A heat pump tune-up in Nashville covers both seasons in one visit: coil cleaning, refrigerant charge, capacitor and contactor tests, a forced defrost cycle and an amp check on each heat strip. Heat pumps run in summer and winter, so two visits a year, spring and fall, fit the workload. Call (615) 412-2815 at any hour.
What a heat pump tune-up actually checks
A tune-up is a set of measurements, not a quick look. We clean the outdoor coil, check the charge against the manufacturer chart, test the capacitor and contactor, and measure amp draw on the compressor and fan motors. Inside, we check the blower, the coil, the drain and the filter.
Then we test the heating side that an AC tune-up skips: a forced defrost cycle and each heat strip on its own. Anything we find gets priced before we touch it.
What every heat pump tune-up includes
- Outdoor coil cleaning
- Refrigerant charge check against the chart
- Capacitor, contactor and wiring tests
- Forced defrost cycle test
- Amp check on each heat strip
- Blower, coil, drain and filter check
Defrost cycle test
Defrost is the routine that keeps a heat pump from icing over in cold, damp weather. A sensor on the outdoor coil and a timer on the control board decide when to run it, and the reversing valve shifts the system into cooling for a few minutes to melt the frost.
We jumper the board to force a cycle and watch each step: the outdoor fan stops, the valve shifts, the aux heat comes on indoors, and the coil clears and returns to heating. A sensor or relay that fails this test is far easier to replace in October than on a freezing night.
Heat strip and sequencer check
The heat strips in the air handler are the backup that carries the house during defrost and on the coldest mornings. Each strip is switched by a sequencer or relay, and the elements and their wire connections loosen and burn after years of heating and cooling.
We measure the amp draw of each strip while it runs, check the limit switches, and look at the wire terminals for darkening or melted insulation. A dead strip is a heater you won't miss until the first hard freeze, when the house can't keep up.
Why Nashville heat pumps need two tune-ups a year
Nashville's normal July high is about 91 degrees and its normal January low about 30, with roughly 50 inches of rain a year. That puts a heat pump on cooling duty for months, then on heating and defrost duty for months, with damp air that frosts the coil on cold mornings. In EIA's 2020 survey a heat pump was the main heating equipment in about 35 percent of Tennessee homes, so across Middle Tennessee a spring visit and a fall visit cover the two seasons that wear it.
How a tune-up visit runs
- 1
Book before the season
Spring for cooling and fall for heating, ahead of the first long run.
- 2
Outdoor unit
Coil cleaning, a charge check, electrical tests and a forced defrost.
- 3
Indoor unit
Blower, coil, drain, filter and an amp check on each heat strip.
- 4
Report and price
You get the readings and the price of anything worn before we fix it.
What changes the price of a heat pump tune-up
A tune-up is a set visit, and the factors below change what it covers or what it turns up.
- Number of systems. A two-system house takes about twice the time of a single system.
- Coil condition. A heavily matted outdoor coil may need a chemical cleaning rather than a rinse.
- Air handler access. Attic and crawl space units take longer to open and inspect than a closet unit.
- Parts found worn. A weak capacitor or burned strip connection is priced as a separate repair before it is done.
- Light commercial equipment. Larger split systems carry more checks than a home unit.
Heat pump care you can do between visits
These checks are safe with the power off at the disconnect. Anything electrical or refrigerant waits for a technician.
| Task | Safe to do yourself | Leave to a technician |
|---|---|---|
| Air filter | Check monthly in summer and winter and replace it when gray. | A filter rack that is bent or lets air bypass. |
| Outdoor unit | Clear leaves, mulch and snow at least two feet back. | Bent fins or oil stains on the coil or tubing. |
| Gutter drip | Fix gutters that pour onto the unit. | A coil that keeps icing in one spot. |
| Thermostat | Replace batteries and confirm the heat and cool settings. | Aux heat that runs for hours. |
Heat pump tune-up questions
Twice a year fits a heat pump: once in spring before cooling and once in fall before heating, because it runs in both seasons.
The visit includes checking the charge. If the system is low, that points to a leak, and we price the leak repair and recharge separately.
No. Steam during defrost is normal. Ice that never clears is not, and the defrost test catches the cause early.
Check the filter monthly in heavy-use months, keep the outdoor unit clear of leaves and snow, and stop gutters from dripping onto it.
About an hour to an hour and a half for a single system in an easy spot. Attic units and second systems add time.