Heat Pump Repair and Replacement for Myrtle Beach Homes
Certified and Licensed | SC Mechanical Contractor #M111694 | Right-sized, high-efficiency systems | Financing available | Serving the coast since 1947
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- Short Answer: Along the Grand Strand the two failures we see most are corrosion on the outdoor unit from salt-laden air and wear on the heating-side parts, the reversing valve and the defrost control, that a cooling-only system never uses.
Salt does not stop at the dune line. Onshore wind carries it inland, and while a house on Ocean Boulevard takes the worst of it, homes several miles back still see faster corrosion on coil fins, copper line sets, and electrical connections than the same house would inland.
The heating-side parts are the second pattern. A reversing valve flips the refrigerant flow so the machine heats instead of cools. A defrost board clears frost off the outdoor coil on damp winter mornings. Both sit idle for eight months of the Myrtle Beach year and then get asked to work, which is why so many heat pump calls come in during the first real cold snap.
We test both modes on every call rather than checking whichever one the weather happens to be asking for. Our technicians would rather fix it right the first time than have you call back in January.
Most Myrtle Beach homes heat and cool on a heat pump, which means one machine carries the whole year. It runs through a long humid summer, then turns around and heats through the cold snaps in January. When it quits, the failure is usually in the heating side of the system, and that side has parts a straight air conditioner does not have. Repairs on those parts commonly run $200 to $700. A full replacement here typically lands between $7,500 and $15,000 installed, before any utility rebate.
Those are market ranges, not a quote. Your home gets sized and priced on its own.
Call 843-305-5728
Certified and Licensed | SC Mechanical Contractor #M111694
Certified and Licensed | SC Mechanical Contractor #M111694
- Short Answer: Replacing a full heat pump system in Myrtle Beach requires a mechanical permit through the City of Myrtle Beach Construction Services Department, pulled by the licensed contractor. City residential requirements also set a minimum height for outdoor mechanical equipment.
A component repair, a capacitor or a board, generally does not need a permit. A full system swap does, and the permit is the contractor's job to pull, not yours. Any contractor offering to save you the permit fee is offering to skip the inspection, which is a different thing entirely.
Height matters here in a way it does not in most markets. The city's residential requirements set a minimum finished floor elevation that expressly includes mechanical equipment such as compressors and air conditioning units, at no less than 18 inches above the highest crown of an abutting street for structures outside a special flood hazard area. Homes inside a special flood hazard area work off the flood map instead. Whether a straight equipment swap triggers that requirement depends on the scope of your job, and Construction Services makes that call, not the contractor.
Sitting a new outdoor unit higher than the old one is often worth doing anyway on this coast, storm surge aside. It keeps the coil out of standing water and away from the salt spray that collects at ground level.
- Short Answer: Santee Cooper pays $300 or $400 per installed split-system heat pump depending on efficiency, and the 2026 program year closes November 30, 2026. The rebate is paid only when a Santee Cooper Trade Ally performs the install.
Santee Cooper directly serves customers across Horry, Georgetown, and Berkeley counties, and its heat pump rebate is written for Santee Cooper customers. The $300 tier starts at 15.2 SEER2 and 7.8 HSPF2. The $400 tier starts at 16.2 SEER2 and 8.0 HSPF2. Mini-split systems are paid per half ton instead, at $40 or $80 depending on tier.
Two things are worth knowing before you count on it. The federal Section 25C credit was terminated for installations after December 31, 2025, so there is no federal credit stacking on top this year. And South Carolina's HEAR and HOMES programs are funded but have not opened for applications, so they are not money you can plan around yet.
Heat pump repair and replacement costs in Myrtle Beach
- Short Answer: Most heat pump repairs run $150 to $1,500 depending on the part. A replacement system for a typical Myrtle Beach home runs about $7,500 to $15,000 installed before rebates, with the city permit fee on top.
These are 2026 market ranges for this region, not a Coastal Air Plus quote.
Equipment prices moved up roughly 8 to 10 percent when the industry switched to the A2L refrigerants, and that is now simply the market price rather than a surcharge anyone should be adding to a bid. If a replacement is not something you planned for this year, we offer financing options.
Typical Heat Pump Repair Costs
Why Choose Coastal Air Plus?
- Serving South Carolina Since 1947 – Trusted by homeowners throughout Myrtle Beach and Charleston.
- Certified & Licensed Technicians – SC Mechanical Contractor #M111694.
- Flexible Financing Options – Convenient plans available for new HVAC Installations.
- Home Service Membership Plans – Regular maintenance to keep your system running smoothly.
- Highly Rated by Customers – Committed to quality service and customer satisfaction.
Vacation rentals and second homes
- Short Answer: We service heat pumps at rental properties and second homes for owners who are not in town, coordinating access with a property manager or a lockbox and reporting back with what we found.
Where a Myrtle Beach heat pump sits in a house or condo whose owner lives somewhere else, the problem changes shape. Nobody notices the system struggling until a guest complains, and by then it is a bad review and an emergency call on a Saturday in July.
For those properties, a service plan does more work than it does for an owner-occupied house, because the point is catching things nobody is there to notice. Our VIP Maintenance Club covers the scheduled visits. We would rather treat them right for the long term than sell an emergency call every summer.
Frequently Asked Heat Pump Repair Questions
How long does a heat pump replacement take?
- A straight swap, where the new system matches the old one and the ductwork and electrical are in good shape, is usually a one-day job. Add time when the line set has to be replaced for the new refrigerant, when the electrical panel needs attention, or when duct repairs come to light once the old air handler is out. We tell you which of those we expect before we start, not after.
Which utility rebate applies to my Myrtle Beach address?
- Check the name on your power bill. Santee Cooper serves customers directly across Horry County, and its heat pump rebate is written for Santee Cooper customers. Parts of the county are served instead by Horry Electric Cooperative, which is a separate distribution utility with its own billing and its own programs. Eligibility follows whoever bills you, so that one line on your statement decides which rebate we file for.
Will my existing thermostat work with a new heat pump?
- Sometimes, but not always. A heat pump thermostat has to control the reversing valve and the backup heat stages, which a basic cooling-and-furnace thermostat does not do. If yours is older or came off a straight air conditioner, it likely needs replacing along with the system. We check the wiring before quoting rather than discovering it on installation day.
What happens to my old system when you take it out?
- The refrigerant has to be recovered by a certified technician before the equipment leaves your property. That is not a courtesy, it is required under EPA Section 608, and venting refrigerant to the atmosphere is illegal. The metal goes to a scrap recycler. Haul-away is part of the replacement, so you are not left with an old condenser sitting beside the house.
Is a corrosion-resistant coil worth paying for in Myrtle Beach?
- Close to the water, generally yes. Coated coils and corrosion-resistant cabinets cost more up front and slow the salt damage that shortens outdoor units on this coast. Farther inland the case gets weaker and regular rinsing plus twice-yearly service does most of the work. We will tell you which side of that line your house is on rather than putting the upgrade on every proposal.
Where we work in Myrtle Beach
Our Myrtle Beach office is on Rock Moss Road, and we cover the city end to end: the oceanfront strip, the Market Common area, Grande Dunes, and the neighborhoods west of the Intracoastal Waterway. Exposure changes across that span, and so does what we recommend, because a unit two blocks off the beach and a unit eight miles inland are not aging at the same rate. Not better - just different is how we talk about most things, but on salt exposure the difference is measurable.
We also serve the rest of Horry County, and you can see the full range of what we handle at this address on our Myrtle Beach service page. For the equipment side of heat pumps, including how the systems work and what the efficiency numbers mean, start with our heat pump repair and replacement guide.
