Why is my heat pump blowing cold air in winter?

A few minutes of cool air is normal when the unit runs a defrost cycle. If it keeps blowing cool air, check that the thermostat is on Heat and the fan is on Auto. If it still does not warm up, the cause is usually a defrost control, a stuck reversing valve, low refrigerant or an outdoor unit that is not running, and it needs a technician.

Is it normal for my heat pump to have ice on it?

Light frost on a cold, damp morning is normal, and the unit clears it with a defrost cycle. A solid block of ice, or ice that stays all day, is not. Do not chip at it. Switch to emergency heat to keep the house warm and call us.

What is the difference between aux heat and emergency heat?

Aux heat comes on by itself to help the heat pump on a cold day. Emergency heat is a setting you choose that turns the heat pump off and runs only the electric strips. Both cost more than normal heat pump operation, and emergency heat is for a real breakdown.

Why is my electric bill so high with a heat pump?

In a cold snap the heat pump works harder and the electric backup heat runs more. A bill that stays high in mild weather, or an AUX light that stays on, can mean the heat pump is not doing its job. We check the system and the thermostat settings and tell you plainly.

How much does heat pump repair cost in Lago Vista?

We give you the price on the phone before you schedule, because it depends on what failed. A $65 trip charge applies and is applied toward the work when you go ahead, and we quote any repair in writing before we start.

Can I keep running my heat pump until you arrive?

If it is only a little cool, usually yes. If there is a burning smell, loud grinding or a breaker that keeps tripping, turn it off. Emergency heat will keep the house warm for a short time but costs much more to run, so use it only until the repair.

Why is my heat pump not cooling in summer?

The usual causes are a weak capacitor or contactor, a refrigerant leak, a dirty or frozen coil, or a stuck reversing valve. Check the filter and make sure the outdoor unit is running and clear of debris, then call us.

Should I repair or replace my heat pump?

A system under about 12 years old with a failed part is usually worth repairing. A system past about 12 years that needs a big repair, or keeps breaking, is worth a conversation about replacing it, and we show you the numbers either way.

Do you repair heat pumps you did not install?

Yes. We diagnose the problem, explain what we found and give you a written price whether we installed the system or not.

Do you repair heat pumps in Jonestown, The Hollows and Lakeway?

Yes. We serve Jonestown, The Hollows, Point Venture, Northshore on Lake Travis and Lakeway as well as Lago Vista.

Heat Pump Repair in Lago Vista, TX

Heat pump not heating or cooling? What we do

A heat pump is your heating and your air conditioning in one outdoor and indoor system, so when it fails you can lose both. Real Texas Plumbing - Heating and Air repairs heat pumps for homes in Lago Vista, Jonestown, The Hollows and around Lake Travis. A technician finds out why it is not heating, not cooling, icing up, running nonstop or blowing the wrong temperature, tells you what we found, and gives you a written price before we repair anything. We are licensed as a Texas AC contractor (TACLA22663C) and family-owned since 2018.

Call (512) 662-2949 to book. We give you the price on the phone before you schedule, and a $65 trip charge is applied toward the work when you go ahead.

What is your heat pump doing?

Start with what you see. These are the symptoms we get called about most, and what usually sits behind them.

Blowing cool air when it should heat. A few minutes of cool air is normal when the unit runs a defrost cycle. Cool air that keeps coming usually points to the thermostat setting, a defrost control that is not working, a stuck reversing valve, low refrigerant or an outdoor unit that is not running.
Not cooling in summer. A weak capacitor or contactor, a refrigerant leak, a dirty coil, a frozen indoor coil or the same stuck reversing valve.
Ice on the outdoor unit. Light frost on a cold morning is normal. A solid block of ice is not.
The AUX or EM heat light is on, or the electric bill jumped. The system is leaning on its electric backup heat. More on that below.
Runs all day or turns on and off every few minutes. Airflow, a failing part, a refrigerant problem or a system that has lost the ability to keep up.
Works in heating but not cooling, or the other way around. That points at the reversing valve or a refrigerant problem.
Loud grinding, buzzing or banging, a burning smell or a breaker that keeps tripping. Turn the system off at the thermostat and call.

What to check before you call

These take a few minutes and sometimes save a visit.

Make sure the thermostat is on Heat or Cool as you need, and the fan is on Auto.
Look at the air filter. A clogged one can make the system act broken.
Check that the breaker has not tripped and the outdoor disconnect is on.
Clear leaves, mulch and anything stacked against the outdoor unit.
If you see ice, look at whether it is a light frost or a solid block, and tell us which.

Do not chip or pry at ice, do not open the electrical panels, and leave refrigerant to a licensed technician.

Heat pumps in Lago Vista and around Lake Travis

A heat pump runs hard here. It cools through a long Central Texas summer, then heats through cold snaps that push it past where it is efficient. When the outdoor air drops to freezing, a heat pump has to work harder to pull in heat, and its electric backup heat takes over more of the job. Some homes around Lake Travis do not have a natural gas line, so for those homes the heat pump and its electric backup are the whole heating system.

Lago Vista's electricity comes from Pedernales Electric Cooperative. The co-op tells members that heat pumps lose efficiency in freezing weather and to avoid aux and emergency heat except in a real emergency, because those settings use a lot of power. That matches what we see: a heat pump that is not doing its job is often found because of the electric bill.

