Heat pumps seem like they were designed with Florida weather in mind. They’re powerful air conditioning systems that can deal with the hottest summer days in our tropical climate, and they can change into energy-efficient heaters that never experience efficiency troubles during the mild winters. Compared to using an AC and furnace, a heat pump is convenient and saves money.
We’re not saying heat pumps are perfect. It’s why we wrote this post: your heat pump may run into one or more of the following problems during the coming cooler days of winter. If you can’t locate a simple solution for a heat pump problem (such as somebody tampering with the thermostat settings—you know it happens), you need a Lutz, FL, HVAC contractor with the experience to repair it. We’re here to help whenever you need us 24-hours a day.
The Basic Heat Pump Mishaps
A rundown on the most common problems a heat pump may run into will help you understand what you may have to deal with in the coming months.
- No warm air: On the first day when you need to switch the heat pump into heating mode, you discover the air isn’t warm at all. In fact, it may be cool! The source of this problem may be a failed connection between the thermostat and the heat pump’s reversing valve (the component responsible for changing the direction refrigerant flows and what mode the heat pump is in) or a broken reversing valve. Our technicians can make checks, and we may have to replace the reversing valve to solve the trouble.
- Not enough heat: The pump appears to have changed into the heating mode, but the amount of heat delivered isn’t enough. The first thing to check is the air filter for the heat pump. If it hasn’t been changed since the summer, extreme clogging will cause it to choke off airflow and lower the amount of air that gets heated. Change the clogged filter for a new one. Other potential causes for this drop in heat include dirt and grime over the outdoor coils (have professionals chemically clean them) or loss of refrigerant, which is a serious issue that needs to be repaired immediately.
- Short-cycling: A heat pump runs in cycles of heating or cooling—the compressor activates, runs until meeting the indoor temperature than shuts off. The compressor shouldn’t go through cycles less than 10 minutes long. If it is, it’s short cycling. There are many possible causes for this, such as a clogged filter, miscalibrated thermostat, loss of refrigerant, leaking air ducts, or an incorrectly sized unit. It takes experts to get to the bottom of the problem and fix it.
- Never stops running: This is the opposite of short-cycling, the heat pump that won’t stop running. Check to see that you haven’t pushed the thermostat up too high (we recommend not going higher than 70°F). Other possibilities: a broken connection between the thermostat and the compressor or a system that’s too small for the house.
Put your trust in our technicians to get to the bottom of your heat pump winter blues.
Call on Balanced Air, Inc. for your heating repairs and Experience the Balanced Air difference!
