Heat Pump Troubleshooting Guide

Two-thirds of all homes in America have air conditioners, and nearly everyone has home heating. A large number of those heating and air conditioning units are HVAC units. An enormous amount of your yearly energy bill goes towards heating and cooling your home, but for most of us the expense is worth it to be comfortable and safe during the sweltering summer days and the freezing winter months. However, there are some things that you can do to minimize your energy expenditure and keep your HVAC system working well and running efficiently. You should be getting your HVAC system maintenanced twice a year, for instance, and regularly changing the air filters. This helps to ensure efficient operation and will help you identify problems before they start. Your heat pump is also a key part of your heating and cooling system. When it has an issue, you need to address it quickly before it becomes a major problem. Here’s a short heat pump troubleshooting guide to help you make keep this crucial part of your heating and cooling system in good shape.

What Is the Heat Pump?

The heat pump is an important way of cooling the home in summer and warming in the winter. As its name suggests, the heat pump sends warm air out of the house during the hot weather, and when you need things to be warmer, heat pumps pull warm air from outside into your home. Here are some of the most common issues that can arise with your heat pump.

There’s No Heat/Air Conditioning

Before you call for furnace repair, first check your thermostat setting. Make sure that the thermostat is turned on to the heat function. Set the temperature 2 to 4° above the room’s temperature. If the problem is no air conditioning, make sure the thermostat is set to cooling and set the temperature 2 to 4° below the room’s temperature. If this does not fix the problem, call for HVAC maintenance and repair.

There Is Ice on the Outdoor Unit

There are two reasons for ice on your outdoor coils. You could be low on refrigerant, and to check this feel the copper lines. One of them should be cold. If one of them is not cold, call HVAC services and get your refrigerant refilled and check for leaks in the hose. If one of the coils is cold, you could have a defective defroster timer. In this case, you want to call heating and cooling services immediately.

The Fan Isn’t Running

Again, there are a couple problems that could cause the heat pump’s fans to stop running properly. The simplest one, and one which you can probably fix yourself, is a flipped breaker or bad fuse. Check your fuses and see if flipping the circuit breaker solves the problem. If the fuse is blown, try replacing it. If this doesn’t work, contact HVAC repair services. Another possibility is that you have worn out wiring on your heat pump. You can try tightening loose terminals at the heat pump to see if that helps, but the best thing to do in this situation is to call for service.

The Airflow Is Blocked

If things are running but the airflow from your heat pump seems to be blocked, first look at your filters. When filters get dirty, they can make it difficult for air to pass through easily. Replace your filters or wash them if you have the reusable kind. If the filters are fine, take a look at your outdoor unit. Grass, leaves, and other kinds of junk can obstruct the airflow. Clear all of this away and see if it helps. If neither the filter nor outdoor debris are the issue, it’s time to call HVAC maintenance to take a look.

The most important thing you can do to keep your HVAC system running smoothly is to regularly clean the filters and the outside unit and be faithful to the maintenance schedule. Then, check out minor problems as soon as they come up and get them taken care of. This will help ensure smooth running and a comfortable home for years to come.

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