A heat pump is very much like an air conditioner. Almost all of the components are the same or very similar. This means that when there’s a problem with how it’s working, chances are, it is one of the same problems that air conditioners encounter. This could be something like a problem with the blower fan motor, or refrigerant leaking from the coils somewhere.
However, there is one type of problem that heat pumps can have which is totally different from anything you’ve had to deal with from an air conditioner before. This is because of the one way that your heat pump really differs from an air conditioner. A heat pump can switch between heating and cooling with a component called a reversing valve. This part can fail, leaving your heat pump stuck in one mode.