Heat pumps are becoming a popular option for heating homes in the Newburgh, NY area. This is mainly because they’re of excellent efficiency. They have a much smaller carbon footprint compared to gas furnaces and other electric heating options. As with any type of HVAC system, heat pumps can develop various issues that lead to decreased performance or prevent them from working at all. Heat pump problems are especially common during the winter months due to the increased workload and the amount of strain that cold weather puts on the system. Most issues you encounter will require the help of a professional. However, we will guide you through the process of troubleshooting common problems so you know when to call for assistance.
Heat Won’t Turn On
An issue you can encounter during winter is your heating system not turning on. During freezing weather, going without heat for even a few hours can lead to the temperature in your house plummeting. Cold interior temperatures can cause pipes to freeze. When a pipe freezes, it can burst due to the ice expanding and exerting more pressure than the pipe can handle.
Realizing that your heating system won’t run can be incredibly stressful. The good news is that heat pumps rarely suddenly give out. It can happen if an issue like a power surge causes the compressor motor to fail. Otherwise, you’ll usually see some obvious signs that the system is starting to wear out before it completely fails.
When a heat pump system won’t run, check that it didn’t trip the circuit breaker and ensure the thermostat is still working. If you have a battery-powered thermostat and the screen is blank, you may just need to replace the batteries. Resetting the circuit breaker if it’s tripped should result in the system turning on quickly. If the system trips the breaker a second time, you should leave the breaker switched off and immediately call for an inspection. In this case, it usually means that there’s an electrical issue that’s causing the system to short-circuit. One of the motors may be worn out and drawing excess amounts of power. If the thermostat seems to be working and the breaker isn’t tripped, you’ll need to have a professional diagnose and repair the problem.
Cold Air Blowing Out of Vents
Depending on how cold it is outside, a heat pump system normally increases the temperature of the incoming air by somewhere between 15 and 35 degrees. In colder weather, the temperature rises at the lower end of this scale. This is due to there being less heat in the outdoor air for the heat pump to extract. This means there may be times when the air coming out of your vents can be lower than your body temperature and feel somewhat cool.
If your heat pump system is blowing cool air when it’s not overly cold outside, it’s an obvious indication that the system isn’t working properly. Before calling for a professional inspection, you should first check that the air filter is clean. All the supply vents should be open and not clogged or obstructed. A dirty filter or closed/blocked vents can create significant airflow issues that greatly reduce the amount of heat an HVAC system puts out. If the filter is clean and the vents are open, it’s likely that the blower is dirty or malfunctioning. Also, the coils may be dirty and need cleaning, or the system is low on refrigerant due to a leak.
The Outdoor Unit Is Frozen
Whenever the temperature outside is around 40 degrees Fahrenheit or lower, ice and frost continually build up on the outdoor coil in a heat pump system. This is due to how cold the refrigerant flowing through the coil is. Ice buildup on the coil prevents the refrigerant from extracting heat from the air, leading to decreased performance. There is also the possibility that the system is not transferring any heat inside. To prevent that from happening, the system will occasionally switch to defrost mode and reverse the direction the refrigerant flows. This allows hot refrigerant to flow through the coil and quickly melt all the ice.
Even in extremely cold weather, the defrost cycle should only last for a maximum of 15 minutes. If the system is working properly, there should be little to no visible ice buildup on the outdoor unit. You may notice that the system isn’t heating effectively and there’s significant ice on the unit. It’s likely there’s an issue that’s preventing it from defrosting. This most commonly happens because the reversing valve is stuck or broken. It can also happen if the system doesn’t have enough refrigerant. Most newer heat pumps have a sensor that measures the temperature of the coil and triggers the system to switch to defrost mode when the coil drops below 32 degrees. If this sensor fails, it will also prevent the system from switching to defrost mode.
System Is Stuck in Auxiliary Mode
There are electric heat strips within the air handler inside your house that provide auxiliary heating. All heat pump systems in cold climates require an auxiliary or backup source of heating. The auxiliary heating is there when it’s too cold outside for the heat pump to work effectively enough. The thermostat will also signal the heat strips to turn on whenever the heating system needs to raise the temperature of the house by more than a couple of degrees. In this case, they’ll work alongside the heat pump to ensure the desired temperature is reached more quickly. If the temperature inside the house starts to drop during a defrost cycle, the thermostat will also temporarily switch to auxiliary mode.
You can tell when the system is in auxiliary mode, as the thermostat display will show AUX or AUX HEAT. Under normal circumstances where it’s not so cold that the heat pump can’t work, the system shouldn’t stay in auxiliary mode for all that long. If the heat strips need to turn on while the heat pump is defrosting, the system will immediately switch out of auxiliary mode after the defrost cycle. The heat strips may come on when you’re trying to raise the temperature by several degrees. The thermostat will signal them to shut off as soon as it detects that the house is almost at the right temperature.
If your thermostat shows that the system is in auxiliary mode for a long time, it can indicate one of a few things. One possibility is that there’s an issue that’s preventing the heat pump from turning on. It could also be that the heat pump is stuck in defrost mode because the reversing valve is stuck or broken. There’s also a chance that the heat pump isn’t working effectively enough to keep the temperature from dropping. The air filter may be clogged, one or both coils may be dirty, or the system may be leaking and low on refrigerant. Whatever the cause is, having the system constantly run in auxiliary mode is a major concern. This is due to the heat strips using far more electricity than the heat pump. If you don’t get the problem checked out and fixed as soon as possible, your energy bill for the month will be quite a bit higher.
Polar Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning is a trusted provider of heat pump services in Newburgh and the surrounding areas. Whether you need repairs, maintenance, or a system replacement, we have the solution. Don’t let heat problems get you down this winter. Call Polar Plumbing, Heating & Air Conditioning in Newburgh for honest, prompt, and dependable service at a fair price.
