Heat Pump Repair in Hampton, VA
Homes here need heat from November through April and cooling from May through September. If your system quits, tell us what it's doing and a licensed contractor who covers Hampton will get in touch.
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Eleven months of work, in a climate that swings hard
Your heat pump runs almost year round in Hampton. It heats from November through April, then switches over and cools from May through September. That leaves it one month off, and eleven months carrying the load.
Winter nights averaging 34°F mean the system is often pulling heat from outside air that has little heat to give, and the defrost cycle and reversing valve work harder because of it. Summer afternoons near 87°F push the compressor and outdoor coil the other direction for months at a stretch. Over half the homes here heat with electricity, so when the heat pump falters, there is no backup furnace quietly taking over. Add in the storms, both wind and winter weather, and the power interruptions that come with them, and you have a system that runs long hours in a place where it does not always get to run undisturbed.
- 6 months
- November through April, your system heats
- 5 months
- May through September, it cools
- 34°F
- the average winter night it heats against
- 87°F
- the average summer afternoon it cools against
NOAA nClimDiv, 1991–2020 normals
Virginia requires HVAC contractors to hold a state license.
Virginia's Board for Contractors tests the contractor and keeps a record of the license before work ever starts. That license belongs to the business, not to any one job, so it stays in place whether the work is a small repair or a full installation. Work under $1,000 falls outside this requirement, so a small heat pump repair may fall under that line depending on cost.
A heat pump repair usually means opening the refrigerant side of the system, and that work needs EPA Section 608 certification no matter what state you're in. That certification is federal and separate from the state license. It exists because refrigerant has to be recovered and handled correctly, not vented into the air.
Sources: Virginia General Assembly · Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation
- Why is my heat pump blowing cold air?
- In heating mode, the air from a heat pump comes out warm, not hot, even when it's working right. It should feel warm to the touch at the vent. If it feels cold, at room temperature or colder, the system may be stuck in a defrost cycle, low on refrigerant, or the reversing valve may be stuck in the wrong position. A contractor with EPA Section 608 certification is the one who can check refrigerant levels, since that means opening the sealed side of the system.
- Why is there ice on my heat pump?
- Some frost on the outdoor unit in winter is normal. A heat pump pulls heat from outside air, and that process frosts the coil, especially on cold nights. The unit should run a defrost cycle every so often to melt it off and switch back to heating. If ice is building up thick, covering the coil, or not clearing after a defrost cycle runs, something is wrong, often a fan that has stopped turning, a low refrigerant charge, or a defrost control that has failed. Winter nights here average 34°F from December through February, so the unit is defrosting often through those months, and a defrost problem will show up fast.
- Why is my heat pump running but not cooling?
- If the outdoor unit is running but the air coming out inside is not cool, check the air filter first. A clogged filter cuts off airflow across the indoor coil, and that can ice the coil over and stop cooling. If the filter is clean, the problem is more likely low refrigerant, a failing compressor, or a blocked outdoor coil. Refrigerant work requires a contractor with EPA Section 608 certification, since that means opening the sealed side of the system, so this is not something to chase down alone.