When 'Not Heating' Becomes an Emergency
A heat pump that stops heating isn't always a crisis — but in the wrong conditions, it quickly becomes one. The deciding factors are how cold it is and who's in the home. A mild day with backup heat available is inconvenient; a hard cold snap with infants, elderly residents, or anyone with health vulnerabilities in the house is a genuine emergency.
Greater Vancouver winters can turn cold fast, and a home without heat loses warmth steadily, especially overnight. Beyond comfort, prolonged cold indoors is a real health risk for vulnerable people and can even risk frozen plumbing in an extended outage.
So the first question to ask yourself isn't just 'why won't it heat?' but 'how urgent is this for the people in my home right now?' If the answer is 'very,' don't hesitate to call for help while you troubleshoot.
Quick Checks Before You Call
A surprising number of no-heat calls come down to simple things you can check in a few minutes. Thermostat: confirm it's set to heat, the target temperature is above the room temperature, and the batteries (if any) are good. It sounds basic, but it's the most common culprit.
Breaker: check that the heat pump's breaker hasn't tripped. If it has, reset it once — but if it trips again immediately, stop and leave it off, as that signals an electrical fault.
Air filter: a severely clogged filter can choke airflow enough to shut things down or freeze the coil. Replace it if it's dirty.
Outdoor unit: make sure it isn't buried in snow or encased in ice. If it's iced over, the unit may have frozen up and stopped heating — clearing snow and letting it thaw can help.
Mode and setpoint: confirm it isn't accidentally set to cooling or 'fan only.' If these checks don't restore heat, it's time to call.
Common Reasons a Heat Pump Won't Heat
Beyond the quick checks, several faults cause a heat pump to stop heating. A frozen or iced-over outdoor unit can't pull heat from the air — common in our damp winters when a defrost cycle fails.
Low refrigerant from a leak leaves the system unable to move enough heat, so it runs but blows cool or tepid air. This needs a certified technician.
A failed reversing valve — the component that switches the system between heating and cooling — can leave a unit stuck in cooling mode, blowing cold air when you've called for heat.
A faulty defrost control or sensor lets the outdoor coil ice up unchecked.
A failed capacitor, fan motor, or compressor can stop the unit from running at all.
Thermostat or control board faults can interrupt the call for heat. And auxiliary/backup heat that isn't engaging in very cold weather can leave a home short of warmth even when the heat pump is technically running.
Staying Safe and Warm While You Wait
If you're waiting for a technician in the cold, prioritize safe warmth. Never use a gas range, oven, charcoal grill, or outdoor heater indoors to heat your home — they produce carbon monoxide and have caused tragedies. Make sure your carbon monoxide detector is working; it's essential in any home with gas appliances.
Use only safe, approved heat sources: a CSA-approved electric space heater (kept clear of anything flammable and plugged directly into a wall outlet, not a power strip), extra layers, and blankets. Close doors to unused rooms to concentrate heat where people are, and gather everyone into one warmer room if needed.
For vulnerable household members, don't tough it out longer than necessary — if the home is getting genuinely cold and someone is at risk, that's the signal to call for urgent help rather than wait until morning.
Call CanroHeat for Fast Heating Repair
Heat pumps for GasBoilers.ca are serviced by our parent company, CanroHeat, whose technicians cover Greater Vancouver and handle heat pumps, furnaces, and water heaters. When your heat pump won't heat — especially in cold weather or with vulnerable people at home — call 604-359-1081 and describe the symptoms so the team can prioritize and arrive prepared.
A technician will diagnose why it's not heating: checking refrigerant, the reversing valve, defrost system, capacitor, fan, and controls, then explaining the fix and your options. Because no-heat repairs depend on what's failed, you'll get a quoted range after diagnosis — call 604-359-1081 for an exact quote once your unit is assessed. If your home is cold and someone's at risk, make the call now.