Heat Pump Repair in Lexington, SC

A heat pump that quits in July is miserable. One that quits on a January night headed for the 20s is a bigger problem, because the backup heat strips are now carrying the whole house and the electric meter is spinning. Heat pump repair in Lexington, SC usually comes down to a few parts: the defrost controls, the reversing valve, the refrigerant charge, the outdoor electrical parts and the heat strips. We test them in that order and tell you plainly which one failed.

A repair visit can cover any of these:

• Defrost boards, coil sensors and outdoor fan motors
• Reversing valve solenoids and valve bodies
• Capacitors, contactors and compressor starting problems
• Refrigerant leak searches, repairs and recharging by weight
• Heat strips, sequencers and limit switches in the air handler
• Thermostat wiring, including the O/B wire that tells the valve which way to shift

Heat pump not heating? Read the symptoms first

Defrost problems and a frozen heat pump

In winter the outdoor coil runs colder than the air around it, so moisture freezes on it. That's normal. The defrost control watches the coil temperature and, when frost builds up, reverses the unit into cooling mode for a few minutes to melt it. The outdoor fan stops during that time and the heat strips come on inside so you don't feel a draft.

When a defrost board, coil sensor or outdoor fan motor fails, the frost never clears and turns into solid ice. Low refrigerant does the same thing by making the coil colder than it should be. Midlands winters add a wrinkle: freezing rain and damp nights near freezing build ice fast. A pine-pollen-coated coil from spring that was never rinsed doesn't help. A healthy defrost normally wraps up in roughly 5 to 15 minutes; a coil that is still steaming well past that, or icing harder each cycle, has a control or charge problem.

Reversing valve repair and other common fixes

The reversing valve is what lets one machine heat and cool. It has two parts that can fail:

• The solenoid coil, an electrical part clipped onto the valve. If it's dead, the valve won't shift. Replacing it is quick.
• The valve body, which can stick or leak internally. Replacing it means recovering the refrigerant, brazing the new valve in while purging with nitrogen, pulling a vacuum and recharging. Refrigerant recovery and handling fall under EPA Section 608.

Other frequent repairs:

• Capacitors and contactors. Summer heat and storms wear them out. A failed one leaves the outdoor unit humming or silent.
• Outdoor fan motors. If the fan stops, the coil can't pick up heat in winter or shed it in summer.
• Refrigerant leaks. Topping off without finding the leak just schedules the next breakdown. We search for the leak and give you repair options through our coil and refrigerant leak repair service.
• Heat strips and sequencers. Your safety net when the heat pump can't keep up.

What does a heat pump repair visit look like?

1. On the phone. We ask what you're seeing and talk you through emergency heat if the unit is iced or noisy.
2. Arrival. We call ahead and ask about the history: age, past repairs, when the problem started.
3. Diagnosis. We check thermostat wiring, the outdoor electrical parts and refrigerant pressures and temperatures in heating mode, then force a defrost to watch the valve and controls work. Inside, we measure heat strip current and airflow.
4. Options and price. You hear what failed and what it costs before work begins.
5. Repair and test. We run the system in heat and cool, watch a defrost, and clean up.

If the compressor has failed on an older unit, or the system runs on R-22 that's now available only as reclaimed supply, we'll compare the repair with a new heat pump installation and let you weigh both.

What sets the price of a heat pump repair?

• The part involved, from a coil or capacitor up to a valve body or compressor
• Refrigerant type and how much is needed; R-22 costs more because supply is limited
• Labor for recovery, brazing and evacuation when the refrigerant circuit is opened
• The age and model, which decides part availability
• Access to the air handler, especially in attics
• Nights and weekends, when after-hours rates apply
• Whether the indoor coil also leaks, which can turn one repair into two

A fault confirmed on the first visit costs less than one chased across several, which is why we test before replacing parts. If a replacement turns out to make more sense, that estimate is free.

When the house is already cold and it can't wait for a weekday, our no-heat emergency service answers 24/7. Twice-a-year maintenance catches weak capacitors and defrost problems early. Heat pump calls come to us from Oak Grove, West Columbia, Red Bank and other communities around the county.

Refrigerant handling and licensing on heat pump repairs

Opening a heat pump's refrigerant circuit is federally regulated. EPA Section 608 requires certification for anyone who recovers or charges refrigerant, and the old charge has to be recovered into a cylinder, never vented. US production of R-22 ended in 2020, so older systems depend on reclaimed refrigerant. Newer units use R-410A, and replacement equipment since 2025 uses A2L refrigerants with their own handling rules.

In South Carolina, HVAC contractors are licensed through SC LLR; look any company up on the LLR site before it opens your system. We are fully licensed and insured. Repairs rarely need a permit, but a full replacement does.

Why homeowners call us for a heat pump that quit

Reviewers single out a refrigerant leak we tracked down after another company missed it, and that is the habit behind every heat pump repair: find the cause before anyone adds refrigerant. Owner Chong Kim talks you through emergency heat on the phone, then shows you the reading or part that failed. We're NATE certified and a Bryant-authorized dealer, so if an old R-22 unit isn't worth saving, replacement equipment is often in within days. No-heat emergency calls are answered 24/7, and we call ahead before arriving so you are not left guessing on a cold morning.