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A heat pump that stops working in Shelby County has almost certainly not been beaten down by the weather. 83 severe weather events were recorded in Shelby County, Indiana between 2015 and 2024. At that rate, severe weather is something a system here meets from time to time, and a contractor diagnosing a failed compressor or a refrigerant problem will look past the weather record and into how old the unit is, how it was installed, and whether it has been serviced. Those factors drive most of what breaks in this area.
Half the homes in Shelby County, Indiana were built in 1972 or earlier (2020-2024 ACS 5-year). A heat pump that has been running in a house since that era has gone through at least one set of parts already, and possibly more. When a contractor opens the unit, the question is whether what failed can still be sourced. Refrigerant fittings, control boards, and reversing valves for equipment of that vintage are not always in current production, and a part that has been discontinued changes the repair into a replacement conversation.
The Parts of a Heat Pump a Contractor Checks During Repair
The outdoor unit is usually where a contractor starts. It houses the compressor, which drives the whole system, and the outdoor coil, which transfers heat between the refrigerant and the outside air. When either of those fails, the system stops doing its job entirely. The refrigerant lines running between the two units are checked next, since a leak there quietly starves both coils of what they need.
Inside the house, the air handler holds the indoor coil and the blower fan that pushes conditioned air through your home. A refrigerant problem often shows up here as ice on the coil. The expansion valve, which sits between the two coils and controls refrigerant flow, and the reversing valve, which lets the system shift between heating and cooling, are smaller parts that a contractor tests when the obvious suspects check out.
The drawing shows a general layout of a heat pump system, and a licensed contractor determines which components are relevant to your specific house and what the repair requires.
Find a contractor in Shelby CountyShelby County, Indiana, by the numbers
83 severe weather events were recorded in Shelby County, Indiana between 2015 and 2024.
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, bulk CSV export, events 2015-01-01 through 2024-12-31.Half the homes in Shelby County, Indiana were built in 1972 or earlier (2020-2024 ACS 5-year).
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesShelby County, Indiana holds 19,674 housing units (2020-2024 ACS 5-year).
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesOwners occupy 72.5% of the occupied homes in Shelby County, Indiana (2020-2024 ACS 5-year).
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesSevere Weather Events in Shelby County
Heat pumps work hardest when outdoor conditions push to extremes, and that workload accumulates over time. How often Shelby County sees severe weather shapes how hard the equipment runs and how quickly repair needs develop.
83 severe weather events, 2015–2024. Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database.