Heat pumps punish sloppy work faster than any other equipment: charge measured in ounces instead of pounds, airflow that must be right in both modes, and a defrost system that has to work on wet January nights. That is the standard we hold them to.
What this covers
- Heat pump replacement and new installation
- Reversing-valve diagnosis and replacement
- Defrost board and sensor repair
- Charge and airflow balancing in both modes
- Auxiliary heat-strip checkout
- Dual-fuel system setup with existing furnace
Signs you need this
- Cold air in heating mode (beyond normal defrost)
- Outdoor unit a block of ice in winter
- Running constantly in either season without satisfying
- Aux heat strips driving winter power bills up
- Loud valve-switching noise or sluggish mode changes
Shoals notes
If your January power bill spikes while the summer bill behaves, the heat pump is likely failing over to backup strips — a repair-stage symptom, not a replace-everything symptom. We check that first.
Questions we get
Do heat pumps work well in north Alabama winters?
Yes — modern cold-climate units hold capacity well below our design temperatures, and our winters rarely test their floor. Sizing and defrost behavior are what separate a good experience from a bad one here.
What is dual-fuel?
A heat pump paired with a gas furnace as backup. The pump carries the mild days efficiently; the furnace takes over on the few brutal nights. If you have a gas line, it is worth pricing.