Heat Pump Repair in San Antonio, TX
Homes here need heat from November through March and cooling from April through October. If your system quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Bexar County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Your heat pump runs almost every month of the year here
In Bexar County your heat pump is not just a summer machine. It works April through October to keep the house cool at 95°F afternoons, then flips over and carries the heat load November through March. That is close to twelve months of duty with barely a break, and the switch between modes puts real strain on the reversing valve.
Summer afternoons at 95°F push the compressor hard for hours at a stretch. Winter nights averaging 43°F are not brutal, but they are enough to keep the unit cycling on cold mornings, and heat pumps lose capacity as the outdoor temperature drops, so the system has to run longer to keep up. Add in the wind. Bexar County has seen 104 damaging wind events over the past ten years, and wind-driven debris can bend the outdoor coil's fins or knock loose electrical connections. Most homes here heat with electricity, so when the unit falters, there is no backup keeping the house comfortable.
- 5 months
- November through March, your system heats
- 7 months
- April through October, it cools
- 43°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 95°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
Texas requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
The license is issued to the contractor, not to the job, so it covers the person or business doing the work rather than this specific repair. It's TDLR that holds the license and licenses the contractor to work in Texas.
A heat pump repair often means opening the refrigerant side of the system, and that work is covered separately by federal rule. Anyone who touches the refrigerant, in Texas or any other state, has to hold EPA Section 608 certification. So on this job, the state license accounts for who the contractor is, and the federal certification accounts for whether they are allowed to handle the refrigerant itself.
Source: Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation
- Why is my heat pump blowing cold air?
- In heating mode, a heat pump moves warmth from the outside air, so the air coming out of your vents feels cooler than the air a furnace puts out, even when the system is working right. If it feels cold rather than mild, check the thermostat is set to heat and not fan only, since the fan will run air through the vents with no heat added. A dirty filter or low refrigerant can also leave the air feeling cold instead of warm. If the vents are blowing truly cold air on a cold night, a contractor should look at the reversing valve and refrigerant charge.
- Why is there ice on my heat pump?
- Some frost on the outdoor unit on a cold morning is normal, and the system defrosts itself on a timer, melting that frost within a few minutes to an hour. Ice that stays for hours or builds up thick usually means airflow is blocked, often by a dirty filter or coil, or by leaves and debris packed around the unit. It can also mean the defrost control or a fan motor has failed, so the coil never gets the chance to clear. If ice keeps building instead of melting off, have a contractor check the defrost cycle and refrigerant level before it damages the compressor.
- Why is my heat pump running but not cooling?
- If the outdoor unit and indoor fan are both running but the air is not cold, the most common causes are a clogged filter, a frozen coil, or low refrigerant. A dirty filter or blocked outdoor coil cuts off the airflow the system needs to move heat out of your home. Low refrigerant means the system is running but does not have enough to actually cool the air, and it will not refill itself. On a 95°F afternoon a low charge or blocked airflow shows up fast, and a contractor will need to check the coils and refrigerant level to find which one it is.