Heat pumps operate under a different
principle from that of a traditional
central ac unit. Furthermore, the heat pump is responsible for both the heating
and cooling of your home. Therefore, due to that fact that it is responsible
for far more, it is also more prone to issues and problems.
Problems with your heat pump are often
difficult to figure out or even troubleshoot. However, familiarizing yourself
with some of the most common problems and their solutions should help you get a
head start on the matter once you do end up with heat pump problems in your
HVAC system. Therefore, you will be making hefty savings in AC maintenance & repair while
owning a properly maintained and operational system. Let’s jump right into the
details.
Frozen heat pump during the winter or summer
No system is completely safe from
external elements, be it a modern Goodman system or the usual
Trane system or even
Carrier systems. It is important to ensure that your HVAC system, especially
your heat pump is well maintained during the winter.
Heat pump icing during the winter is
not unheard of. During the long cold winter months, your heat pump is exposed
to external elements and snow and ice eventually form layers on the heat pump.
Modern heat pumps like those from Trane HVAC, include smart defrost modes which
make them great at avoiding the problem. However, if your system does not
support an automatic defrost mode, or the ice layer on top of your heat pump is
far too thick, you will need to take some additional measures to fix your
problem.
It is imperative that you solve the
problem as soon as possible. This is because, once the ice or snow has been
left on the heat pump for an extended period of time, the unit could become
permanently damaged. Moreover, because the fins used in the compressor of the
heat pump are more sensitive, you could easily damage the coil as well, and end
up with an inoperable condenser.
Defrosting problems with your HVAC system’s heat pump during the winter
Winter icing is often a cause of a
lack of defrosting. Usually, the heat pump is smart enough to control the
defrost mode by switching between modes. However, should it fail, the unit
quickly starts building its own ice casing. As far as the causes go, it could
be due to the dysfunctional valves or damaged sensors and controls.
If the fan of your heat pump is
compromised, you are looking at a much worse problem. Usually, ice formed for
this reason requires a fan checkup if not a full-on fan replacement.
If your system is running low on
refrigerant, there will be a layer of icing on your heat pump as well. This is
because the low refrigerant prevents the heat pump from producing enough heat
to melt off the residual frost. In this case, you will also be facing problems
indoors as you will not be able to effectively change and adjust the
temperature to your needs.
Next, if the outdoor unit is
completely blocked off due to the frost, you might end up with damage to your
air ducts as well. This, in turn, will cost a lot of money for a complete air
duct replacement.
Finally, one of the main causes for
frost on your heat pump is leaky gutters and pipes. Sometimes, these pipes and
gutters offer a path for water to constantly drip onto the heat pump. The water
soon turns into frost, and due to the leaky nature of the pipes, the frost
continues to grow until it becomes a noticeable hindrance.
To deal with these problems, you
should call in HVAC repair services to come in and quickly fix your heat pump,
whether it needs a fresh batch of refrigerant, a new fan or almost anything
else. These ac repair & maintenance services can also help with any
subsequent air duct problems as well. Therefore, if the frost problem on your
heat pump is extensive enough, you should consider hiring extra services for
air duct cleaning, or in some special cases, air duct replacement.
Other problems your HVAC system’s heat pump faces during winter
The heat pump is not as great as the
gas furnace when it comes to producing heat but it is designed to keep your
home sufficiently warm over a long time. Therefore, long running time for your
heat pump might not seem like an immediate cause of interest. However, experts in
AC repair will disagree. Although inherent in
its design, the heat pump should not be on all the constantly. This is often a
sign that the refrigerant has leaked out somewhere, which leads to insufficient
and inefficient heating. Furthermore, winter damage might have affected some of
the components which make it harder for the heat pump to regulate the
temperature in your home.
In cases like these, professional help
is the best way to go as they are armed with the required expertise to come in
and figure out what might be wrong with your heat pump or HVAC system.
However, a less apparent problem could
be neglect. HVAC systems are often neglected and do not receive regular and
proper maintenance runs throughout its lifetime. Therefore, it is entirely
possible that you have not maintained your system properly and your heat pump
has stopped functioning properly. Once again, HVAC professionals come to the
rescue to fix the issue by performing a thorough air duct
cleaning. From there, if they notice molds in your system, they will take
mold removal steps to rid your home of mold spores. Finally, if your ductwork
is in very bad shape, air duct replacement will be your only option.
Do not let leave your heat pump out to
suffer as you will only be making a bad problem worse. In some cases, you might
have to get a new HVAC installation and hire AC Replacement services to get rid of your old system.