The longer page is heat pump repair. This one is the narrower complaint: the thermostat says heat, and the air at the register feels cold. On a mild Tucson morning a working heat pump can feel cool on your hand and still be raising the room temperature. Give it a little time before you decide it is broken. If the room is not moving after that, the outdoor unit is the next clue.
Defrost is normal. The outdoor coil ices, the system briefly sends cooler air inside, then it goes back to heat. That pass should end. Ice that stays on the outdoor unit, or cold air that never stops, is not a finished defrost. Emergency Heat is a different mode: on many thermostats it runs the electric strips and leaves the outdoor unit off. If Emergency is still selected from last night, switch it back to Heat unless the outdoor unit will not run.
A rotten-egg smell is not a heat-pump airflow problem. Leave, do not use switches, and call 911 or Southwest Gas. A carbon monoxide alarm is the same stop. Those steps are on carbon monoxide safety.
Symptoms and how they’re checked
No price column. A firm number comes after the equipment is seen.
| Symptom | Likely cause | How it’s checked |
|---|---|---|
| Air feels cool, and the room slowly warms | Normal heat-pump supply air, which is not as hot as a gas furnace | Heat mode, outdoor unit running, and whether the indoor temperature is actually rising. |
| Outdoor unit never starts, and the air stays cold | Thermostat on Cool or Emergency, a tripped breaker, or the outdoor unit not getting a call | Mode and setpoint first. One breaker reset. Then whether the outdoor fan turns. |
| Air goes cold for a few minutes, then warms | A defrost cycle | It should end. Ice that stays on the outdoor coil is not a finished defrost. |
| Emergency Heat is on and the air is still cold | The electric strips are not coming on | One breaker reset. If the strips stay cold, that is a repair visit, not another mode change. |
| Outdoor unit runs and the supply air stays cold | Reversing valve, refrigerant, or a compressor that is not pumping heat | Not a filter diagnosis. The equipment has to be seen. |
Name, mobile phone, and ZIP are required. Street address can wait. We follow up the same business day by phone or email. That is a callback, not a promise of a repair the same day.