Heat Pump Repair and Installation in Des Plaines

How a ducted heat pump behaves in a Chicago winter

A heat pump moves heat rather than burning fuel, so in mild and moderate weather it heats efficiently and quietly. The trade-off is that the supply air is cooler than what a furnace produces and the system runs for longer stretches. Homeowners new to heat pumps often report the system as broken when it is behaving exactly as designed.

Below the balance point — the outdoor temperature where the heat pump can no longer keep up alone — backup heat carries the load. That backup is either electric resistance heat in the air handler or, in a dual-fuel setup, a gas furnace. Getting the balance point and the changeover set correctly is the difference between a sensible utility bill and an expensive one.

Heat pump repairs we handle

Common faults are no heat or no cooling, a unit that runs continuously without satisfying the thermostat, ice that will not clear from the outdoor coil, a reversing valve that fails to switch between heating and cooling, failed capacitors and contactors, low refrigerant charge from a leak, and defrost boards or sensors that have stopped working.

Defrost problems deserve their own mention. A heat pump is supposed to frost and then clear itself periodically in cold weather. A unit that stays encased in ice, defrosts constantly, or never defrosts at all has a sensor, board or charge problem, and running it in that state stresses the compressor.

Backup heat that runs when it should not is the other frequent complaint, and it is usually a control setting or a thermostat wired incorrectly rather than a fault in the equipment. We check the staging and the changeover logic as part of the diagnosis.

Heat pump installation and replacement

For installations we start with the same load calculation and airflow review we do for a furnace, because a heat pump is even less tolerant of undersized ductwork. We then discuss whether an all-electric system with electric backup or a dual-fuel system pairing the heat pump with a gas furnace suits the house, the ductwork and the way you use the building.

Cold-climate equipment has improved considerably and now holds usable capacity well below freezing, but the backup strategy still has to be designed rather than assumed. Startup includes verifying charge, airflow, defrost operation, staging and the thermostat configuration for both heating and cooling seasons.

Efficiency and running costs

Heat pump economics depend on your gas and electric rates, the equipment's rated efficiency, how well the house holds heat and how the controls are set. We will not quote a savings figure before looking at your system and your usage. Where the numbers are worth analysing carefully, our energy savings consulting service goes through them with you.