Heat Pump Repair in Maricopa, AZ
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 Pinal County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Your heat pump works almost every month here
In Maricopa the heat pump runs from November through March to keep the house warm, then switches over and runs April through October to keep it cool. That leaves almost no time each year when it just sits idle. The reversing valve that switches it between heating and cooling gets used constantly, and that back and forth is where problems start to show.
Summer afternoons averaging 101°F push the system hard for seven straight months, and the outdoor unit's compressor and fan motor carry that load day after day. Most homes here heat with electricity, so when the unit struggles, there is no backup keeping the house comfortable. Add in the wind, with 150 damaging wind events recorded over the past ten years, and outdoor coils and electrical connections take a beating that shows up as a system losing capacity right when you need it most.
- 5 months
- November through March, your system heats
- 7 months
- April through October, it cools
- 40°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 101°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
Arizona requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
Arizona licenses HVAC contractors through the Registrar of Contractors. That license belongs to the contractor's business, not to any one job, so it covers the company you hire rather than being issued fresh for this repair.
A heat pump repair means opening the refrigerant side of the system, and that work needs EPA Section 608 certification everywhere in the country, including Arizona. Here, the contractor's state license is what stands behind the repair itself, and the technician doing the work still needs that federal certification on top of it.
Sources: Arizona State Legislature · Arizona Registrar of Contractors
- Why is my heat pump blowing cold air?
- In defrost mode, a heat pump runs the outdoor fan while sending cool air through your vents for a few minutes, and that's normal in winter. If cold air keeps blowing during summer when you have it set to cool, check your thermostat is actually calling for heat and not stuck on fan only. If it's set right and still blowing cold when it should be heating, the reversing valve may not be switching over, and that needs a contractor to check.
- Why is there ice on my heat pump?
- Some frost on the outdoor unit during cold mornings is normal, and the defrost cycle clears it on its own. If the ice builds up thick or stays through the day, airflow across the outdoor coil is blocked somewhere. A dirty coil, a failed defrost control, or a low refrigerant charge can all cause this, and running the unit with heavy ice on it can damage the compressor, so it's worth having a contractor look at it soon.
- Why is my heat pump running but not cooling?
- If the outdoor unit and indoor fan are both running but the air coming out isn't cold, the system likely isn't moving heat the way it should. A dirty filter or blocked outdoor coil can choke off airflow enough to cause this, especially on a 101°F afternoon when the system is already working hard. Low refrigerant is another common cause, and that isn't something to top off yourself since it points to a leak that needs finding and fixing.