Why is my heat pump's outdoor unit icing up or giving off steam?

In cold, damp weather the outdoor unit builds up frost and runs a defrost cycle to clear it, which often gives off steam. That is normal. If the ice keeps building and never clears, switch the system off and get in touch.

Can you repair a heat pump that another company installed?

Tell us the make, the model and who installed it, along with what the system is doing. We'll let you know whether we can help and what the visit is likely to involve.

Is my heat pump repair covered by the warranty?

It may be. Most heat pumps come with a manufacturer's warranty, and some manufacturers want warranty repairs to go through them first. Let us know when it was installed and we'll help you check before any work starts.

How soon can you come out?

Get in touch with the make, model and fault, and we'll give you the earliest visit we can. Our office is open Monday to Friday from 8am to 5pm and Saturday from 9am to 1pm.

Our Services

Air Source Heat Pump Repairs

When your heat pump stops heating, shows an error code or starts making a new noise, we find the cause and fix it properly.

Air source heat pump repairs

A heat pump that's cold, noisy or showing a fault code

Heat pump faults tend to show up in the first cold week. The radiators are lukewarm, the hot water runs cool, the outdoor unit makes a new noise, or the controller flashes a code and the heating stops.

Most have a clear cause that can be put right, and some turn out to be settings rather than broken parts. We design, install and service air source heat pumps every day, so we know where to look. We're heat pump engineers based on Hayling Island, serving Havant, Emsworth and Portsmouth and the surrounding area.

No heating, lukewarm radiators or no hot water
Error codes and units that keep cutting out
Outdoor units that are iced over, noisy or won't start
Low system pressure, leaks and faulty pumps or valves
Running costs that have crept up for no clear reason

A heat pump that's cold, noisy or showing a fault code

Our process

How a heat pump repair works

Tell us what's happening

Let us know the make and model, any error code, what the system is doing and who installed it. A photo of the label on the outdoor unit helps the engineer arrive prepared.

Find the cause

We test the system on site, checking the controls, electrics, water pressure, pumps, valves and outdoor unit until we know what has actually failed.

Explain the repair

We tell you what's wrong, what the repair involves and what it will cost before we carry it out.

Repair and test

We carry out the repair, then run the system to check it heats your home and hot water as it should.

Why Clean Heat Solutions

Why homeowners call us when their heat pump goes wrong

Heat pump specialists

We are Heat Geek Elite and MCS certified heat pump installers. Heat pumps are our main work, not a sideline.

We look past the obvious fault

Many heat pump problems come from high flow temperatures, poor balancing or the wrong control settings. Because we design systems, we check the setup as well as the part that failed.

Clear answers before any work

You'll know the fault and the price before we start, and we'll tell you if a repair isn't worth doing.

Accredited and insured

We are NAPIT approved, TrustMark registered and RECC members, with public liability insurance through Zurich up to £2 million.

Common heat pump faults and what they usually mean

Radiators lukewarm or the house won't warm up.
Heat pumps run cooler than boilers, so radiators feel warm rather than hot. If rooms aren't reaching temperature, the cause can be low system pressure, air in the system, a faulty pump or valve, or settings that don't suit the house.

Outdoor unit covered in ice.
A light frost that clears every so often is normal, and the unit may give off steam while it defrosts. Thick ice that never clears points to a fault with the defrost, a sensor or the airflow.

An error code on the controller.
The system has spotted a problem and stopped to protect itself. Write the code down before you reset anything, because it tells the engineer where to start.

New noises from the outdoor unit.
A steady hum is normal. Rattling or grinding usually means a loose panel or a failing fan motor.

Before you book, check the controller is set to heating, the pressure gauge reads between 1 and 2 bar on most systems, the outdoor isolator switch and circuit breaker are on, and nothing is blocking the outdoor unit. If that doesn't help, leave the system off rather than resetting it again and again.

High running costs and refrigerant leaks

A heat pump that still works but costs far more to run than it should often has nothing broken. A high flow temperature, weather compensation switched off or a poorly balanced system can cut efficiency sharply. We check these settings on every repair visit and put them right.

The refrigerant sits in a sealed circuit, which on most home systems stays inside the outdoor unit. If it's low, it has leaked, and topping it up without fixing the leak means paying for the same visit twice. By law, work on the refrigerant circuit must be done by an F-gas certified engineer.

What affects the cost of a heat pump repair

We price each repair once we know what has failed. The cost depends on:

The fault itself.
Re-pressurising the system or changing a setting is a small job. A failed circuit board, fan motor, pump or compressor costs more.

Parts.
Parts for some makes and older models take longer to get and cost more.

Access.
Outdoor units on high brackets or in tight spaces take longer to work on safely.

Once it's fixed, an annual air source heat pump service catches most of the problems that lead to breakdowns. If an older system isn't worth repairing, we can talk you through a new air source heat pump.

What our customers say

"Got in contact through Heat Geek, and I couldn't be happier. Friendly and answered my many questions throughout! I was able to give plenty of input on the design (which was important to me), and every step was clearly explained. During installation they were very quick to resolve an issue with the radiator supplier and kept me informed. - Very happy with the radiators they installed and the superb quality of all the work. After installation, through no fault of their own, a part needed to be replaced. They INSTANTLY identified the issue, which was then easily sorted. Thank you, everyone involved. Recommended." - Daisy, Google review

FAQ

Heat pump repair questions

It depends on what has failed. Topping up the system pressure or correcting a setting is a much smaller job than replacing a fan motor, circuit board or compressor. We find the fault first, then tell you the cost before we carry out the repair.

Tell us what your heat pump is doing

Send us the make, model and what's going wrong, and we'll arrange a visit to find the fault and explain the repair.

Get in Touch

Services

Modern air conditioning keeps your home cool in summer, warm in winter, and comfortable year-round. Clean Heat Solutions supply and install air conditioning systems across West Sussex and Hampshire, including qualifying systems eligible for a £2,500 government grant.

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Air Conditioning Repairs

Air conditioning not cooling, leaking water or showing an error code? We find the fault, explain the repair and fix it properly.

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