Heat Pump Repair in Tempe, AZ — Blowing Cold, Won't Switch Over, or Stuck on Aux Heat
Same-day heat pump repair in Tempe from a Master Heat Pump Technician. Reversing valves, defrost boards, heat strips, thermostats, refrigerant. Upfront pricing, no commission techs, owner-operated since 2008.
Most Tempe homes heat and cool with the same box. A heat pump is your air conditioner run backwards, so when it quits in January it's the same unit, the same refrigerant circuit, and the same truck that fixed it in July. The difference is the parts that only work in winter, and those are what sit unused for nine months and fail on the first 38° morning.
Our shop is at 2465 W 12th St, off Priest and Broadway. Most of Tempe is under 15 minutes from the door.
Why a Master Heat Pump Technician matters here
Eric Lipp, the owner, holds the Master Heat Pump Technician credential through the Electric League of Arizona, the DOE Energy Skilled–recognized program that APS and SRP use for their qualified contractor lists. It's not a marketing badge. It's the training on reversing valves, defrost logic, and refrigerant charging that most "AC companies" skip because heat pump heating is a short season in the Valley. The tech who shows up has done this specific work for 18 years.
The calls we get in Tempe
- Blowing cold air on heat. Reversing valve stuck in cooling, defrost board failed, or low refrigerant. Can also be normal for a minute during a defrost cycle; if it's cold for more than a few minutes, it isn't.
- Aux heat or emergency heat running constantly. The heat pump isn't keeping up and the thermostat is leaning on the electric strips. That's the most expensive way to heat a house in Arizona and it shows up on the SRP bill fast. Usually a refrigerant, control, or sizing problem.
- Outdoor unit iced over. Defrost sensor, defrost board, or a fan motor. Ice on a Tempe heat pump means the defrost cycle isn't firing.
- Won't switch from cool to heat. Reversing valve solenoid, thermostat wiring, or the control board.
- Runs but never reaches the setpoint. Dirty coil, low charge, or an undersized system that was fine in the '90s and isn't now.
- Tripped breaker. Heat strips pull a lot of current. A failed sequencer or shorted element trips it; so does a failing compressor.
What heat pump repairs cost in Tempe
Installed, parts and labor, on a standard residential split or rooftop package unit. Your written quote lands inside these unless the system has something unusual, and we'll say what before touching it.
| Diagnostic visit | $89 | Waived when you approve the repair; credited toward a replacement |
| Run capacitor | $165–$245 | Most common failure, any season |
| Contactor | $150–$350 | Same visit as the diagnostic |
| Defrost control board or sensor | $250–$600 | The usual "iced over" fix |
| Heat strip / sequencer | $200–$550 | Per element; the aux-heat breaker-trip repair |
| Reversing valve | $900–$1,800 | Sealed-system work: recover, braze, vacuum, recharge. Repair-vs-replace conversation on anything past 12 years |
| Refrigerant leak search + repair + recharge | $500–$1,500 | R-410A. We find the leak; we don't top off |
| Thermostat replacement | $180–$450 | Heat pump thermostats need the O/B wire set right; a lot of DIY installs don't |
Compressor and anything on a system past 12 years gets both numbers on the same sheet: the repair and the replacement. The tech doing it doesn't earn commission on either one.
Why Tempe heat pumps fail in October
The same unit ran 2,500+ hours this summer at 110°+. Capacitors, contactors, and fan motors are already worn by the time the first cold morning asks the reversing valve to move for the first time since March. Add a defrost board that hasn't cycled all year and a set of heat strips that's been dormant since February. The fall tune-up exists to catch this: we run the system in heat mode, force a defrost cycle, test each heat strip stage, check the reversing valve, and verify the thermostat is staging correctly. $59.95 per system, same tune-up we run in spring.
Repair or replace
Heat pump repair math is the same as AC: multiply the repair cost by the unit's age. If it beats a new system, replace. A $1,400 reversing valve on a 13-year-old 14 SEER unit is the replacement conversation; the same repair on a 6-year-old unit is a repair. Our repair-or-replace guide walks through it, and a new heat pump takes 20 to 30% off a winter SRP bill that's been propped up by aux heat.
If you're replacing, we install American Standard as a tier 3 dealer and we're an APS and SRP qualified contractor, so utility rebates apply. Gas furnace owners: in most of Tempe a heat pump wins on operating cost when the AC is due anyway. We'll run your numbers.
Where we work in Tempe
North Tempe and ASU rentals, Maple-Ash and Mitchell Park rooftop package units, South Tempe tract homes in Warner Ranch and The Lakes with attic air handlers, and the condos north of the 202. Zip codes 85281, 85282, 85283, 85284, 85285, 85287. Same truck covers Chandler, Mesa, and South Scottsdale.
Questions people ask
Why is my heat pump blowing cold air in heat mode?+
Three common causes in Tempe: the reversing valve is stuck in cooling, the defrost board has failed, or the system is low on refrigerant. It's also normal for a minute or two during a defrost cycle. If it's cold for longer than that, shut it to Off and call.
What does heat pump repair cost in Tempe?+
Most repairs run $165 to $600: capacitors, contactors, defrost boards, heat strips. A reversing valve is $900 to $1,800. Our $89 diagnostic is waived when you approve the repair and credited toward a replacement.
Why is my electric bill so high in winter?+
Your thermostat is running the auxiliary or emergency heat strips instead of the heat pump. Strips cost three to four times more per hour of heat. It usually means the heat pump can't keep up (low refrigerant, dirty coil, failed component) or the thermostat is set wrong. Both are fixable.
Is ice on my heat pump normal?+
Light frost on the outdoor coil during a cold morning is normal and the defrost cycle clears it. A solid block of ice, or ice that's still there at noon, means the defrost cycle isn't running. Turn it off and call before the fan motor hits the ice.
Do I need a special technician for a heat pump?+
Any licensed HVAC tech can work on one, but reversing valves, defrost logic, and charging a heat pump in heat mode are where generalists get it wrong. Our owner is a Master Heat Pump Technician through the Electric League of Arizona.
Should I replace my gas furnace with a heat pump?+
In most of Tempe, yes, when the AC is due. One system does both, operating cost is lower for our mild winters, and APS/SRP rebates apply. We'll run gas vs. heat pump numbers for your house.