Heat pumps fail differently than furnaces, and plenty of technicians in this market have limited hands-on time with them. Defrost boards, reversing valves, and dual-fuel changeover logic are their own skill set. If another company told you your heat pump was beyond help, it is worth a second opinion.
What Usually Goes Wrong
- Outdoor unit iced over and not clearing — failed defrost board, sensor, or reversing valve
- System runs on expensive backup heat constantly because the changeover setting is wrong
- Heating works but cooling does not, or the reverse — classic reversing valve symptom
- Short cycling in mild weather from an oversized or badly controlled system
- Auxiliary heat engaging when it should not, which quietly wrecks your electric bill
- Low charge — on a heat pump this hurts heating performance more than most people expect
The Setting Nobody Checks
A large share of "my heat pump costs a fortune to run" calls are not broken equipment at all — the balance point or changeover temperature was left at a default, so the system leans on backup heat far more than it should. That is a settings problem, and finding it costs you a service call instead of a new system.
Some Icing Is Normal
A heat pump frosting up in cold, damp weather and then running a defrost cycle is the system working as designed. Steam coming off the outdoor unit during defrost is normal too. What is not normal is ice that never clears, ice encasing the whole coil, or defrost cycles running constantly.
Second Opinions Welcome
If you were quoted a full system replacement on a heat pump, we are glad to look at it. Sometimes replacement really is the answer. Often it is a board, a sensor, or a setting.
Service Area
We cover Green Bay, De Pere, Ashwaubenon, Howard, Suamico, Bellevue and Allouez, plus Brown County and eight surrounding counties across Northeast Wisconsin. See the full service area →
Why It Matters
A heat pump running on backup resistance heat can cost several times what it should to heat your house, and it will do it silently — the house stays warm, so nothing looks wrong until the bill shows up. Diagnosing that is routine if you know heat pumps and invisible if you do not.
Frequently Asked Questions
My heat pump is covered in ice. Is that bad?
Some frost with periodic defrost cycles is normal in cold damp weather. Ice that never clears, or a solid block over the whole coil, is a defrost fault and should be looked at before it damages something.
Why is my electric bill so high this winter?
Usually the system is running on auxiliary heat far more than it should — often a changeover setting, a defrost fault, or low charge. Worth diagnosing, because the fix is frequently cheap.
Do you service heat pumps other companies installed?
Yes, any brand. We will tell you what we find regardless of who put it in.
Prefer to talk? Call (920) 304-9377