The true benefit of a heat pump is that it provides both heating and cooling: all the work of two major appliances in a single system. Of course, there are other benefits, notably the extreme efficiency with which a heat pump heats. But you’re really not getting what you signed up for, and what you deserve, if the heat pump doesn’t both heat and cool.
So what is going on if your heat pump gets stuck in one mode? There’s really one mechanism responsible for switching the heat pump from one mode to another, and three parts of it which could be causing your problem right now. Here’s what you need to know about the reasons a heat pump might be stuck in one mode and how to address it.