When a heat pump in San Rafael stops keeping up, the cause is usually something a technician can measure: a defrost problem, a reversing valve that will not shift, a failed capacitor in the outdoor unit, a refrigerant leak or a thermostat that is not set up for a heat pump. Finding which one takes a few tests, and you get an itemized price before anything is replaced. We repair and maintain heat pumps, mini-splits, furnaces and air conditioners in homes and condos across San Rafael.
Heat pump troubleshooting
| What you notice | What it usually means | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Outdoor unit steams, fan stops for a few minutes | Normal defrost cycle | Nothing; let it finish |
| Thick ice that stays on the outdoor coil | Defrost control or sensor fault, low refrigerant, or a stopped outdoor fan | Switch to emergency heat if you have it, then call |
| Cool air from the vents in heat mode, all the time | Outdoor unit not running, stuck reversing valve or low refrigerant | Call; check the breaker first |
| Runs constantly, bills climbing | Dirty coils, low charge, backup heat running too often | Schedule a diagnosis |
| Error code or blinking light on a mini-split | The unit has logged a specific fault | Note the code and call |
| Heats but will not cool, or the reverse | Reversing valve or thermostat setup | Call |
A safe first check: make sure the thermostat is set to the right mode, the filter is clean, the breakers for the indoor and outdoor units are on, and leaves or debris are not packed against the outdoor coil. Beyond that, refrigerant and electrical work belong to a technician.
What heat pump repair involves
A heat pump does in two seasons what a furnace and an air conditioner do separately, so it has more to go wrong. The technician checks the outdoor fan and compressor and their capacitor and contactor, watches a defrost cycle, confirms the reversing valve shifts cleanly between heating and cooling, measures temperatures and pressures, and checks how the thermostat calls for backup heat. Many common failures are electrical parts, which are usually repaired on the first visit. Heat pump services in San Rafael has more on repairs and new installations, and heating repair in San Rafael covers furnaces and other heating systems.
Maintenance plans
The most-asked question after a repair is how to keep it from happening again. A maintenance plan puts your system on a schedule and adds two things: priority scheduling when something does break, and discounts on repairs. For a heat pump, a maintenance visit covers the outdoor coil, the electrical parts, the defrost operation, the refrigerant readings, the condensate drain and the filter. For a furnace, it covers ignition, burners, venting and safety controls. Details are on HVAC maintenance in San Rafael and our main HVAC maintenance page.
San Rafael homes and weather
San Rafael spans two climates. Near the bay, in Peacock Gap, Loch Lomond and Santa Venetia, mornings are often cool and foggy, and damp air can encourage mildew in ductwork, so filters and drains need regular attention. On the north side, in Terra Linda, summer afternoons get noticeably hotter and cooling matters more. Older houses in Gerstle Park and around Dominican often have an older furnace and no central air; ductless mini-splits are a common way to add heat pump heating and cooling there without running new ducts. Downtown San Rafael has many condos and apartments with equipment in closets, on balconies or on the roof, so tell us about access and building rules when you book.
Zip codes and services
We serve San Rafael zip codes 94901 and 94903, including Downtown San Rafael, Terra Linda, Gerstle Park, Dominican, Loch Lomond, Peacock Gap, Sun Valley and Santa Venetia. Also in San Rafael: AC repair, furnace repair, duct repair, thermostat installation and emergency HVAC. A real person answers the phone 24/7, and same-day service is usually possible when you call before noon. Nearby, we also serve San Anselmo and Novato.