Heating Repair in Round Rock, TX
Heat pumps, heat strips, electric furnaces and mini-splits
Heating repair in Round Rock for heat pumps, electric furnaces and air handlers with heat strips, and ductless mini-splits running in heat mode. Gas furnaces have their own page: furnace repair in Round Rock.
Census figures put Round Rock homes at about half gas heat and about half electric heat. Electric heat here almost always means a heat pump, an electric furnace, or both: a heat pump outdoors with heat strips in the air handler as backup. Heater repair covers all of it.
Heat Pump Repair
Inside, a heat pump works like an air conditioner run backward in winter. A reversing valve flips it between modes, and a defrost board clears frost from the outdoor coil in cold weather. Heat pump repair covers:
- Reversing valves and their solenoid coils
- Defrost control boards and outdoor coil sensors
- Outdoor fan motors, capacitors and contactors
- Refrigerant leaks and charge checks in heating mode
- Thermostats wired wrong for heat pump operation
The Department of Energy and ENERGY STAR both explain how air-source heat pumps work (DOE heat pump overview, ENERGY STAR air-source heat pumps).
Heat Strips and Emergency Heat
Electric heat strips in the air handler carry the load when the heat pump cannot, or when it is in defrost. The emergency heat setting on the thermostat runs the strips alone. Strip repairs include failed elements, sequencers, limit switches and breakers. A house that heats fine on emergency heat but not on normal heat points back to the outdoor heat pump.
Winter in Round Rock
Lake Georgetown, the nearest NOAA normals station, averages about 28 nights a year at or below freezing, with January lows near 36 degrees. That is mild for a heat pump most of the time, but hard freezes still come through, and that is when defrost problems, iced outdoor coils and worn heat strips show up all at once.
Ductless Mini-Splits
Mini-splits heat and cool garages, additions and rooms the main ducts do not reach. Repairs cover the indoor head, the outdoor unit, the line set and the remote or wall control (ENERGY STAR ductless systems).
Heating repair is offered in Round Rock, Hutto and Taylor, where most homes heat with electricity, and across the full service area. Spring and fall tune-ups for heat pumps are on the AC service page.
Sources and local offices: DOE heat pumps, ENERGY STAR heat pumps, TDLR air conditioning program.
Heating Repair Questions
Why is my heat pump blowing cold air when it's on heat?
During defrost a heat pump switches to cooling for a few minutes to melt frost off the outdoor coil, and the air can feel cool. If cool air keeps coming, look at the thermostat setting, the reversing valve, a low refrigerant charge or a failed defrost board.
Why is my heater running but not producing heat?
With a heat pump, it may be stuck in cooling mode or low on refrigerant. With heat strips, a failed element or tripped breaker. With a gas furnace, the burners may not be lighting while the blower runs.
Why would my AC work but not my heat?
On a heat pump, the reversing valve or its solenoid may have failed. On a gas furnace the cooling side shares only the blower, so a bad igniter, flame sensor or gas valve stops heat while cooling still works.
What is the most common reason for a heat pump to fail?
Electrical parts like capacitors and contactors, then refrigerant leaks and defrost failures. Dirty coils and filters add strain to all of them.
Can a heat pump be repaired?
Yes. Most heat pump failures are repairable parts: capacitors, motors, valves, boards and leaks. Replacement comes into it mostly when the compressor fails on an older unit.
What are the signs of low refrigerant in a heat pump?
Lukewarm air in heat mode, ice on the outdoor coil that does not clear, long run times, heat strips running more than normal and a hissing sound near the lines.
Is it okay for a heat pump to run all night in winter?
Yes. Heat pumps are built to run long and steady on cold nights. Constant running only becomes a concern if the house still will not reach the set temperature.
What is the most common cause of heat not working?
A thermostat problem, a tripped breaker or a dirty filter come first. After that, a failed igniter or flame sensor on a gas furnace, or a failed capacitor or heat strip on an electric system.
Who do you call for heat issues?
An HVAC contractor for heat pumps, furnaces and heat strips. If you smell gas, leave the house and call the gas utility from outside first.