Heat Pump Not Heating in Concord

Heat Pump Not Heating in Concord

Concord works its heat pumps hard in cooling. Inland summers get genuinely hot, and the unit runs in cooling for months, then has to flip into heat through the mild winter. That heavy summer cycling is what wears the parts that switch and start the system. When a Concord heat pump stops heating, the reversing valve, contactor, and capacitor are near the top of the list.

The heat itself comes from running the refrigerant cycle backward to pull warmth out of the outdoor air. If the reversing valve sticks after a hard cooling season, the unit keeps blowing cold in December. If the contactor is pitted from a summer of starts, the outdoor unit won't fire on a heat call at all. Either way the blower runs and the air stays cold, which is what brings people to the phone.

Concord winters are mild, so the equipment is not being pushed past its range when it heats. The problem is almost always a single worn part, not a dead system. We diagnose it, write up the repair, and on an older system we tell you straight whether the fix is worth making.

Common causes

Stuck reversing valve. After a long Concord cooling season the reversing valve can fail to shift back into heat, so the unit keeps running in cooling mode in winter and blows cold. We confirm by reading suction and discharge line temperatures and checking the valve shifts on a heat call, then replace the valve and recharge if needed.

Pitted contactor. The contactor takes a beating from a summer of cycling. When the contacts pit and fail to close, the outdoor unit stays dead on a heat call while the indoor blower runs. It is a stocked part. We inspect it for pitting and replace it, then confirm the unit energizes cleanly.

Weak run capacitor. A capacitor degraded by heavy summer use may no longer start the compressor or fan on a heat call. We meter it against its rated microfarads and replace it if it has drifted out of spec. Common and quick to fix.

Low refrigerant charge. A leak that built up over a hard cooling season shows as lost heating capacity in winter. We pressure-test, locate the leak, repair it, and weigh in the correct charge rather than topping off a system that will be low again.

Defrost control fault. Even in mild Concord winters the outdoor coil frosts on cold mornings and the defrost board clears it. A failed sensor or board lets ice build until heat output drops. We run the defrost cycle, check the sensor, and replace the failed part.

How we diagnose it

• Read line temperatures to confirm the reversing valve actually shifts into heat after a hard cooling season.
• Verify the outdoor unit energizes on a heat call: inspect the contactor for pitting, meter the capacitor, confirm compressor and fan run.
• Pressure-test for refrigerant loss and locate the leak rather than topping off.
• Check the defrost cycle and coil sensor, and inspect the outdoor coil for ice on cold mornings.

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

Heat Pump Not Heating in Concord: common questions

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Heat Pump Not Heating near Concord: Walnut Creek · Martinez .

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