling and icing. Replace it if it is dirty.
• Breakers. Check that the breakers for the indoor air handler and the outdoor unit are on. If a breaker trips again, leave it off and call.
• Clear around the outdoor unit. Brush away snow, leaves and drifts so air can move through the coil.

Never chip ice off the coil or pour hot water on it. The fins and refrigerant tubing are thin and easy to puncture. If ice will not clear, turn the system off and call. If the thermostat says it is calling for heat but nothing responds, our thermostat and heating-control repair page covers what we test.

Will a heat pump work in Chicago?

Yes, with the right design. Modern cold-climate heat pumps keep useful capacity well below freezing. On the coldest nights, though, most Chicago-area systems need help from a backup source.

In an all-electric setup, that backup is electric resistance heat in the air handler. In a dual-fuel system, a gas furnace takes over below a set outdoor temperature. When that changeover point and the thermostat staging are set correctly, the heat pump handles mild weather and the backup carries the deep cold. When they are set wrong, the backup runs far more than it should.

If your dual-fuel furnace is the part that has stopped working, see our furnace repair service.

Repair or replace?

Repair usually makes sense when the system is under about 10–12 years old, it has been heating well, and the problem is a single part: a capacitor, contactor, sensor, defrost control, fan motor or a minor refrigerant leak.

Replacement is worth considering when the compressor fails on an older unit, repairs keep repeating, a refrigerant leak is major, or energy bills keep climbing. Newer equipment may reduce energy use, but actual savings vary with the home, rates, weather and installation.

Either way, start with a diagnosis. The decision should be based on what actually failed, not on the age of the unit alone.

When to call

Turn the system off and call if the outdoor unit stays encased in ice, a breaker trips, you smell burning or electrical odor, the fan hits ice, or the house keeps losing temperature. Do not bypass safety controls or keep resetting a unit that shuts itself down.

When you call, it helps to note the outdoor temperature, the thermostat setting, whether Auxiliary or Emergency Heat is showing, and whether frost clears on its own.

Right Away Plumbing & HVAC works from 2093 Rand Rd in Des Plaines and serves Des Plaines, the northwest suburbs and Chicago. See our full heat pump repair service page.

Local homeowners can also visit our Des Plaines service page.

Frequently asked questions