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First Rate Plumbing Heating and Cooling Inc Blog

3 Common Issues With Heat Pump Systems

Jul 25, 2022

So, you’ve decided to take the dive into heat pump technology. Congratulations! Heat pumps are definitely systems that the industry is trending towards, and you’re likely going to see some improvements in your home comfort, your energy bill, and the way you view heating and cooling as a whole. Heat pumps are also reliable, and we urge anyone out there to invest in one if they’re in need of a sound heating and cooling system that can keep their homes comfortable all year round.

However, heat pumps aren’t without their own faults. They can succumb to wear and tear just like a normal AC can, which is why we urge homeowners to invest in maintenance on a bi-annual schedule so that it can stay powerful and efficient for the whole year.

Let’s talk about three common problems we see in heat pumps, and how our team can help with heat pump repairs in Albuquerque, NM.

 

1. Heat Pump Won’t Heat or Cool

When you turn your heat pump on, you get a breeze that comes from your air vents, but that breeze isn’t very comfortable. This is what we would consider “lukewarm air,” and it’s a definite sign that there’s something wrong with your heat pump. It could be suffering from a refrigerant leak, since the refrigerant is vital in the cooling process, but there could be other problems like a shot compressor or an issue with the electrical components.

Sometimes, you might not even feel the breeze at all coming from the vents, and this is a slightly different issue. Your blower fan is responsible for pushing the cooled or heated air through your air ducts and into the rooms of your home. If you’re not feeling any airflow even though you’re certain your system is on, it could be from the fact that the unit isn’t running the blower fan, or that the blower fan itself is broken.

2. The System Is Short Cycling

Heat pumps can short cycle just like regular air conditioners. The truth is that short cycling is a rather universal problem when it comes to cooling systems, since they all operate with very similar methods.

Firstly, if your system was installed by an amateur or a family friend, then you could be dealing with a short cycling heat pump that had a botched installation. Systems that are too large for their respective homes will short cycle since they cool things down too quickly. This requires a system replacement to adequately fix.

Short cycling could be caused by a number of different issues that aren’t quite so severe. There could be a refrigerant leak, or the problem could simply be from a clogged air filter. We urge you to call for professional heat pump repairs to get this set straight.

3. The Heat Pump Won’t Switch Modes

First, make sure you check your thermostat to ensure that it’s set to the mode you want it to be working in. If so, then keep reading.

There’s a component in your heat pump called the “reversing valve” which is responsible for switching the flow of refrigerant from heating to cooling modes and vice versa. If your system won’t switch modes, even though you’re telling it to, then it could be a problem with that component which requires repairs.

Call First Rate Plumbing Heating and Cooling Inc to have your heat pump quickly repaired. Quality work, exuberant service.

Categories: Air Conditioning

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