Heat Pump Emergency Checklist — What to Check and Do
Your heat pump stopped working? Emergency checklist for Vancouver homeowners: frozen outdoor unit, defrost failure, refrigerant leak, and when to call for immediate service.
Immediate Actions for Common Heat Pump Emergencies
Frozen outdoor unit: switch thermostat to Emergency Heat mode to maintain heating. Do not chip ice off the coil. Turn system to Off for 3-4 hours to allow natural thaw. Loud grinding or screeching from outdoor unit: turn off at thermostat and breaker immediately to prevent compressor damage. Burning smell from indoor unit: turn off system immediately. Indoor unit leaking water: place a bucket under the unit and check the condensate drain for blockages. Complete system failure during cold weather: check breaker, thermostat batteries, and outdoor disconnect switch before calling.
When to Call for Emergency Service
Call immediately if: outdoor unit is grinding or making metal-on-metal noise, you smell burning from the indoor unit or outdoor unit, the system has completely failed and indoor temperature is dropping below 10 degrees Celsius in winter, or you see smoke coming from any component. Call for same-day service if: outdoor unit is frozen and will not defrost naturally, the system short cycles on and off repeatedly, the indoor unit is leaking water you cannot stop, or an error code is displayed that will not clear.
Temporary Heating While You Wait
Switch your thermostat to Emergency Heat or Aux mode — this uses backup electric heat strips or your gas furnace to heat your home while the heat pump is offline. Use portable electric space heaters in occupied rooms. Close doors to unused rooms. Do not use gas ovens, camp stoves, or outdoor heaters indoors. If outdoor temperatures are above freezing, opening curtains on sunny windows provides passive solar heating.