For heat pump repair in Lynnwood, WA, call (321) 478-0693 any time: an L&I-registered, insured contractor works out whether the outdoor unit, the reversing valve, the defrost controls or the backup heat strips are at fault, and gives you the price before work starts. Ducted heat pumps, dual-fuel systems and ductless units are all covered.
Heat pumps are the fastest-growing kind of system in Lynnwood. Owners replacing a tired 1980s furnace, households adding cooling after the 2021 heat dome, and electrically heated homes using Snohomish County PUD rebates have all installed them, so heat pump repair calls rise every winter. One outdoor unit does two jobs: when it fails in January you lose your main heat, and in July you lose your cooling.
Call (321) 478-0693 at any hour to reach a live person. We dispatch the nearest available independent contractor with a realistic arrival window, since weather, traffic and call volume all affect it. The technician tells you whether you are seeing a real fault or normal heat pump behavior, and gives you the price before work starts.
Heat pump problems we repair
Heat pump service calls in Lynnwood usually start with one of these:
- Not heating or not cooling, or stuck in one mode
- An outdoor unit covered in ice that never clears
- Auxiliary or emergency heat running constantly, with a much higher electric bill
- An outdoor fan that will not spin, or a compressor that hums without starting
- A dual-fuel system switching to the gas furnace at the wrong time
We handle ducted heat pumps with electric air handlers, heat pumps paired with a gas furnace, and variable-speed inverter models, in homes from North Lynnwood and Martha Lake to Alderwood Manor and Meadowdale. We also cover heat pump repair in Edmonds, heat pump service in Mountlake Terrace and heat pump repair in Bothell, where the south end is in King County and gets its electricity from Puget Sound Energy rather than Snohomish PUD. See all of our HVAC service areas.
Not heating, not cooling or stuck in one mode: reversing valves and controls
A heat pump moves heat in either direction by reversing refrigerant flow through the reversing valve. A small solenoid coil, powered by the thermostat or control board, shifts the valve between modes. When that coil fails or the wiring is wrong, you get warm air in July or cool air in January, usually a straightforward electrical repair.
A valve stuck partway is harder: the system runs poorly in both modes while the compressor works hard. Confirming it takes pressure and temperature readings, and replacing it means recovering refrigerant, brazing, pulling a vacuum and recharging, which is where repair-or-replace gets serious on an older unit.
Similar symptoms come from a bad defrost board or sensor, a burned contactor, a weak capacitor, or a thermostat set up for a furnace-only system. Smart thermostats installed by a previous owner are a frequent culprit, since a heat pump needs the reversing valve terminal (O or B) and the aux heat output configured correctly.
Ice on the outdoor unit: normal defrost vs a real fault
Lynnwood winters, in the 30s and low 40s with high humidity, are exactly the conditions that frost a coil. Light frost is normal, and the unit clears it with a defrost cycle: it briefly switches to cooling mode to warm the outdoor coil, the outdoor fan stops, and you may hear a whoosh and see steam rising. Indoors, the vents can blow cooler for a few minutes while the backup heat strips fill in. Then it switches back.
A real fault looks different: a solid block of ice on the coil, ice on the top panel or fan, or a unit that never clears after an hour. Common causes are a failed defrost sensor or board, low refrigerant, a dead outdoor fan, or a gutter dripping onto the unit and freezing. If it is frozen solid, do not chip at it, because the fins and tubing puncture easily. Switch to emergency heat and call. Our post on why a heat pump blows cold air or ices over in winter explains more.
Heat pump sounds: what is normal and what is a warning
Heat pumps make more noise than furnaces, and new owners in the City Center townhomes often call about sounds that are perfectly normal. Others are the first sign of a failing part. A quick guide:
| Sound | Normal or not | What it usually means |
|---|---|---|
| A loud whoosh, then the fan stops for a few minutes, with steam rising | Normal | The reversing valve switching into or out of defrost |
| A low hum from the outdoor unit while running | Normal | The compressor and fan motor doing their job |
| Humming, but the fan blade is not turning | Not normal | A failed fan capacitor or motor; the compressor can overheat |
| Grinding, scraping or a rhythmic thump | Not normal | Worn fan motor bearings, a bent blade, or ice hitting the blade |
| Rapid clicking at the outdoor unit | Not normal | A contactor or control board that keeps trying to start the compressor |
| Hissing or gurgling that does not stop | Check it | Possible refrigerant leak, or simply refrigerant moving after a cycle |
| Screeching at startup | Not normal | A compressor or motor under strain; switch to emergency heat and call |
Auxiliary heat running too much and high Snohomish PUD bills
Most ducted heat pumps in Lynnwood have electric heat strips in the air handler. As auxiliary heat they help on the coldest mornings and during defrost; as emergency heat they carry the whole house if the heat pump fails. They use far more electricity for the same heat, so a system that leans on them shows up fast on the Snohomish County PUD bill.
