Heat pump repair in Lexington & Richmond, KY
Heat pump problem? Call us. $89 trip charge. All brands. Honest diagnosis.
Heat pumps are different from furnaces, and not every HVAC tech works on them confidently
They operate on refrigerant in both heating and cooling modes, have defrost cycles that look like failure if you don’t know what you’re looking at, and have failure patterns that don’t show up on gas systems.
Next Level Heating & Air diagnoses and repairs heat pumps across Central Kentucky, including emergency HVAC service when a system fails during a cold snap or heat wave. We understand how they work in all seasons and we know the difference between a real problem and normal operation.
Heat pump problems we diagnose and repair
Not heating in cold weather
Could be a refrigerant leak, a failed reversing valve stuck in cooling mode, a defrost control issue, or a compressor problem. Each requires a different fix.
Not cooling in summer
Same refrigerant and compressor diagnostics as any AC system. Heat pumps have identical cooling-mode failures to central AC units.
Constantly running backup heat
The heat pump isn’t keeping up with demand, which could mean low refrigerant charge, dirty coils, or a system that’s undersized for very cold weather.
Outdoor unit iced over and not defrosting
Defrost control board, defrost sensor, or reversing valve issue. Some ice is normal; a solid block is not.
Strange noises
Clicking, grinding, or squealing in a heat pump usually indicates contactor, fan motor, or compressor issues.
Heat pump problems that aren’t actually problems
We get calls every winter from homeowners who think their heat pump is broken because it’s blowing cool air or frost is on the outdoor unit. In most cases, that’s normal operation — the defrost cycle causes the outdoor unit to occasionally run in reverse to clear ice, and the air from the vents feels cooler during that cycle. Knowing that saves you an unnecessary service call.
When something actually is wrong — refrigerant leak, reversing valve failure, compressor issues — the symptoms look different. We know the difference.
We’ve had more calls than we can count from homeowners who came to us after being quoted a new system elsewhere. More often than not, the right diagnosis turns a $7,000 estimate into a repair.
Heat pump repair process
STEP 1
Call or book online
(859) 544-3440 or justcallnextlevel.com. Describe what you’re seeing — when it happens, in heating or cooling mode, and how long it’s been going on.
STEP 2
$89 diagnostic visit
We inspect the full system in the mode that’s failing. Refrigerant charge, defrost controls, reversing valve, compressor amp draw — we work through the sequence to find the root cause.
STEP 3
Repair quoted and completed
You approve the quote before we start. Most repairs are completed same visit.
What to expect when we service your heat pump
- Proper heat pump diagnostics — we understand refrigerant-based heating and cooling
- $89 flat trip charge for the diagnostic visit
- We work on all major heat pump brands
- We’ll tell you if what you’re seeing is normal operation vs. a real repair
- Same-day service when available
- 10% off when booked online
Heat pump acting up? We’ll figure it out.
Serving Lexington, Richmond, Winchester and Central KY.
Heat pump repair takes specific knowledge — we have it
We work on heat pumps year-round — both the cooling failures that show up in summer and the heating issues that surface in winter, including the ground-source geothermal systems we install and service across Central Kentucky. Many of those summer cooling failures are preventable — a spring AC tune-up on a heat pump covers the same refrigerant, capacitor, and coil checks we’d run on a central AC system, and catches issues before the cooling mode goes under load.
“I would recommend Next Level Heating & Air to everyone needing a new HVAC system. Communication with Andrew and his team was outstanding. Price for the unit was very affordable. I am very satisfied with the quality of unit and installation I received.”
Tyler Blevins
Deals & specials
SERVICE AREAS
Where we work
We’re based in Richmond and cover all of Central Kentucky. Here’s a closer look at the communities we serve most.
Primary service area
- Richmond
- All of Lexington
- Masterson Station
- Hamburg
- Tates Creek
- Hartland
- Chevy Chase
- Beaumont
- Berea
- Winchester
Extended service area
- Irvine
- Estill County
- Nicholasville
- Jessamine County
- Paint Lick
- Madison County
- Kirksville
- Waco
- All of Central Kentucky within ~1 hour
Heat pump repair questions
Why is my heat pump blowing cool air in winter?
Could be normal — heat pumps run a defrost cycle periodically that briefly reverses operation, and the air from vents feels cooler during that time. If it’s happening constantly or the house isn’t warming up, that’s a real problem worth diagnosing.
My outdoor unit is covered in ice — is that bad?
Light frost is normal in cold weather. Solid ice that doesn’t clear after the system runs is a problem — defrost controls or a refrigerant issue. Call us if the ice persists.
Should I switch to auxiliary heat instead?
Aux heat uses electric resistance heating, which is less efficient and more expensive than normal heat pump operation. Use it only when necessary — if you’re running it constantly, your heat pump needs service.
What brands do you repair?
All major residential heat pump brands — Trane, Goodman, Rheem, Day & Night, American Standard, Carrier, Heil, and others.
Explore by service
We handle the full scope of residential HVAC services. No commercial HVAC, no plumbing. Just heating and cooling, done right.
Winchester homeowner — heat pump not a lemon after all
A homeowner in Winchester called us convinced their three-year-old heat pump was defective — it kept blowing cool air in the morning. We found a defrost control sensor failing intermittently, causing the system to stay in defrost mode too long. Replaced the sensor. Problem solved. The system was perfectly good — it just had one faulty component.
Brands we service and install
Schedule heat pump service
Tell us what the system is doing and when — heating mode, cooling mode, or both.