Heat Pump Not Heating in Castro Valley, CA

Heat Pump Not Heating in Castro Valley

Castro Valley has a good stock of older homes, and many of the heat pumps we see here are either aging units well into their second decade or earlier conversions that replaced an old gas furnace. When one stops heating, the cause tracks with that age: worn electrical components, a tired compressor, or a defrost board that has finally given up. It is still almost always one fixable part.

A heat pump moves heat from outdoor air into the house by running its refrigerant loop in reverse. The parts that fail are predictable. There is the contactor and capacitor that start the outdoor unit, the reversing valve that switches it to heat, the defrost control, and a refrigerant charge that can slowly leak down. On older Castro Valley installs the contactor and capacitor lead the list, because they wear with every cycle.

The climate here is mild, so the equipment is not fighting hard winters. When the heat quits, we diagnose the failed part. On a unit well past 15 years we will also tell you honestly whether a repair makes sense or whether the money is better spent on replacement, and we put both numbers on the estimate.

Common causes

Failed contactor or capacitor. On aging Castro Valley units this is the most common no-heat cause. A pitted contactor or a weak run capacitor keeps the outdoor unit from starting, so no heat gets moved even though the indoor blower runs. Both are stocked parts. We meter the capacitor and inspect the contactor, then replace and verify the unit starts cleanly.

Stuck reversing valve. Older valves can hang up and fail to switch into heat, leaving the unit blowing cold in winter. We read line temperatures and listen for the valve to shift on a heat call. A failed valve gets replaced and the system recharged.

Low refrigerant charge. A slow leak over years drops heating capacity first. We pressure-test, find the leak, and repair it, then weigh in a correct charge. On an older system we check the refrigerant type first, since first-generation conversions may still be on R-22, and tell you up front if the repair is worth it given the unit's age.

Defrost control fault. An aging defrost board or coil sensor stops clearing frost from the outdoor coil, and ice buildup kills heat output. We run the defrost cycle and check the sensor against actual coil temperature, then replace the failed part.

Worn or failing compressor. On units past 15 years a compressor can lose pumping capacity or fail outright, and no other repair will restore heat. We confirm with amperage and pressure readings. When the compressor is the problem on an old unit, we lay out repair versus replacement honestly, because a compressor swap on an aging system rarely pays back.

How we diagnose it

Verify the outdoor unit starts on a heat call: meter the capacitor, inspect the contactor, confirm the compressor and fan run.
Read line temperatures to confirm the reversing valve shifted into heat mode.
Check the defrost cycle and coil sensor, and inspect the outdoor coil for ice.
Pressure-test for refrigerant loss, identify the refrigerant type, and locate any leak rather than topping off.
On units past 15 years, take compressor amp and pressure readings and lay out repair versus replacement on the estimate.

$75 diagnostic, credited toward any repair over $200. You get a written quote before any work begins.

Heat Pump Not Heating in Castro Valley: common questions

Do you cover Castro Valley from San Ramon?

Yes. Castro Valley is part of our inner East Bay service area. We aim same-day on no-heat calls, best effort depending on the day's route. Diagnostic is $75, credited toward the repair when it runs over $200.

My heat pump is over 15 years old and stopped heating. Repair or replace?

Depends on what failed. A contactor or capacitor is a cheap fix worth making on almost any unit. A failed compressor or a major refrigerant leak on an old system usually points to replacement. We diagnose the actual fault and put both numbers on the estimate so the call is yours.

Is Castro Valley's climate hard on heat pumps in winter?

No. Winters here are mild and well within range for these units. When an older one stops heating it is usually component wear, a worn contactor, a tired capacitor, a failed defrost board, rather than the climate exceeding the equipment.

Nearby and related

Heat Pump Not Heating near Castro Valley: San Leandro · Hayward · Dublin .

This is usually a heat pump installation & service in Castro Valley job. See our heat pump installation & service overview or the Castro Valley service area.