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518 Heating
518 Heating
Heating · New York

Heat Pump Frozen Outside

An iced-over heat pump keeps losing output the longer it runs that way, so call before it stops producing usable heat entirely.

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When this becomes an emergency

What a pro does

Frost during a defrost cycle is expected. A solid ice shell that never clears is a different thing, and the questions a tech works through are whether the defrost control is calling at all, whether the reversing valve is shifting, whether the outdoor sensor still reads accurately, and whether the charge is low enough that the coil is running colder than it should. Placement gets examined too, because the control board isn't the only suspect. Units set low to the ground where blowing snow drifts against them, or under an eave that dumps meltwater onto the top all afternoon, ice up in ways no control board can defeat, and at elevation both of those conditions show up most of the winter.

Frequently asked questions

A light coat that clears itself every hour or so during defrost is normal operation. Ice that keeps growing across multiple cycles isn't.
The safe step is shutting the unit off at the thermostat. The coil fins and the refrigerant tubing behind them damage easily, and the ice returns until the defrost fault itself is fixed.
An iced coil can't absorb outdoor heat, so output collapses and the electric or fuel-fired backup carries the load instead, which shows up on the bill quickly.
Considerably. Drifting snow, roof runoff, and a pad set too low all put water where the coil has to deal with it, and moving or raising the unit sometimes solves what looks like a control fault.

Heat Pump Frozen Outside?

Get connected with a local pro now.

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