Heat Pump Repair in Charleston, SC
Homes here need heat from November through March and cooling from May through October. If your system quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Charleston County will get in touch.
Tell us about the job
It takes about a minute.
Charleston County asks a heat pump to work almost year round
Your heat pump runs eleven months a year here, cooling from May through October and switching over to heat from November through March. Summer afternoons averaging 89°F push the compressor hard all season, and winter nights averaging 41°F keep it cycling in reverse not long after. That kind of load wears on the compressor and the reversing valve before it wears on much else.
75.9% of homes here heat with electricity, which means the heat pump is the only thing standing between the house and the cold on those nights. Charleston County also sees frequent damaging wind, and with 45% of South Carolina households losing power for at least a day in 2024, a heat pump that will not restart cleanly after the power comes back on is a common reason for the call.
- 5 months
- November through March, your system heats
- 6 months
- May through October, it cools
- 41°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 89°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
- Why is my heat pump blowing cold air?
- In heating mode, air coming out of the vents that feels cool to the touch is often still warmer than the room, just not hot enough to feel warm on your skin. If the air is truly cold and the house is losing ground, check that the thermostat is set to heat and not fan only. A frozen outdoor coil, a low refrigerant charge, or a failed reversing valve will also keep the system from putting out heat, and any of those needs a contractor to sort out.
- Why is there ice on my heat pump?
- Some frost on the outdoor unit in winter is normal, and the system defrosts itself on a timer. A heavy coating of ice that does not clear on its own points to a problem, often a fan motor that has stopped turning, a stuck defrost control, or a refrigerant leak. Running the unit with ice built up can damage the coil, so it is worth having a contractor look at it rather than letting it sit through another cold night.
- Why is my heat pump running but not cooling?
- If the unit runs but the house is not cooling down, the most common causes are a dirty filter blocking airflow, an outdoor coil caked with dirt or leaves, or a refrigerant leak. On a 89°F afternoon a struggling system falls behind fast, so it is worth checking the filter first since that is the one thing a homeowner can fix directly. If the filter is clean and the coil looks clear, the problem is inside the system and a contractor will need to check the refrigerant charge and the compressor.