Common causes of auxiliary heat problems: the thermostat was left on emergency heat, the outdoor unit failed and the strips are quietly doing all the work, refrigerant is low, the aux lockout temperature is set too high, or deep overnight setbacks force the strips on every morning. Aux or Em Heat showing on a mild day is a reason to call.
If your home is electrically heated and you are considering a more efficient system, check Snohomish PUD's heating rebate page for current programs before you sign. PUD rebates generally require a PUD-participating contractor, and the contractor we refer may or may not be one, so ask.
Dual-fuel systems: a heat pump paired with a gas furnace
Many Lynnwood homes with a gas furnace on Puget Sound Energy service added a heat pump instead of a straight AC, creating a dual-fuel system. The heat pump handles cooling and most heating, and the furnace takes over below a set outdoor temperature called the balance point.
Dual-fuel heat pump repair is often a controls job: a failed outdoor sensor, a balance point set wrong, or a thermostat never configured to lock out one source while the other runs. Symptoms include the furnace firing on mild days, the heat pump struggling on the coldest nights, or both running at once. The furnace side still needs its own care, covered on our gas furnace repair page. Choosing between systems? Read our heat pump vs gas furnace guide for Puget Sound homes.
How heat pumps handle Puget Sound winters, and where they struggle
Western Washington suits heat pumps. Most winter days around Lynnwood run from the 30s into the 40s, where heat pumps work efficiently, and many cold-climate models keep producing useful heat well below freezing. Dampness is the local challenge: humid air near freezing frosts the coil faster than dry cold, so defrost cycles come often.
Trouble comes in the occasional cold snap, when arctic air spills south from British Columbia and temperatures drop into the teens or 20s, sometimes with freezing rain. Older single-speed heat pumps lose capacity and lean on aux heat, and freezing rain can coat the unit faster than defrost clears it. A unit sized only for cooling, in a 1979 house with leaky ducts, feels it first.
Because a heat pump runs year-round, it logs more hours than a furnace or a central AC. In western Washington many last roughly 12 to 15 years, varying with installation quality, maintenance and, near the water, salt air.
Heat pump maintenance: coils, drains and refrigerant charge
A heat pump works in both seasons, so yearly service is the minimum and twice a year is common. A thorough heat pump maintenance visit includes:
- Cleaning the outdoor coil and clearing moss and debris
- Checking refrigerant charge with pressure and temperature readings
- Testing the reversing valve in both modes and running a defrost cycle
- Testing capacitors, contactors and heat strip amperage
- Clearing the condensate drain and confirming thermostat and aux lockout settings
Between visits, keep a couple of feet of open space around the outdoor unit, clear leaves and fir needles in fall, keep gutters from dripping onto it, and change the indoor filter on schedule.
What's included in a heat pump service call in Lynnwood
A heat pump repair visit should check both halves of the system and the controls that tie them together. The contractor we send should cover:
- Operation in both heating and cooling mode, confirming the reversing valve shifts and holds
- A forced defrost test: the defrost board, the coil sensor and whether frost actually clears
- Refrigerant pressures and temperatures, with a leak search before any refrigerant is added
- Capacitors, contactor and fan motor at the outdoor unit, and the blower at the air handler
- Backup heat strips, their sequencers and the auxiliary heat lockout setting at the thermostat
- The condensate drain, the outdoor coil and clearance from fences, shrubs and gutter drips
- The price before any work starts, then a full run in heat mode before anyone leaves
For ductless systems the same visit covers the indoor heads, their drains and blower wheels; our ductless mini-split service page explains deep cleaning in more detail. If you are weighing a repair against replacement, read heat pump or gas furnace for a Puget Sound home first.
