Heat Pump Repair in McAllen, TX
Homes here need heat from December through January and cooling from February through November. If your system quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Hidalgo County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Your heat pump runs almost every day of the year in McAllen
Ten months of cooling and two months of heat means the system is on nearly every day, all year. Summer afternoons averaging 97°F push the outdoor unit hard for hours at a stretch, and the compressor is what carries that load. When it starts to wear, you notice the air isn't as cold as it used to be, or the unit runs longer to get to the same temperature.
Winter nights average 51°F here, mild enough that the heat pump can usually handle heating on its own without backup. But the reversing valve, the part that switches the system between cooling and heat, gets used constantly with a schedule like this. A stuck reversing valve shows up as a system blowing warm air when you want cool, or cool air when you want warm.
- 2 months
- December through January, your system heats
- 10 months
- February through November, it cools
- 51°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 97°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
Texas requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
TDLR tests and records the contractor, not each job. That license is what's on file if something goes wrong, and it stays with the contractor from one house to the next.
A heat pump repair usually means opening the refrigerant side of the system. That work needs EPA Section 608 certification, a federal rule that applies to any technician touching refrigerant, in Texas or any other state. So this job is covered by two different things. The state license covers the contractor. The federal certification covers the refrigerant work itself.
Source: Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation
- Why is my heat pump blowing cold air?
- In heat mode, a heat pump moves warm air through the vents at a lower temperature than a furnace would, often around body temperature, so it can feel cool even when it's working right. If the air coming out is truly cold, with no warmth to it at all, check that the thermostat is set to heat and not fan only. A system stuck in defrost longer than it should, or one that's low on refrigerant, will also blow air that never warms up, and that calls for a contractor to check it.
- Why is there ice on my heat pump?
- Some frost on the outdoor unit during a defrost cycle is normal, especially on the cold nights you get here from December through February. The unit should clear that ice on its own within an hour or so as it runs its defrost cycle. If ice is building up thick, covering the coil, or never melting off, airflow is blocked or refrigerant is low, and a contractor needs to look at it before the compressor takes damage.
- Why is my heat pump running but not cooling?
- If the outdoor unit and indoor blower are both running but the air isn't cooling, start with the filter. A clogged filter starves the coil of airflow, and with afternoons here reaching 97°F, a struggling system falls behind fast. Check that the thermostat is set to cool, not fan, and that the outdoor unit isn't blocked by leaves or debris. If the filter is clean and airflow is clear but the house still isn't cooling, the system is likely low on refrigerant or has a failing compressor, and that needs a contractor's diagnosis.