Heat pump maintenance: $70 to $200, defrost and ice (2026)

National figures. A tune-up is planned work; the repair lines show what a skipped tune-up tends to turn into.

Do this now: heat pump maintenance you can do today

Four jobs are the owner's, and the manufacturers put numbers on each:

1. Change the filter. Carrier says every 60 to 90 days. DOE says a dirty filter replacement can lower energy use 5% to 15%.
2. Clear the outdoor unit. Carrier wants 24 inches of clearance; Lennox says keep 2 feet clear and brush light snow off. Never pour hot water on ice and do not chip it (Lennox).
3. Check the thermostat mode. Carrier says a thermostat left on cool or constant fan blows cool air. Heat, fan on auto.
4. Leave emergency heat off unless the outdoor unit has stopped. Carrier says to use it sparingly because it raises the bill; the section below explains when it is the right switch.
5. Breaker tripped? Reset it once. Carrier says to call if breakers or the disconnect keep tripping.

Is it urgent? Heat pump problems that mean a repair, not a tune-up

A heat pump is urgent when it has stopped heating in cold weather, and HomeAdvisor prices a heat pump repair at $410 on average, $161 to $661 for most.

• Today: no heat with freezing temperatures outside, the outdoor fan not spinning, or ice on the refrigerant lines (Lennox). Switch to emergency heat and call heat pump repair.
• Today: a solid block of ice that has not cleared in 6 to 8 hours (Lennox). Turn the system off and call.
• This week: defrost cycles that keep repeating (Trane), lukewarm air, a bill that jumped.
• Can wait: the routine spring or fall service on a system that is heating and cooling normally.

How much does heat pump maintenance cost?

Heat pump maintenance costs $70 to $200 per tune-up in HomeGuide's guide and $75 to $150 per visit in Fixr's January 2026 guide, which says twice-yearly service roughly doubles the annual total. HomeGuide prices a maintenance plan at $120 to $360 a year.

Fixr says heat pumps get serviced twice a year, spring for cooling and fall for heating, and HomeGuide's AC guide says some manufacturers require annual maintenance to keep the warranty valid. The DOE adds one item for the technician: leak-check the refrigeration system at install and at each service call.

What a heat pump tune-up includes

A heat pump tune-up covers the same $70 to $200 visit as an AC tune-up plus the heating-side checks, and HomeGuide's checklist runs from the filter to the compressor:

• Filter, airflow and thermostat calibration (HomeGuide AC checklist).
• Capacitors, contactors and wiring. HomeGuide prices a failed capacitor at $100 to $250 and a contactor at $150 to $400.
• Refrigerant lines and charge, plus a leak check. DOE says to leak-check at every service call; HomeGuide prices a recharge at $100 to $600 and a leak repair at $200 to $1,500. A tune-up does not include refrigerant.
• Outdoor coil cleaning, fan motor, compressor amperage and voltage (HomeGuide).
• Defrost controls and the reversing valve. HomeAdvisor says a heat pump that will not defrost most commonly has a faulty defrost timer or a broken reversing valve; a defrost control board runs $200 to $650.
• Condensate drain flush (HomeGuide).

Heat pump defrost mode: what is normal and what is not

Defrost mode lasts about 3 to 5 minutes in Trane's description and about 5 to 10 minutes in Carrier's, and it is normal: Trane says the system reverses refrigerant flow to warm the outdoor coil, which can start in the low 40s F and is more common in the 20s and 30s.

Trane (Feb 2026), Lennox (Feb 2026) and Carrier owner pages.

Lennox lists the causes of heavy ice: a defrost control or sensor failure, low refrigerant, restricted airflow from filters, snow or debris, a clogged drain, freezing rain, or a failed reversing valve or fan motor. The first three are what a tune-up catches. DOE suggests choosing a heat pump with demand-defrost control when buying.

Emergency heat on the thermostat: when to use it

Emergency heat is for when the outdoor unit is not running, per Carrier, which says to use it sparingly because it raises the bill. It runs the backup electric strips alone instead of the heat pump.

• Use it when the outdoor unit is stopped, iced solid or being repaired, so the house stays warm until the technician comes.
• Do not use it as a normal setting. Carrier says it raises the bill; DOE's figures show why, since a heat pump transfers heat rather than making it with resistance.
• AUX is different. Trane says AUX showing on the thermostat during defrost is normal; the backup heat runs briefly while the outdoor coil thaws.
• Air feels cool but is heating? Carrier says heat pump supply air is 85 to 100 F against 120 to 140 F from a furnace.

Heat pump frozen: what to do before you call

Light frost is normal and heavy ice is a problem, per Lennox, which says a heat pump defrosts itself every 30 to 90 minutes in cold weather and to call if the ice is not gone in 6 to 8 hours or comes back.

1. Check the filter and clear 2 feet around the unit (Lennox).
2. Brush off light snow. Do not chip ice or pour hot water on it (Lennox).
3. Switch to emergency heat if the unit is iced solid, then call. HomeAdvisor prices a will-not-defrost repair at $90 to $650.
4. Freezing rain can ice any unit; the test is whether it clears on its own within Lennox's 6 to 8 hours.

Heat pump maintenance near me: what to ask

• Does the visit include a refrigerant leak check? DOE says it should.
• Are the defrost controls tested? Ask for the reading.
• One visit or two a year, and what does the plan cost? HomeGuide: $120 to $360 a year.
• Is refrigerant extra? It is; $100 to $600 in HomeGuide's figures, and only if there is a leak.
• Ductless mini split? HomeGuide prices mini split maintenance at $100 to $400 a year; see mini split repair.
• License number and proof of insurance. Ask for the company's license number and proof of insurance yourself; the HVAC license table shows who licenses HVAC work by state.

Repairs are priced on heat pump repair; a new system on heat pump installation cost, with state and utility money on heat pump rebates. Furnace owners: furnace tune-up. More: HVAC repair. Calls go to an independent heating and cooling company that serves your area and takes this kind of job; hours vary. How calls work.