Veteran-Owned • Licensed in Arkansas and Oklahoma • Calls answered 24/7
Heat Pump Frozen or Iced Up in Winter
Some frost on a heat pump in winter is normal. Thick ice that won’t clear is not. Here’s how to tell the difference and when to call.
Calls answered 24/7: (479) 616-1364. No heat? Call any time and tell us what the system is doing.
Ice keeps coming back? Call us, and a technician will find out why. We handle heating systems repair across the River Valley.
What you can check
- Look closely: a thin, even frost is normal, but a solid block of ice is not.
- Clear leaves, snow, and debris from around the outdoor unit so air can flow.
- Don’t chip at the ice with tools. You can damage the coil.
- Switch the thermostat to emergency heat (the backup heat setting) only if the house is getting cold, and then call.
- Call if the ice is still there after the unit has had a chance to run its defrost cycle.
When to call
Call if the ice keeps building, the outdoor fan isn’t spinning, the house keeps getting colder, or a breaker trips. We fix heat pumps and furnaces in Fort Smith, Van Buren, Greenwood, and Alma.
Prefer to book online? Use Book Online and note how much ice you see and how long it’s been there.
Don’t open the outdoor unit. Leave the inside of it to a trained technician.
On the job
Real photos from our jobs.
Why a heat pump ices up
In cold, damp weather, the outdoor coil of a heat pump gets colder than the air around it, so frost forms. Every so often the unit switches into defrost for a few minutes to melt it off, and you may see steam. When ice keeps building, the cause might be a part that controls defrost, a bad outdoor sensor, poor airflow (a dirty filter inside or a blocked outdoor unit), an outdoor fan motor that has stopped, or a refrigerant (the fluid that carries heat out of your home) problem. Our technician checks these before replacing anything.
We handle heating systems repair across the River Valley, including furnace repair in Fort Smith and furnace repair in Van Buren, and we work on heat pumps in both towns. Our Fort Smith office and Van Buren office answer calls any time. If your heat pump is older and keeps icing up, ask us whether to repair or replace it.
Is it safe to keep running?
A heat pump that’s iced over can’t move much heat, so your backup heat ends up doing most of the work, and that can cost more to run. Don’t keep forcing it if the ice keeps coming back. Switch to emergency heat if the house is getting cold, and call.
Our technicians handle heat pump and furnace repair across Fort Smith, Van Buren, Greenwood, and Alma.
If a breaker keeps tripping or you smell burning, turn the system off and call. Calls are answered 24/7, or you can book online with a short note about the ice.
Want a technician to take a look?
Call us or book online. Calls are answered 24/7, and a technician explains what was found before any repair starts.