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Is your heat pump not working the way it should? Before you panic, know that a professional heat pump repair is not always needed. A dead heat pump in a Brampton July feels exactly like a dead furnace in January: urgent. The good news is that after 26 years of service calls across Peel Region, we can tell you that roughly a third of “broken” heat pumps we get called about need no repair at all. Someone bumped a switch, a filter clogged, or the unit was doing something completely normal that looked alarming.

When your heat pump not working problem strikes, this guide walks you through the same sequence our technicians use, ordered from the free 5 minute checks to the failures that need a licensed pro. Follow it in order and you will either fix the problem yourself or know exactly what to tell the technician when you call.

Heat Pump Not Working? Check These 3 Things Before Calling Anyone

1. The thermostat

Confirm it is set to the right mode. A heat pump switched to “heat” in summer, or left in “fan only,” will run without ever cooling. Set it to cool, drop the target at least 3 degrees below room temperature, and wait 5 minutes since most systems have a built in restart delay. If the screen is blank, replace the batteries. You would be surprised how many emergency calls end there.

2. The breaker and disconnect switch

Heat pumps have two power sources: a breaker in your electrical panel and a disconnect box mounted on the wall beside the outdoor unit. Check both. A breaker that trips once can be reset. A breaker that trips again within a day is telling you something electrical is failing, stop resetting it and call us.

3. The air filter

Pull the filter and hold it up to a light. If you cannot see light through it, the system has been suffocating. A clogged filter causes weak airflow, frozen coils, short cycling, and eventually compressor strain. Replace it, then give the system a few hours to recover. In Peel homes with pets, we recommend checking filters every 30 days, not the 90 the packaging claims.

The 10 Causes, From Harmless to Serious

Blocked outdoor unit (cause 4)

Walk outside and look at the condenser. Grass clippings, cottonwood fluff, leaves, and hedge overgrowth all choke the coil. Clear 60 cm of open space around the unit and gently rinse the fins with a garden hose, water off, power off first. In winter, clear snow drifts and ice from around the base.

Frozen coils (cause 5)

Ice on the indoor or outdoor coil means the system cannot move heat. Switch the system off, set the fan to “on” to help it thaw, and replace the filter. Here is the part most online guides skip: the ice is a symptom, not the disease. If it freezes again after thawing, the underlying cause is usually low refrigerant or a failing sensor, and both need a technician.

Failed capacitor (cause 6)

The capacitor gives the fan and compressor motors their starting jolt. When it fails, the outdoor unit hums but the fan does not spin. This is one of the most common repairs we do and one of the cheapest, but it involves stored electrical charge that can hurt you even with the power off. Do not open the panel yourself.

Refrigerant leak (cause 7)

A heat pump never “uses up” refrigerant. If levels are low, it leaked, and topping it up without fixing the leak just rents you a few months. In Canada, handling refrigerant legally requires certification, so this one is never a DIY job. Signs: gradual performance loss, a faint hissing near the lines, or ice despite a clean filter.

Stuck reversing valve (cause 9)

The reversing valve is what lets one machine both heat and cool. When it sticks, you get a heat pump that cools beautifully but will not heat, or the reverse. If your system works in one mode only, tell the technician that exact symptom on the phone, it saves diagnostic time and you money.

Two Things That Look Broken But Are Normal

Steam and a pause in winter

On cold, damp days, frost forms on the outdoor coil and your heat pump runs a defrost cycle: the outdoor fan stops, you may hear a whoosh, and a cloud of steam rises off the unit for a few minutes. Homeowners call us about this every winter convinced something is on fire. It is the system taking care of itself. Only worry if defrost runs constantly or the coil stays iced over.

Cooler supply air than a furnace

A gas furnace blows air at 45 to 60 degrees Celsius. A heat pump in heating mode delivers 30 to 40 degrees, warmer than your skin but cooler than you may be used to, so it can feel “lukewarm” while heating the house perfectly well. Check the actual room temperature against the setpoint before deciding the unit is failing.

What Common Heat Pump Repairs Cost in 2026

Ranges reflect typical residential jobs in Peel Region. Every repair starts with a diagnostic visit, and we apply that fee toward the repair when you proceed with us.

One honest rule of thumb we give customers: if the repair quote exceeds a third of the cost of a new system and your unit is past 10 years old, put the money toward replacement instead. A compressor swap on a 13 year old heat pump is rarely the right call, even though it is billable work for us.

When to Stop Troubleshooting and Call a Pro

Stop and call immediately if you notice any of these: a breaker that trips more than once, grinding or screeching from the compressor, burning smells, ice that returns after thawing, or a unit that is completely dead after the thermostat and breaker checks. Each of those points to an electrical or refrigerant fault where continued running causes real damage.

Our team handles heat pump repair across Mississauga, Brampton, and Caledon, on every major brand, with emergency service when the weather will not wait. If the diagnosis comes back as replacement territory, we will walk you through heat pump installation options and current rebate eligibility rather than pushing a repair that does not make sense.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my heat pump running but not cooling the house?

Start with the filter and the outdoor coil, restricted airflow is the cause in most of these calls. If both are clean, the likely culprits are low refrigerant from a leak or a failing compressor, and both need a licensed technician to confirm.

Why is my heat pump blowing cold air in heating mode?

First rule out a defrost cycle, which reverses the system for a few minutes and is normal. If cold air continues beyond 10 minutes, suspect a stuck reversing valve or low refrigerant. Also remember heat pump supply air at 30 to 40 degrees feels cooler than furnace air while still heating the home.

Is it safe to reset a tripped breaker on my heat pump?

Once, yes. If it trips again the same day, leave it off and book a repair. Repeated trips usually mean a shorting motor, a failed capacitor, or a compressor drawing excess current, and each reset risks more damage.

How much does heat pump repair cost in Mississauga?

Most single-component repairs land between $250 and $600, with a $99 to $150 diagnostic applied toward the work. Refrigerant leaks run $800 to $2,000 and major components like reversing valves or compressors range $1,500 to $4,500.

Why is my heat pump covered in ice?

Light frost in winter is normal and the defrost cycle clears it. A solid ice shell, or ice in summer, is not. Shut the system off, let it thaw, replace the filter, and if ice returns, the cause is usually low refrigerant or a sensor fault that needs professional diagnosis.