Heat Pump Repair in Wesley Chapel, FL

ENERGY STAR describes a ducted air-source heat pump as a central air conditioner that also works in reverse to heat the whole house in winter. In winter it extracts heat from outside and brings it indoors. In summer it pulls heat out of the home.

The heat is carried by refrigerant, the fluid sealed inside the copper lines between the indoor and outdoor units. The part that changes direction is the reversing valve. Carrier describes it as the component inside a heat pump that switches the system between heating and cooling modes.

If you are not sure your system is a heat pump, our guide on how to tell if you have a heat pump walks through the signs.

NOAA publishes 1991-2020 climate normals for its station at Saint Leo, a Pasco County town north of Wesley Chapel. These numbers describe that station, not every street in the CDP.

• Nights at 40°F or colder: about 15.9 a year, and about 13.5 of them fall in December, January and February.
• Nights at 32°F or colder: about 2.6 a year.
• January: the normal low is 49.4°F and the normal high is 70.0°F.

Lennox says homeowners are often surprised to see their heat pump enter defrost mode when the outdoor temperature is in the 40s. In defrost, the system melts frost and ice off its outdoor coil. Lennox says you may see steam rising from the outdoor unit, and warm air production pauses briefly.

Lennox puts the usual length at 5 to 15 minutes, depending on weather and frost levels. If the unit seems to defrost too often or for unusually long periods, Lennox says it may indicate a problem. Our guide to heat pump defrost mode explains the cycle in more detail.

When a heat pump runs but the air from the vents feels cool on a heat setting, there is more than one possible cause.

The reversing valve

Carrier notes that a heat pump that cools normally but fails to heat can point to a stuck reversing valve. Carrier also says reversing valve issues are not do-it-yourself repairs. It advises having the system tested rather than replacing the valve based solely on symptoms. A mild whoosh during switching can be normal, but Carrier says excessively loud or constant noise should be evaluated by a professional.

Defrost

A short pause in warm air during a defrost cycle is expected, as described above. Lennox says a heat pump that stays in defrost much longer may be struggling to clear the ice, and if frequent defrosting persists, it's best to call a professional.

Backup heat

The U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Saver Guide says not to set back a heat pump's thermostat manually if that causes backup electric-resistance heating to come on. It calls that type of heating more expensive. The guide recommends a smart or programmable thermostat with functions suitable for a heat pump. See our guides to auxiliary heat and thermostat settings.

The GeoPlan Center report for the Wesley Chapel CDP counts 18,545 owner-occupied units and 5,524 renter-occupied units in the 2019-2023 survey. Single-family units rose from 983 in 1990 to 12,970 in 2010, then to 21,088.

The report gives 2013 as the median year that owner-occupants moved into their homes. If you bought your house from a previous owner, you may not know when the heat pump went in or what work it has had. Tell us what you do know when you call, and say so if you do not know.

Age is one input to a repair-or-replace decision, not the whole answer. The Energy Saver Guide says to consider replacing a heat pump or air conditioner that is more than 10 years old. Blume gives you a written, upfront price before any work, with repair and replacement side by side when both are reasonable. If replacement is the better answer, we size the new equipment with an ACCA Manual J load calculation and Manual S selection. We do not sell equipment a building does not need. Our guide on when to replace a heat pump covers the decision.

The Census Bureau describes census-designated places as unincorporated communities without a legally defined boundary or an active, functioning governmental structure. Wesley Chapel is one of them, so heat pump permits go through Pasco County Building Construction Services. Its office is at 8661 Citizens Drive, Suite 100, in New Port Richey, phone 727-847-8126.

Repairs

The county's permit exemption list includes air conditioning repair of existing equipment. The list does not apply to buildings or parcels in special flood hazard areas. It also excludes construction in or adjacent to wetlands, and commercial buildings or parcels.

Replacements and bigger jobs

Pasco County's Residential Mechanical permit covers the installation, replacement or major repair of any air conditioning system. The county's examples include a new system, moving a condenser, and a changeout with ductwork. The submittal list includes an AHRI certificate. Moving a condenser also calls for a site plan. Construction in a special flood hazard area must meet the county's floodplain construction requirements.

Our guide to HVAC permits in Florida explains permits more broadly. For other heating and cooling work in the area, see our Wesley Chapel HVAC page.

Three checks are safe for any homeowner.

1. Thermostat. Make sure it is set to Heat or Cool as you intend, with a setpoint that should call for it.
2. Air filter. The Energy Saver Guide says to clean or change filters once a month or as needed. Our air filter guide covers sizes and types.
3. Vents, returns and the outdoor unit. Clear furniture away from supply vents and return grilles. Outside, clear leaves, grass clippings and stored items away from the outdoor unit.

If a breaker for the heat pump has tripped, leave it off and call a licensed contractor. Do not open the outdoor unit's panels, and do not add refrigerant.

The EPA requires technicians who maintain, service, repair or dispose of equipment that could release refrigerants to be certified. Blume has EPA Section 608 certified technicians. Blume Mechanical Service is a Class A licensed Florida air conditioning contractor (CAC-1822618) and is fully insured. After an installation we commission the system with measured static pressure, airflow and refrigerant charge. Our EPA Section 608 guide explains the refrigerant rules.