Heat Pumps & Heating
Heat pump repair in Miami, in cooling or heating mode
A heat pump shares nearly every part with an air conditioner, plus a few of its own: the reversing valve, the defrost control and the thermostat logic that switches modes. We test those first when a heat pump misbehaves.
Miami service office on SW 117th Ave · We answer 24/7
- Answered 24/7
- Miami service office
- Both modes tested
Updated October 2026
Heat pump repair in Miami covers the same failures as AC repair, such as capacitors, contactors, fan motors and refrigerant leaks, plus heat pump parts like the reversing valve, its solenoid coil and the defrost control board. A technician from our SW 117th Ave office tests the system in both modes to find whether the fault is electrical, mechanical or in the controls.
Warning signs
Signs your heat pump needs service
Warm air in cooling mode
Valve stuck or thermostat set wrong.
No heat on a cold night
Valve coil, board or settings.
Loud whoosh that doesn't stop
A valve struggling to shift.
Outdoor unit won't start
Board, contactor or capacitor.
Heat strips running constantly
The heat pump isn't doing its part.
Ice on the outdoor coil that stays
Defrost not working on a cold night.
Short cycling
Charge, sensor or control fault.
The job
What goes wrong with heat pumps in a cooling climate
In Miami a heat pump spends almost all its life in cooling mode, so most of its failures are the same as any air conditioner's. The difference shows up when the system won't switch modes, blows warm air on a hot day, or stops when the thermostat calls for cooling.
Those symptoms usually point to the reversing valve, the solenoid that moves it, the defrost board that controls both, or a thermostat wired or set up for the wrong system type.
Step by step
How we diagnose a heat pump
- 1
Check the thermostat
System type setting and wiring.
- 2
Run cooling mode
Temperatures, pressures and amps.
- 3
Run heating mode
Does it switch, and does heat follow?
- 4
Test the valve coil
Signal and energizing.
- 5
Test the board
Inputs, outputs and sensor.
- 6
Repair
Priced before any work.
- 7
Test both modes again
Cooling and heating confirmed.
What we see on this job
Reversing valve problems
The reversing valve redirects refrigerant to switch between cooling and heating. When it sticks partway, the system runs but moves little heat in either direction; when it sticks in heating, the house gets warm air in July. We check whether the solenoid coil is getting its signal and energizing, then check temperatures on both sides of the valve. A failed coil is a quick repair. A valve that is stuck internally has to be replaced, which means recovering the charge, brazing and a new filter drier.
Heat pump stuck in one mode
A heat pump that heats when you want cooling, or won't switch into heat on a cold night, isn't always a valve problem. The thermostat may be set up for a conventional AC instead of a heat pump, or wired with the reversing valve signal on the wrong terminal. A new thermostat installed without checking this is a common cause. We check the thermostat's configuration and the signal at the air handler and outdoor unit before condemning the valve, since a settings fix costs far less.
Defrost board faults
In Miami the defrost cycle itself rarely has to run, because the outdoor coil seldom gets cold enough to frost. But on many heat pumps the defrost control board also carries the compressor time delay and the reversing valve output, so a failed board can stop the outdoor unit even in cooling mode. We test the board's inputs and outputs, check its sensor, and replace it only when it has actually failed, because boards are among the pricier parts on the outdoor unit.
Local conditions
Heating mode in a city with eight cold nights
Miami drops to 50 degrees or below on only about eight nights a year, so many heat pumps go most of the year without ever running in heat mode. That is why a failed reversing valve or a thermostat set up for the wrong system type often isn't discovered until the first cold night in January, when the house gets colder instead of warmer.
Do it yourself or call
What to check before calling
Worth checking
- Thermostat set to the right mode.
- Thermostat configured as a heat pump system.
- Breaker for the outdoor unit on.
- Filter clean and airflow clear.
Leave to the technician
- Testing the valve coil and board.
- Refrigerant pressures in both modes.
- Valve replacement and brazing.
- Rewiring the thermostat signal.
Settings and the breaker are worth a minute. Anything with the valve, the board or the refrigerant needs a meter and gauges.
Brands we service and install
What moves the price
What decides the price of a heat pump repair
Planning range: Residential diagnostic visit in Miami: $79-$250 in published 2026 guides. A market range, not our quote.
The failed part
A coil or capacitor is small; a valve is not.
Refrigerant work
Valve replacement needs recovery and recharge.
Control board
Defrost boards cost more than relays.
Thermostat setup
A configuration fix may be all it needs.
Access
Tight side yards and attic air handlers.
Time of the call
After-hours visits carry a premium.
System age
An old unit's repair is priced beside a replacement.
FAQ
Questions Miami customers ask about heat pump repair
The reversing valve may be stuck in heat, or the thermostat is set up wrong. Both are testable.
The solenoid coil can be replaced. A valve stuck internally has to be replaced.
Often the thermostat setup, a valve coil or the defrost board. We test in heat mode.
The cycle rarely runs, but the board often controls the compressor too.
Trane, Carrier, Lennox, Rheem, Goodman, Daikin and most others.
A valve replacement on an older R-22 unit often isn't worth it; you get both numbers.
Same category
Related heat pumps work we handle in Miami
Heating Repair
Electric heat strip replacement, burning smell on the first cold night.
Pool Heat Pump Installation and Repair
New pool heat pump sizing and install, heat exchanger and coil repairs.
Water-Source Heat Pump Repair
Condo closet and ceiling units, repair or like-for-like replacement.
Heat pump in the wrong mode? Call the Miami desk
A technician tests the valve, the board and the thermostat setup in both modes.
