Heat pumps provide both heating and cooling — when they fail, they take both functions offline. Get connected with technicians who diagnose and repair heat pump systems across Memphis and Shelby County year-round.

Memphis sits on the bluffs above the Mississippi River in the state's southwest corner, and its subtropical climate means summer cooling season here runs longer and more demanding than almost anywhere else in Tennessee — high humidity off the river valley keeps air conditioners working hard well into September some years. The city's housing ranges from historic homes near Overton Park and Midtown, many with older duct systems retrofitted into houses never originally built for central air, to newer subdivisions spreading east toward Cordova and Bartlett. Winter in Memphis is milder than the rest of the state but not without real cold snaps, and older furnaces here sometimes go years between real workouts, which is part of why a sudden cold event catches some systems by surprise. AC repair is the dominant year-round call, but heating repair spikes hard and fast whenever a genuine cold front moves through.

Heat Pump Problems

Common heat pump failures include reversing valve problems that prevent the system from switching between heating and cooling modes, refrigerant leaks, defrost board failures that cause ice buildup on the outdoor unit, compressor issues, and auxiliary heat problems. Heat pump diagnostics require specialized knowledge of the refrigerant cycle in both directions.

System runs constantly but never quite reaches the set temperature

This often points to a refrigerant or airflow issue rather than a thermostat problem — a technician can check charge levels and airflow before assuming the system itself is undersized.

Outdoor unit is covered in ice, even when it's not especially cold out

Some frost during a normal defrost cycle is expected, but heavy ongoing ice buildup usually means the defrost cycle isn't completing correctly or airflow is restricted.

Noticeably higher electric bills with no change in usage habits

A system working harder than it should to hit the same comfort level is a common early sign of a developing mechanical issue, often before anything sounds or feels obviously wrong.

Heat Pump vs. Furnace in West Tennessee

In West Tennessee's climate, heat pumps are efficient down to certain outdoor temperatures, after which auxiliary or emergency heat takes over. If your heat pump is running but not keeping up in cold weather, the issue may be with the auxiliary heat source rather than the heat pump itself. Technicians check the full system.

  • Auxiliary heat running during genuinely cold weather. That is the system doing what it was designed to do, and no repair removes the cost of it.
  • A bill driven by rate changes, occupancy, or water heating rather than the heat pump. Comparing against the same month a year earlier is the cheapest first check and costs nothing.
  • Building heat loss from thin insulation or leaky ducts. A repair restores equipment performance; it does not reduce how much heat the house loses.
  • A thermostat simply set higher than it used to be, since each degree of setpoint raises runtime regardless of equipment condition.
  • Comfort problems in a house where the equipment was undersized at installation, which no component-level repair will change.

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This content is reviewed by the Tennessee HVAC Repair editorial team and informed by licensed-contractor sourcing, manufacturer documentation, and established industry standards for hvac repair. Read our editorial standards.