What affects heat pump repair cost
Heat pump repair covers a wide range because the parts do. What changes the price:
- The part: a capacitor or defrost sensor is minor, a reversing valve or compressor is major
- Whether refrigerant must be recovered and recharged
- Single-speed or inverter equipment, since inverter boards cost more
- Whether the manufacturer's parts warranty still applies, plus access and after-hours timing, stated before work starts
You hear the price before work starts. When a major part fails on an older unit, compare it with replacement on our HVAC installation and replacement page.
The Heat Pump Repair process, step by step
How a heat pump repair call goes with us:
- 1
Describe what it is doing
A live person answers 24/7. Tell us the mode, whether the thermostat shows Aux or Em Heat, any ice, and whether you have a gas furnace backup.
- 2
Contractor dispatched
We send the nearest available L&I-registered, insured contractor with a realistic arrival window.
- 3
Both modes tested
The technician checks the reversing valve, defrost controls, charge, heat strips and thermostat setup, then quotes the price before work starts.
- 4
Repair and full-cycle check
After you approve, the repair is made and the system runs in heating and cooling, through a defrost when conditions allow.
Why choose Alderwood Heat & Cool Pros for Heat Pump Repair
Why Lynnwood homeowners call us for heat pump repair:
Normal vs broken, explained
We walk through what you see on the phone so you know whether it is defrost or a real fault.
Ducted, dual-fuel and inverter systems
Electric air handlers, heat pumps paired with PSE gas furnaces, and variable-speed models.
Price before work starts
Diagnosis and price first, and no work until you approve it.
Registered and insured
Every HVAC contractor we send is registered with Washington L&I, licensed where Washington requires it, and insured.
Heat Pump Repair around Lynnwood
We cover all of Lynnwood, including Alderwood Manor, Martha Lake, North Lynnwood, Meadowdale and City Center, plus Brier and the five cities within about 25 minutes. Edmonds and Mountlake Terrace are next door; Bothell, Mill Creek and Mukilteo are the outer ring. See the full list of HVAC service areas around Lynnwood, or go straight to your city:
Frequently asked questions
Is it normal for my heat pump to blow cool air or steam in winter?
Usually, yes. In damp weather near freezing, the outdoor coil frosts and the heat pump runs a defrost cycle: it switches briefly to cooling mode, the outdoor fan stops and steam rises off the unit. The vents may blow cooler for a few minutes while backup strips catch up, then normal heat returns. It is a problem when the unit stays encased in ice, defrost never ends, or the air stays cool for long stretches.
Why is my electric bill so high with a heat pump?
Most often, the electric heat strips are doing work the heat pump should be doing. That happens when the thermostat is left on emergency heat, the outdoor unit has failed or is low on refrigerant, the aux lockout is set too high, or deep overnight setbacks force the strips on every morning. Cold, damp months raise any bill, so compare with the same month last year. If the thermostat often shows Aux on mild days, have it checked.
How long does a heat pump last in western Washington?
Many heat pumps here last roughly 12 to 15 years, though it varies widely. A heat pump runs in both heating and cooling seasons, so it accumulates more hours than a furnace, and our long, damp heating season brings frequent defrost cycles. Good installation, correct charge, clean coils and yearly maintenance push life toward the longer end, while salt air and units sitting in standing water shorten it.
Do you repair ductless heat pumps too?
Yes. Ductless mini-split heat pumps are common in baseboard-heated homes and in condos along Highway 99 and around City Center, and they have their own repair needs: clogged condensate drains, dirty blower wheels, flare-fitting leaks on the line set, and failed sensors or boards in the indoor head. This page focuses on ducted and dual-fuel systems, so see our ductless mini-split installation and repair page for that equipment, or call and describe what the unit is doing.
Can I switch my heat pump to emergency heat if it stops working?
Yes, that is what the setting is for. Emergency heat shuts off the outdoor unit and heats the house with the electric strips in the air handler, keeping you warm if the heat pump has failed or is frozen solid. It costs much more to run, so treat it as a stopgap until the repair, not a way to get through the winter. On a dual-fuel system, the emergency setting may run the gas furnace instead.
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