Your heat pump has been running non-stop for hours. You're not sure if that's normal or if something's wrong.
You probably came here because…
- Heat pump runs for hours without cycling off in winter
- The house is at or near set temp but the unit keeps running
- In cooling season, the unit runs constantly on hot days
- Utility bills seem higher than they should be
What’s actually happening
Heat pumps are designed to run long cycles – that's actually more efficient than a system that short-cycles on and off. In cold weather (below 35F outside), long runs are normal.
But there's a line between 'long runs' and 'never stops.' If it truly never shuts off and the house is at set temp, something's wrong. Usually low refrigerant, a bad reversing valve, or a dirty coil that's killing efficiency.
In cooling season, constant running in extreme heat can be normal for a properly sized system – but if the house isn't reaching temp, it's undersized or the refrigerant is low.
What we do about it
Check the outdoor unit
Look at the outdoor coil. Is it caked in dirt, grass clippings, cottonwood, or ice? A dirty or frozen outdoor coil kills heat transfer and makes the unit run longer to do the same work.
Check emergency heat
On the thermostat, is Emergency Heat or Aux Heat on? Emergency Heat uses expensive electric resistance strips and bypasses the heat pump entirely. If it's stuck on, that alone explains high runtime and bills.
Compare to last winter
If the system used to shut off during mild days but doesn't anymore, something has degraded. Usually refrigerant loss or a compressor problem. Get a tech to check.
When to just call
If the outdoor unit is running non-stop AND the house won't reach temp AND you can hear the reversing valve clicking or hissing, that's usually the reversing valve. Not cheap but not catastrophic. Call (423) 637-1846.
Ready to fix it?
Call the family that’s been doing this in the Sequatchie Valley since 1996.