Why heat pumps work well in Memphis
Memphis winters are usually mild, with occasional hard freezes. Heat pumps are efficient in most of that range and use backup electric (auxiliary) heat on the coldest days. That's why so many area homes and apartment communities run all-electric heat pump systems.
Common heat pump problems
- Stuck in defrost, or the outdoor coil stays iced over.
- Running on "aux" or "emergency heat" all the time, which drives up electric bills.
- Reversing valve faults: it cools fine in summer but won't heat in winter, or the other way around.
- Low refrigerant from a leak, which hurts both heating and cooling.
- Outdoor fan, capacitor, or contactor failures.
- Thermostat wiring or setup problems, especially after someone installs a new smart thermostat.
Repair, replace, or maintain
We diagnose the actual failure, quote the repair, and if the system is getting old, show you what a replacement would cost to compare. Because heat pumps run in both seasons, we recommend two maintenance visits a year: one in spring for cooling, one in fall for heating.
Heat pumps in apartments and rentals
Many Memphis-area apartment communities built from the 1980s on use split heat pumps or packaged heat pump units. For through-wall heat pumps (PTHPs) in hotels, senior housing, and some apartments, see PTAC and through-wall unit service.