Heat Pump Repair & Replacement in Palm Beach, FL
Heat pumps are the most common HVAC system in Palm Beach County — they cool in summer and heat during cold fronts without a separate furnace. When yours stops working, we diagnose it fast and fix it right. Same-day service, all makes and models, upfront pricing before we start.
Most homes in Palm Beach County run on heat pumps, even if the homeowner doesn't realize it.
A heat pump looks like a standard central AC system — an outdoor condenser unit paired with an indoor air handler. The difference is that it moves heat in both directions. In cooling mode, it works exactly like an air conditioner, pulling heat out of your home. In heating mode, it reverses the process, pulling heat from the outdoor air and moving it inside.
For Palm Beach's climate, a heat pump makes more sense than a gas furnace. Winters here are mild — temperatures drop into the 50s on cold nights, occasionally the 40s. A heat pump handles that efficiently. You get one system that does both jobs without a gas line or a separate furnace.
The challenge is that heat pumps in South Florida run almost year-round. Unlike systems in northern climates that get a real off-season, a Palm Beach heat pump goes from cooling mode in summer to heating mode during cold fronts and back again without much of a break. That continuous operation means components wear faster and problems show up sooner than homeowners coming from cooler climates might expect.
Heat pump acting up? Call 561-725-9618 — we can usually get out the same day.Heat Pump Problems We Fix in Palm Beach
Heat pumps fail in specific ways. Here's what we see most often across Palm Beach County and what's usually behind each symptom.
Not Cooling in Summer
If your heat pump is running but not cooling the house, the most common causes are low refrigerant from a leak, a dirty coil reducing efficiency, a failing compressor, or a clogged condensate drain line triggering the safety shutoff. We diagnose the specific cause before recommending any repair.
Not Heating During Cold Fronts
When Palm Beach gets a cold front and your heat pump can't keep up, it might be low on refrigerant, have a reversing valve problem, or a failing compressor. Heat strips inside the air handler are the backup heating source — if those are failing too, the house gets cold fast.
Stuck in One Mode
A heat pump that blows cold air in heating mode or can't switch from cooling to heating has a reversing valve problem. The reversing valve is the component that literally reverses the refrigerant flow direction. When it sticks or fails, the system is stuck in one mode.
Running Constantly Without Reaching Temperature
A heat pump that runs all day without reaching the thermostat setting is usually low on refrigerant, has a dirty coil, or is dealing with a failing compressor. In Palm Beach's heat, this also raises your FPL bill noticeably.
Short Cycling
Turning on, running for a minute or two, shutting off, and repeating is called short cycling. It wastes energy and wears out components fast. Common causes are an oversized system, a refrigerant issue, or an electrical problem with the thermostat or control board.
Ice Buildup on the Unit
Ice on a heat pump in South Florida means something is wrong — restricted airflow from a dirty filter or coil, low refrigerant, or a blower motor problem. Turn the system off and let it thaw before calling us. Running it with ice on the coil can damage the compressor.
Why Heat Pumps Wear Faster in Palm Beach Than Most Places
This is something that catches a lot of homeowners off guard — particularly people who moved here from the north.
In a climate like Ohio or New York, a heat pump might run 6 months out of the year. Cooling season runs May through September. The system sits idle October through April. That downtime matters — it's when components rest and oils redistribute through the system.
In Palm Beach, the system runs cooling mode from roughly April through November — about 8 months. Then during December through March it cycles between cooling mode on warm days and heating mode during cold fronts. There's no true off-season.
That means a heat pump in Palm Beach accumulates runtime at roughly twice the rate of a system in a northern climate. A system that might last 18 to 20 years in Atlanta might last 12 to 15 years in Palm Beach. Capacitors, contactor switches, fan motors, and compressors all wear on a faster cycle.
This isn't a reason to be alarmed — it's just a reason to stay on top of maintenance and pay attention when the system starts showing early warning signs rather than running it until it fails completely.
When to Repair vs Replace a Heat Pump in Palm Beach
The repair vs replace decision on a heat pump follows similar logic to a standard AC system, with a few additional factors specific to heat pumps.
Age of the system
Heat pumps in Palm Beach typically last 12 to 15 years with good maintenance. If your system is approaching or past that range and has a significant failure, the math usually favors replacement — especially if the compressor is the issue.
The compressor question
The compressor is the most expensive component in a heat pump system. A compressor replacement on an older system often costs more than half the price of a full replacement. If the compressor fails on a system that's 12 or more years old, we'll walk you through both options with real numbers and let you decide.
Refrigerant type
Older heat pumps running on R-22 refrigerant are a special case. R-22 production ended years ago and the remaining supply is expensive. A refrigerant leak on an R-22 system is often the tipping point that makes replacement more sensible than repair.
Repair history
A heat pump that has needed multiple repairs in the past two or three years is telling you something. Individual repairs might each seem affordable, but adding them up — and projecting that pattern forward — often makes replacement the better long-term financial decision.
Heat Pump Systems We Service
We work on all residential and light commercial heat pump configurations in Palm Beach County.
Central Split System Heat Pumps
The most common configuration in Palm Beach — an outdoor heat pump unit paired with an indoor air handler. We repair and replace both components and handle full system changeouts when both units need to go.
Ductless Mini-Split Heat Pumps
All the mini-split systems we install run as heat pumps — they cool and heat the same space. We repair and maintain these the same as central heat pump systems. See our ductless mini-split page for more on these.
Package Unit Heat Pumps
Some Palm Beach homes — particularly smaller homes and condos — have package units where all components are combined in one outdoor cabinet. We repair and replace these as well.
Heat Pump Water Heaters
Heat pump technology is increasingly used in water heaters. If you have a heat pump water heater that's not performing, we can diagnose and repair it.
Heat Pump Repair Questions
Related Services
AC Repair
Central AC acting up that isn't a heat pump? Same honest diagnosis and same-day service.
AC Maintenance
Regular tune-ups are the best defense against heat pump failures. We offer twice-yearly service plans.
AC Installation
If your heat pump has finally reached the end of its life, we handle complete system replacements.
AC Problem in Palm Beach County?
Call or text us. A real person answers. We'll talk through what's happening and get you on the schedule fast.