Heat Pump · Charlotte
Heat pump repair, replacement, installation and maintenance for Charlotte-area homes. We test before we quote, size before we install, and put every recommendation in writing. $72 diagnostic on repairs.
When the system isn't keeping up, runs on emergency heat constantly, or sounds different than it used to, we diagnose properly before recommending repair, refrigerant work, or replacement.
Four ways we handle your heat pump. We route you to the right page, the right phone, the right answer.
When the system runs on emergency heat all the time, the outdoor unit isn't reversing, refrigerant pressures are off, or the defrost cycle isn't completing. Flat-rate repair on every major brand. The $72 diagnostic credits toward the repair.
For new construction, additions, or upgrading from a furnace + AC pair. We size the system to the actual load, Manual J on every quote, with variable-speed inverter options where they make sense. Free in-home consultation. Financing through GreenSky.
When the unit is past 12 to 15 years or the repair math no longer works. We measure, recommend, and quote in writing. Sometimes a dual-fuel setup — heat pump plus gas backup — makes more sense than a like-for-like swap.
Heat pumps run year-round, so they need two seasonal visits: one pre-summer for cooling-mode checks and one pre-winter for heating-mode and defrost-cycle checks. Both covered by Tru Comfort at $14.99 a month.
A heat pump works both halves of the year, so the complaints arrive in both seasons. Any one of these is reason enough to schedule a diagnostic.
The aux or EM light is on in weather that shouldn't need it, and the bill shows it.
The outdoor unit may not be reversing, or the defrost cycle isn't completing.
Same usage, same thermostat, noticeably higher utility statement.
A defrost cycle that starts and never finishes is a measurement problem, not a weather problem.
A bedroom, a bonus room over the garage, a finished basement.
Hums, rattles, hissing, or short cycling on a cold morning.
We diagnose properly, write the price before any work begins, and tell the truth about whether it's repair or replacement.
A Charlotte repair call
A homeowner in Huntersville called us last February about a heat pump that wouldn't switch out of cooling mode in 38-degree weather — blowing cold air with the thermostat set to 70. Another company had already diagnosed a failed reversing valve and quoted a $2,800 repair, or full system replacement at $11,000.
We came out with a $72 diagnostic. Gauges on the line set, multimeter on the defrost board, voltage check on the reversing valve solenoid. The reversing valve was functional and the solenoid was getting voltage — but the defrost board was sending stuck signals that kept the system reading "in defrost cycle" indefinitely.
Replaced the defrost board, recalibrated the outdoor sensor, and tested through three defrost cycles. The system swapped between heating and cooling modes properly. The $72 diagnostic credited toward the work. The reversing valve, original from a 2018 install, is still in service.
What it means: "Failed reversing valve" is one of the most over-quoted heat pump repairs. If the symptoms point one way and the measurement points another, we trust the measurement.
$72 to come out on a repair, credited toward the work. Free in-home consultation on new installs. Schedule online in about 90 seconds.
Every heat pump call starts with refrigerant pressures, electrical readings on the reversing valve solenoid, defrost-board signal verification, and superheat/subcool measurement. Here is what each one tells us, in plain language.
Pressures on the line set plus superheat and subcool, rather than a glance at the gauges. Those two numbers are how you tell a system that is low on charge from a system that is moving refrigerant it can't absorb.
What it means: Adding refrigerant to a leak is a repair you pay for twice. Measuring first tells us which one you have.
Multimeter on the defrost board, voltage check on the reversing valve solenoid, then a run through the defrost cycles to watch the system actually swap modes.
On the Huntersville call above, the solenoid was getting voltage and the valve was fine. A $2,800 valve quote became a defrost board.
What it means: We don't condemn the reversing valve until we've measured it.
Static pressure and airflow across the system. Undersized returns and leaking ducts cause the same cold bonus room that a failing heat pump does, and cost a great deal less to fix.
What it means: Sometimes the answer isn't a new system. If your system has years left in it, we'll say so.
What it means: Not every refrigerant-side complaint is actually refrigerant-side.
| What is being compared | A typical call | A Tru72 call |
|---|---|---|
| Diagnosis | Guess first. Swap the part that usually fails and see whether it holds. | Measure first. Refrigerant pressures, superheat and subcool, defrost-board signals and solenoid voltage read before anything is quoted. |
| The reversing valve | Condemned from the symptom. The repair becomes a replacement quote. | Measured at the solenoid and tested through three defrost cycles before it is condemned. |
| Repair or replace | Replace first. A repair on an older system becomes a replacement quote. | Diagnose first. If your system has years left in it, we'll say so. |
| Sizing a replacement | Same size as the old one, right or wrong. | Manual J load calculation against your actual home, with dual-fuel and straight heat pump scenarios both run on every quote. |
| The price | A number at the end of the visit, after the work. | Flat-rate, in writing, before a wrench turns. The $72 diagnostic credits toward it. |
What it means: An oversized heat pump short cycles, never pulls the humidity out in summer, and wears out in half the time. Measuring is how you avoid buying one.
Five steps, every time, whether it's a defrost board or a new system.
Online in about 90 seconds, or by phone. Same-day and next-day appointments are available most days, schedule permitting, and after hours you reach our team.
$72 flat on a repair call to come out and find the actual fault. On an installation or replacement the in-home consultation is free and includes a Manual J load calculation of your home's actual heat and cool loads.
