Heat pump repair · Pasco, WA
Heat pump repair that tests heating and cooling, not just the mode that quit.
Frost, defrost faults, sticking reversing valves and backup heat running too long, repaired on whatever brand is on the pad.
Chapter 01
Why heat pumps struggle in a Columbia Basin winter
A heat pump pulls heat out of cold outdoor air, so in January the outdoor coil collects frost and the unit has to stop and melt it off. That defrost cycle is normal and usually runs between 5 and 15 minutes, with steam rising off the cabinet. It becomes a problem when frost stays on the coil and the machine never clears it.
When defrost fails, the usual suspects are a bad defrost board, a faulty defrost sensor, or a reversing valve that sticks and will not shift the unit between heating and cooling. Meanwhile the auxiliary strip heat can run when it should not, which keeps the house warm but quietly runs up the electric bill. A heat pump that feels warm but never quite keeps up deserves a look.
Mitsubishi Electric outdoor heat pump unit on its pad beside white siding in the Tri-Cities
Diagnosing both modes, not just the one that quit
A heat pump is one machine doing two jobs, so a proper visit tests heating and cooling both. A fault that shows up in January often has a cousin waiting for July. The checks cover the refrigerant charge, the outdoor coil, the defrost cycle and the thermostat's auxiliary heat settings, rather than assuming the problem lives in one place.
Total Quality Air repairs all brands and models. The Mitsubishi unit on its pad and the Daikin mini-split with snow around it, both from our own Pasco job photos, are the kind of equipment this shop handles. The price comes up front and flat rate, and a written proposal from anyone else gets beaten by 5%.
Call (509) 205-1592, Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM, and describe what the unit is doing. If it quits over a weekend, emergency service is available by appointment. Hablamos Español, and the shop is at 619 N 3rd Ave in Pasco, serving Kennewick and Richland as well.
Chapter 03
Living with a heat pump in the Tri-Cities
Keep the outdoor unit clear of snow, ice and leaves so air can move through the coil. Do not chip at ice with a tool, since the fins bend and the coil can leak. Run the thermostat in heat or cool mode instead of auto, which tends to hunt back and forth between the two on mild shoulder-season days.
Expect backup heat to come on when the temperature drops below freezing, because a heat pump gives up capacity as the air gets colder. That is normal. What is not normal is backup heat running through a mild afternoon, or a unit that ices over and stays that way. Those are the calls worth making.
Because a heat pump works in both seasons, it works harder across the year than a unit that only heats or only cools. That is the argument for two inspections a year, which the maintenance program covers along with priority service and a 5-year parts warranty on motors, capacitors, relays, thermostats and contactors while you are enrolled.
"The technician was very nice, worked quickly, and was respectful of my home, no mess left behind at all." Denise Tapia, Google review.
Rooms the ducts never reached are often better served by ductless mini-splits, and the twice-a-year inspection a heat pump earns is part of the maintenance program.