With wintertime already well on its way, your heat pump is likely working hard to keep your home warm and cozy. Unfortunately, things may not necessarily be smooth sailing with this integral part of your heating system. Many homeowners encounter a few common problems that can really throw a wrench into things. If your heating isn’t working the way it should, it may be because of the heat pump. Take a look at some of these common problems and their potential solutions to see what might be causing the issue:
Frozen Heat Pump
A thin layer of ice covering the heat pump is relatively normal when the temperatures begin to drop. Eventually, it should move into defrost mode in order to remove this layer and go back to performing its job. You know you have a much larger problem when this thin layer of frost transforms into a thick block of ice.
While this can be caused by many different things, you may first want to check to see if the outside unit is blocked by accumulated snow and debris. You may need to shovel snow away from the unit to increase air flow and this will decrease the amount of ice on your heat pump.
Cold Air Blowing
Put your hand on top of your vents to experience what temperature the air is. If you feel cold air coming out of the vent, two different things could be happening. First, the unit may have moved into air conditioning mode in order to defrost the unit. This is actually a good thing and the heat should start up again soon.
If heat does not resume, you may have a bigger problem. The second potential problem is that your thermostat isn’t working properly. Check the settings on your thermostat and ensure that the set temperature is above your current room temperature. Bump the set heat up by two or three degrees to force the emergency heat or auxiliary heat to kick on.
If the unit still isn’t blowing warm air from the vents, you should call in a professional because the issue could be caused by faulty wiring or a frozen heat pump.
Constant Running
Does your heat pump run constantly even though it isn’t terribly cold outside? It’s considered normal for the heat pump to run constantly if the weather dips below freezing. However, there is a definite problem if the temperature outside is between 5 and 10 degrees celsius and the unit is running constantly. You could be experiencing an issue with leaking refrigerant, a frozen unit, or some other service issue that requires professional attention.
Trusting the Professionals
Having a heat pump that runs efficiently during the winter months is essential to your comfort and health. If you encounter any of these common issues with your heat pump, contact the top professionals to help you troubleshoot the problem – be sure to give Provincial Heating and Cooling a call. We are the leading HVAC winnipeg contractor for all of your heat pump problems!