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Cold outdoor air is a heat pump's hardest problem, and the compressor and refrigerant circuit feel it most. Homes in Grant County, SD run heat about nine months a year, from September through May. The colder it gets, the harder the system has to work to pull heat from outside air that has less of it to give, and that strain lands on the compressor more than anything else in the unit. A contractor diagnosing a heat pump here checks refrigerant charge and compressor condition early, because those are the parts that wear under sustained cold-weather load.
Half the homes in Grant County, South Dakota were built in 1972 or earlier (2020-2024 ACS 5-year). A system running in a house that old has likely been replaced at least once since the original install, and the unit a contractor opens now reflects that layered history. What matters on a repair call is what that opened system actually contains: whether the refrigerant circuit holds, whether the reversing valve is seating, and whether the manufacturer still makes the part that failed. When the answer to that last question is no, the scope of the job changes before any labor begins.
The Parts of a Heat Pump a Contractor Checks First
The outdoor unit is usually the first thing a contractor walks to. It holds the compressor, which pumps refrigerant through the system, and the coil that releases or absorbs heat depending on the season. When either goes wrong, the whole system feels it fast. The indoor air handler, mounted inside the home, pushes conditioned air through the house and holds its own coil and blower.
A reversing valve inside the outdoor unit is what lets a heat pump do both heating and cooling, and it is a frequent starting point when a system runs but delivers the wrong kind of air. The refrigerant lines run between the two units and carry the working fluid that makes the exchange happen. The thermostat ties everything together and is often the first thing a contractor tests before touching anything else.
The drawing shows the general layout of these components, and a licensed contractor determines which of them applies to your specific home and situation.
Find a contractor in Grant CountyGrant County by the Numbers
132 severe weather events were recorded in Grant County, South Dakota 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 Grant County, South Dakota were built in 1972 or earlier (2020-2024 ACS 5-year).
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesGrant County, South Dakota holds 3,456 housing units (2020-2024 ACS 5-year).
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesOwners occupy 75.6% of the occupied homes in Grant County, South Dakota (2020-2024 ACS 5-year).
U.S. Census Bureau, 2020-2024 American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesSevere Weather Events in Grant County
Extreme weather puts real strain on heat pump systems, which work hardest precisely when conditions outside are worst. How much of that strain a unit carries over its life is a local question, and the record for Grant County shapes what repair needs look like here.
132 severe weather events, 2015–2024. Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database.