Despite advanced technology and an established record for reliability, it’s still possible you might someday be faced with one or another top heat pump problems. Incorporating both heating and cooling functions into one highly efficient unit, heat pumps are necessarily more complex than an air conditioner or a furnace. Potential issues will usually require a certified HVAC technician with the specific heat pump training and experience to restore comfort to your home.
While residential installations of heat pumps are now increasing faster than any other heating or cooling alternative, it’s still a good policy to be aware of a few heat pump problems that could trigger a malfunction during the coming cold winter weather.
- Ice accumulates on outdoor coil. While a thin frost appearing on the coil is not a problem, thicker ice can degrade heating performance and eventually trigger an automatic shutdown of the system. An HVAC professional will check the function of the heat pump defrost control, look for issues such as leaves and other objects that may be obstructing the coil, and check for a low refrigerant charge due to a leak.
- Heat pump heating — but not enough. This could be a result of dirty, dusty, or otherwise obstructed indoor or outdoor coils. A certified technician will also check to see that the heat pump specs are properly sized for the home. He will also check for proper airflow in the system and identify issues such as duct leakage, vents that are obstructed or closed, and a dirty system air filter.
- Short cycling: The unit turns on and off again rapidly. Usual suspects include a dirty air filter strangling system airflow, frozen coils due to a defective defrost function, and a unit with heating specifications insufficient for the square footage of the house. A lesser-known problem could be the location of your system thermostat: If the unit is exposed to direct sunlight or appliances that generate heat, the system may short-cycle.
For professional HVAC service each and every time, contact the experts at Jackson & Sons.
