Heat Pump Frozen Outside

When this becomes an emergency

• The outdoor coil is buried in solid ice rather than a light rime.
• Ice has locked the fan blade so it can't turn freely.
• Indoor air has gone lukewarm and the backup heat is running most of the time.
• The ice never clears, even after the unit has cycled several times.

What a pro does

Frost during a defrost cycle is expected. Solid ice that survives from one cycle to the next is a fault, and the first question is whether defrost is being called at all. A technician checks the defrost board and its coil sensor, verifies the reversing valve actually shifts, and reads refrigerant pressures against outdoor conditions, since a low charge drops coil temperature far enough to build ice the defrost cycle can't win against. Placement is its own category out here. A unit tucked against a ridge-facing wall where snow slides off the roof onto it, or one sitting low where meltwater refreezes around the base overnight, will ice up regardless of how healthy the equipment is. Raising it on a proper stand solves more calls than people expect. Don't chip at the coil with anything metal, because bent fins and punctured tubing are much bigger problems than ice.

Frequently asked questions

Heat Pump Frozen Outside?

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