Lake and weekend homes have their own pattern. A system that sat idle between visits can wait until the first cold weekend of the year to show you a problem. If your home sits empty part of the year, have the heat pump checked before your first cold stay, not during it. See our heating tune-up and AC maintenance pages.

Aux heat and emergency heat: what they mean

Aux heat is the electric backup that comes on by itself to help the heat pump catch up on a cold day. A little is normal. Emergency heat (EM heat) is a setting you choose by hand that shuts the heat pump out and runs only the electric strips. It is meant for a real breakdown and it costs much more to run.

If the aux light stays on in mild weather, or you find the thermostat set to emergency heat when you did not choose it, something is wrong. Have it checked. Raising the thermostat several degrees at once, or a big overnight setback, can also bring aux heat on for a while, so smaller changes are easier on the bill. If your thermostat is old or confusing, see thermostat installation.

What we check on a heat pump repair

Controls. Thermostat settings and wiring, and whether the system is calling for heat or cooling the way it should.

Heating and cooling performance. We run the system in both modes and measure the temperature difference across the indoor unit and the refrigerant pressures. Refrigerant is not used up, so a system that is low has a leak, and we will tell you that instead of topping it off and sending you the same bill next year.

Reversing valve and defrost. The reversing valve is what switches the system between heating and cooling, and it also runs the defrost cycle. We test both modes and the defrost controls.

Outdoor unit. Fan motor, capacitor, contactor, wiring connections, and the compressor's electrical draw.

Indoor unit and backup heat. The coil, blower, condensate drain, and each electric heat strip and its controls.

Airflow. Filter, vents and the ductwork we can reach. Leaky or blocked ducts can make a good heat pump look bad. See duct sealing and air duct repair.

What we repair

Capacitors and contactors, fan motors, defrost controls, reversing valves, refrigerant leaks, electric heat strips, thermostats and controls, and compressor problems. Small electrical parts are usually the quickest and least expensive fixes. Reversing valves, refrigerant leaks and compressors cost more, and when a repair is not worth it we say so before you spend the money.

If you are not sure whether your problem is a heat pump or a plain heating or cooling issue, our heating repair and AC repair pages cover those. A heat pump is the one system that does both.

Repair or replace?

Plenty of heat pumps are worth repairing. A system under about 12 years old with a failed part is usually a repair. A system past about 12 years that needs a big repair, or that keeps needing repairs, is worth a conversation about replacing it, and we will show you the numbers both ways. Older systems that use R-22 refrigerant, which is no longer made, can cost a lot to recharge, so that matters too.

If you decide to replace, see heating replacement and AC replacement. If you have an addition or a room the main system never reached well, a ductless mini split may be worth a look. If you already have a repair or replacement quote from someone else and want a second look, call us.

What happens during the visit

You call and tell us what you see. Which mode has the problem, what the thermostat shows, whether there is ice or an AUX light, and how old the system is.
We test both modes. We check the thermostat, outdoor unit, indoor unit and electrical parts and run the system in heating and cooling.
You hear what we found. We explain what failed, show you the reading or the part, and give you a written price before we repair anything.
You decide. Nothing starts until you say yes. If we need to order a part, we tell you what is needed and when we expect it.

How much does heat pump repair cost?

It depends on what failed. A weak capacitor and a failed compressor are very different bills. We give you the price on the phone before you schedule, we quote any repair in writing before we start, and a $65 trip charge applies and is applied toward the work when you go ahead. Prices you see online run from low hundreds to close to a thousand dollars or more and do not say what is included. Ask any company what the diagnostic covers and whether you get a firm price before the repair.

If your heat pump stops working after hours

We do not dispatch overnight. If your heat goes out at night, the outdoor unit is solid ice or is not running, and the house is getting cold, switching the thermostat to emergency heat will keep it warm for a short time. Expect a higher electric bill, and call us when the office opens at 7:30 a.m. on weekdays or 8 a.m. on Saturday. If you smell burning or a breaker keeps tripping, turn the system off at the thermostat and the breaker and call when we open. See also emergency heating repair and emergency AC repair.

Skip the repair surprises

Real Home Care covers your plumbing and your heating and air in one plan for $45 a month ($540 a year). Members get priority scheduling, a waived $65 trip charge and 10% off repairs. Each additional heating or air system is $99 a year. See Real Home Care.

Where we do heat pump repair

We serve homes across Lago Vista, including Highland Lake Estates, Bar-K Ranches, Tessera, Lakeshore Ranch, Waterford on Lake Travis, Marshall's Point, Montechino and North Shore Colony. We also serve Jonestown, The Hollows, Point Venture and Northshore on Lake Travis, with a second shop in Lakeway, and we also serve homes across Greater Austin. Our Lago Vista shop is at 20811 Dawn Dr, Unit 706. For the full list of heating services see heating services, and for cooling see air conditioning services.

Hours: Monday to Friday 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., Saturday 8 a.m. to noon.

Four steps, and nothing starts until you say yes.

You Call

Tell us what you see: cool air in heat mode, ice, an AUX light, a high bill, a noise. If you can, tell us the age of the system and what the label on the outdoor unit says. We give you the price on the phone before you schedule.

We Test Both Modes

We check the thermostat, the outdoor unit, the indoor unit and the electrical parts, and we run the system in heating and cooling so we see the problem instead of guessing at it.

You Hear What We Found

We explain what failed, show you the reading or the part, and give you a written price before we repair anything.

You Decide

Nothing starts until you say yes. If the system is too far gone to repair sensibly, we say so and show you the numbers.