If your home has a heat pump, that means that you have heating and cooling all in one system. It’s a really great benefit, but heat pumps also come with a variety of potential problems, just like any other heating or cooling unit.
Ideally, you want to understand your heat pump and be able to identify the most common heat pump problems in San Juan County, NM, so that you can stay ahead of them. Keep reading to learn more about the heat pump problems we see in our area and how you can identify them before they get worse.
The Heat Pump Won’t Turn Off
Your heat pump usually works in cycles. When you set your desired temperature, whether to heating or cooling, your heat pump will run in a cycle until your desired temperature is reached. Then the system will turn off until it needs to heat or cool your home again. It’s a problem if your heat pump is running constantly without turning off. Potential reasons for this happening include:
- Your thermostat needs to be recalibrated
- The air filter is dirty and needs to be changed
- Outside coils are dirty and need to be hosed off
- There is a refrigerant leak
- The heat pump is too big or small for your home
The Heat Pump Won’t Turn On
It’s also possible that your heat pump will not turn on at all. When this happens, you want to check and make sure that you have your thermostat set correctly. If you’re trying to lower the temperature, you want it to be set on cooling, if you’re trying to raise the temperature, you want it to be set on heating.
If your thermostat settings are correct, then you want to go and look at your heat pump to see if the reversing valve switches between heating and cooling as it should. That’s the most common reason for your heat pump not to turn on. It may be stuck in the opposite setting and cannot switch over.
Frozen Coils
Aside from winter when the temperatures drop, you should never notice ice on your evaporator coils. Even during winter, the coils should thaw out periodically. But if your outdoor unit is frozen, that’s a big problem. It could be that airflow is blocked somewhere in the system, either by a dirty air filter or dirty coils that are clogged up. Try changing your air filter, or gently hosing off your outdoor coils to remove dirt and grime. If this doesn’t work, give our team a call to check it out.
Unusual Odors
Sometimes we have customers call us and complain about an unusual smell that is coming from their air vents. The problem behind this can vary based on the smell. If it is musty, you may have mold or mildew growth somewhere inside of your system. It’s also possible that you have rodents chewing through your ductwork and causing problems. If it smells like something is burning, it is possible that you have electrical issues. A burning smell is always an emergency and you should turn your heat pump system off right away and give us a call.
Don’t waste your time with the run-around. Give us a call at Robbins Heating & Air Conditioning to schedule an appointment and let us do it right the first time!
