Heat Pump Service & Installation
Arizona is close to the ideal climate for a heat pump. Long cooling season, mild winters, and no need to run a gas line.
A heat pump cools exactly like an air conditioner in summer and reverses to pull heat into the home in winter. In the Phoenix climate that makes it the most efficient heating option for most homes. Reliable Air repairs, maintains, and installs heat pumps of every major brand across the Valley.
Mechanically, a heat pump is an air conditioner with a reversing valve. In cooling mode it moves heat from inside to outside. In heating mode it runs the refrigerant cycle backwards and moves heat from outside air into the house — even when that outside air feels cold, because there is still usable heat energy in it down well below freezing.
Because the Valley almost never sustains sub-freezing temperatures, the efficiency penalty that makes heat pumps questionable in northern states barely applies here. For homes without a gas line, a heat pump is nearly always the right answer.
Heat pump work we handle
- Reversing valve diagnosis and replacement
- Defrost board and defrost sensor testing
- Auxiliary and emergency heat strip testing and staging setup
- Refrigerant charge verification in both heating and cooling mode
- Full heat pump system replacement with proper load calculation
- Dual-fuel configuration where a gas furnace is already in place
Heat pump problems we see most
- Cool air during a heat call — often a stuck reversing valve
- The outdoor unit ices over and stays iced instead of defrosting
- Auxiliary heat runs constantly, driving the electric bill up sharply
- A loud whoosh or clunk when the system switches modes (usually normal, sometimes not)
- The system cools fine but will not heat at all, or the reverse
What working with us looks like
Mode-by-mode testing
We run the system in cooling, heating, and defrost to isolate which circuit is at fault.
Charge verification both ways
A heat pump can appear correctly charged in one mode and be wrong in the other. We check both.
Staging and controls setup
Auxiliary heat set to lock out above the right outdoor temperature can cut winter bills substantially.
Verified performance
Temperature split and amp draw confirmed in both modes before we leave.
What it costs
Heat pump repairs track closely with A/C repair pricing. Reversing valve replacement is the notable exception — it is labor-intensive and on an older system frequently argues for replacement.
Heat Pump Service & Installation questions, answered
Is a heat pump cheaper to run than a gas furnace in Phoenix?
In most Valley homes, yes. Because winters here are mild, a heat pump operates in its efficient range nearly all season, delivering roughly two to four units of heat per unit of electricity consumed. Gas furnaces cannot exceed one-to-one. The exception is a home with very cheap natural gas service and an already-efficient furnace.
Why is my heat pump blowing cold air in winter?
If it is brief and the outdoor unit is steaming, that is a normal defrost cycle. If it persists, the most likely causes are a stuck reversing valve, a failed defrost board, low refrigerant charge, or a thermostat wired or configured incorrectly for heat pump operation.
What is emergency heat and when should I use it?
Emergency heat bypasses the heat pump entirely and runs electric resistance strips. It is expensive to operate and is meant only for when the heat pump itself has failed. If you find yourself switching to emergency heat to stay comfortable, the heat pump needs service.
Get heat pump service & installation handled today.
Same-day service, honest pricing, and a real human on the line. We have kept Phoenix cool since 1996.
Mon–Sat · 7am–7pm · 24/7 emergency line for no-cool and no-heat calls · ROC 330516 · ROC 264944