The price in plain terms, in writing, before any work begins. The $72 credits toward the repair if you go ahead. On replacements we run both the dual-fuel and the straight heat pump scenario so you can compare them.
The fault gets fixed — not the part next to it. Every major brand serviced; Daikin and Goodman installed on new systems, with variable-speed inverter options where they make sense.
We test through the defrost cycles and re-measure after the work, so you know the system swaps modes properly before we leave.
We service every major brand. When a system does need replacing, these are the two we install — and here is why each one is worth having.
Inverter-driven, ultra-quiet, high-SEER2
Daikin is the global leader in heat pump technology. Inverter-driven variable-speed operation matches output to demand minute by minute, so you get tighter temperature control, lower operating noise and stronger efficiency.
Solid efficiency, strong warranty, accessible price
Goodman is the workhorse of the Daikin family in North America. Systems that hit modern efficiency targets at an approachable price point, with a warranty among the strongest in the industry — which matters when the system needs to last 15 to 20 years.
What it means: A variable-speed heat pump runs long and low instead of blasting and stopping. On a mild Carolina winter day that is the difference between steady heat and a house that swings.
Because heat pumps run year-round, they need two seasonal visits: pre-summer for cooling-mode pressures, coil cleaning, and capacitor test; pre-winter for heating-mode performance, defrost cycle verification, and electric backup-element check. Both are covered under Tru Comfort, plus 10% off any repair and 5% off new equipment. $14.99 a month or $180 a year, per system. Free for first responders, teachers, and military through the Mission Ready Plan.
Heat pumps are the equipment most of these programs are aimed at. If the diagnostic points at replacement rather than repair, this is the money that is already on the table.
| Program | What it covers | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Energy Saver North Carolina | Qualifying heat pumps, electrical panel upgrades, wiring, insulation and air sealing, heat pump water heaters | Up to $8,000, depending on household eligibility |
| Duke Energy Smart $aver | High-efficiency HVAC, heat pumps, smart thermostats, insulation, duct sealing | Depends on the equipment and your account |
| ENERGY STAR Rebate Finder | Certified systems, cross-referenced against your ZIP code | Depends on the manufacturer and utility offers live that month |
| Energy Efficient Home Improvement Credit | Qualifying high-efficiency equipment, administered by the IRS | Consult your tax professional |
| NC electric cooperatives | Additional local incentives beyond the statewide programs | Check with your local cooperative |
Whether you qualify depends on your household and the equipment. We'll check it on the visit, before you commit to anything.
The gas half of a dual-fuel setup, and the answer when a heat pump alone isn't the right call.
Central AC for homes that heat another way. Same measured diagnostic.
Ductless heat pumps for additions, sunrooms and bonus rooms the central system never quite reaches.
The questions Charlotte homeowners ask most often before booking heat pump repair, replacement, or seasonal care.
Usually yes. Carolina winters are mild enough that a modern heat pump handles heating efficiently for most of the season. Once outdoor temperatures drop below about 30 to 35 degrees, the system may pull on electric resistance backup heat or, in dual-fuel setups, switch over to a gas furnace. One system covers both seasons, and the lifetime operating cost typically beats a furnace + AC pair.
Several possible causes, in rough order of frequency: thermostat set to emergency heat by accident, outdoor unit not reversing (could be the reversing valve, defrost board, or a sensor), refrigerant charge low, or defrost cycle stuck. The $72 diagnostic measures which one and quotes the repair flat-rate before any work begins.
Depends on the house and the existing setup. Dual-fuel (heat pump + gas furnace backup) makes sense when there's already gas service, the home loses heat quickly in single-digit cold snaps, or the utility's electric resistance backup math doesn't pencil out. Straight heat pump (heat pump + electric resistance backup) is simpler and often the right call for tight, well-insulated homes. We measure the load and run both scenarios on every quote.
We service every major brand — Carrier, Trane, Lennox, Rheem, Goodman, Amana, Daikin, York, Bryant, American Standard, Heil, and more. For new heat pump installs, we primarily install Daikin and Goodman. Repair work covers the full market regardless of brand.
Yes. We finance through GreenSky. Most install customers are pre-approved before the install date. Pricing is quoted in writing after a free in-home consultation that includes a Manual J load calculation, sizing the system to your home's actual heat and cool loads, not a sales target.
Same diagnostic discipline the family has carried since 1972. $72 to come out on a repair, credited toward the work. Free in-home consultation on new systems.
Tru72 Heating & Cooling repairs, installs, replaces and tunes heat pumps — straight and dual-fuel — for homes in Mecklenburg County (Charlotte, Huntersville, Matthews, Mint Hill and Pineville), Cabarrus and Rowan counties (Concord, Kannapolis, Harrisburg, China Grove, Salisbury, Mooresville, Cornelius, Davidson, Lake Norman, Denver, Statesville and Locust), Union County (Indian Trail and Monroe) and Gaston County (Belmont and Gastonia), plus Mount Pleasant and Stanfield. $72 diagnostic on repairs, credited toward the work. Reversing valves measured before they are condemned. Free in-home consultation with a Manual J load calculation on every installation and replacement. After-hours answering and emergency dispatch 24/7. NC HVAC License L.34711.
Clean.Quality.Comfort.
