If you have a heat pump for your home’s year-round comfort, it’s now the season when you’ll switch it over to cooling mode. This is one of the best advantages to having a heat pump: with just a simple adjustment to the thermostat, the heat pump changes from sending warm air into your home and begins sending in cool air.
But what if you turn on your heat pump on the first hot day and discover that it’s either not cooling down the house enough or is still sending out heated air? You may need professional heat pump repair in Covington, GA to deal with the trouble. We’ll look at why you might be experiencing this problem.
Misset Thermostat
We’ll start with the simplest possibility: the thermostat hasn’t been set correctly to change the heat pump from one mode to the other. If this is your first summer using a heat pump, you may not fully understand how to set the thermostat for the change. Make sure the thermostat is set to “cooling”; if you just lower the temperature setting without making this switch, the heat pump won’t turn over into cooling mode and will instead refuse to turn on.
Broken Thermostat
Another possibility with the thermostat is that it’s lost the connection to the heat pump that specifically changes it between modes. In this case, you’ll need to have professionals fix the thermostat’s connection to the reversing valve (more about this part later) so it can resume normal operation.
Clogged Air Filter
This is a common problem people often face at the change in seasons when their heat pump hasn’t been running at all for several months. A clogged air filter blocks airflow into the heat pump and restricts the volume of air it can either heat or cool. If you’ve got only moderately cool air coming from the vents, or the airflow is low, then a clogged filter is a strong possibility. This filter needs to be changed every 1 to 3 months, and we strongly recommend you start the summer season with a clean one for the heat pump.
Broken Reversing Valve
If your heat pump is sending out warm air even though you’ve set it to cooling mode, a likely cause is a broken reversing valve. This is the component of the heat pump that changes the direction that refrigerant flows through the system and thus causes it to switch between heating and cooling. If the reversing valve becomes stuck, the heat pump will stay in one mode. To fix this, you’ll need to contact HVAC professionals who will replace the reversing valve.
Loss of Refrigerant
One of the more serious problems that can lead to a heat pump not providing enough cooling is a loss of the refrigerant charge to leaks. A heat pump works from a specific refrigerant charge, and if this drops, the heat pump will not only lose cooling capacity, it will be in danger of a complete failure due to compressor burnout. If you can’t find other sources for the heat pump problems, have technicians inspect the unit to see if there are leaks—and do it ASAP!
Experience the Premier Difference! Premier Heating & Air has been family-owned and operated since 2001.