Heat pump repair in New Orleans, cooling and heating modes
A heat pump works year round here, cooling for most of it and heating through the short winter. When it fails, it can fail in either mode, and the causes are different for each.
Answered 24/7Mid-City service officeSlidell head officeEvery major brand
Heat pump repairs in New Orleans most often involve a stuck reversing valve, a failed defrost control, low refrigerant from a leak, or the same capacitor and contactor failures a standard AC has. In heating mode, cold air or constant heat strip use usually points to the reversing valve or defrost system; in cooling mode, the repairs match those of any air conditioner.
Signs your heat pump needs repair
- Cold air from vents in heating mode
- Outdoor unit encased in ice for hours
- Heat strips running constantly
- System stuck in cooling or heating
- Loud whoosh or bang during mode changes
- Short cycling in either mode
- Warm air in summer with the fan running
What makes heat pump repair different
Updated September 2026
A heat pump is an air conditioner with extra parts: a reversing valve that switches it between cooling and heating, and a defrost control that clears frost from the outdoor coil in winter. Those parts only get used part of the year, so their failures often show up on the first cold morning.
In cooling mode, a heat pump fails the same ways an AC does, and we repair it the same way. We diagnose both modes on every call.
How a heat pump repair runs
- 1
Check both modes
Cooling and heating operation tested.
- 2
Read the controls
Thermostat, defrost board and reversing valve signals checked.
- 3
Pressures and temperatures
Refrigerant readings in the failing mode.
- 4
Price
Repair quoted before work.
- 5
Repair
Coil, board, sensor or refrigerant repair completed.
- 6
Full cycle test
Heat, defrost and cooling verified.
Reversing Valve Failure
The reversing valve changes the direction refrigerant flows, which is how a heat pump switches between cooling and heating. When its solenoid coil fails, the valve may stay stuck in one mode; when the valve itself sticks or leaks internally, the system may heat and cool poorly in both. We test the coil electrically before condemning the valve, because a failed coil is a small repair and a valve replacement is a major one that means recovering refrigerant and brazing.
Defrost Board Fault
In winter, frost forms on the outdoor coil and the heat pump reverses briefly to melt it. A failed defrost board or sensor can leave the coil iced for hours, or cycle defrost so often the house never warms. We test the board, the sensor and the timing, and replace the failed part. A few minutes of steam from the outdoor unit in cold weather is normal; a unit encased in ice is not. We also check the outdoor coil for dirt, which makes frost build faster.
Heat Pump Iced Over
A heat pump that ices up in winter usually has a defrost problem; one that ices up in summer has the same airflow or refrigerant problem any AC does. Low refrigerant causes ice in both seasons. We diagnose which it is before thawing and repairing, because running an iced unit risks damage to the compressor, and a system that is low on refrigerant always has a leak that needs repair, not just a recharge. A thaw and a quick restart only brings the ice back.
How long before it works again
Reversing valve coils, defrost boards, sensors, capacitors and contactors are usually replaced on the first visit. A reversing valve replacement or a leak repair involves recovering refrigerant, brazing and recharging, which takes most of a day and may require ordering the valve.
Heat pumps in a mostly-cooling climate
In this climate a heat pump spends most of the year in cooling mode and only a few weeks in heating, so the reversing valve and defrost controls sit unused for months at a time. That is why so many of our heat pump repair calls come in on the first cold morning of the season. A fall heating check that runs the system through a full heat and defrost cycle catches most of these before they strand you.
Brands we service and install
We repair and install Trane, Carrier, Lennox, Goodman, Rheem, Ruud and the other major lines, plus Mitsubishi Electric ductless.
What affects the cost of a heat pump repair
Heat pump repairs range from small electrical fixes to major refrigerant work.
The failed part
A reversing valve coil costs far less than the valve itself.
Refrigerant work
Valve and leak repairs require recovery and recharge.
Defrost controls
Boards and sensors are moderate repairs.
Season and timing
After-hours calls on cold nights carry a premium at most shops.
System age
An older unit may not justify a major repair.
Access
Air handler location affects indoor repairs.
Questions about Heat Pump Repair in New Orleans
Often a reversing valve or defrost problem. Lukewarm air is normal; cold air is not.
In winter, usually a defrost fault; in summer, airflow or low refrigerant.
Yes, briefly during defrost in cold weather.
Often a thermostat setup issue or a heat pump not producing heat.
Yes. In cooling mode the repairs match any air conditioner.
It is a major repair; we test the coil first, which is a far smaller fix.
All major brands, including Trane, Carrier, Lennox, Goodman, Rheem and Daikin.
If it needs a major repair and is past 12 to 15 years, often yes.
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