The weather is finally starting to cool down along with other signs that fall has truly arrived (i.e. Halloween merchandise in all the stores). If you have a heat pump to provide comfort for your house, now is a good time to switch it over to heating mode to see if it’s working correctly. If the heat pump comes on and either blows out cold air or room temperature air rather than the warm air you expect, you want to know about the problem now rather than when the serious cold weather arrives.
Why a Heat Pump Might Not Provide Heat
A heat pump is essentially an air conditioning system that can run in reverse when necessary, moving heat from outside a home and bringing it indoors. When you adjust the thermostat to change your home’s heat pump from cooling to heating, but nothing happens, there are a few possibilities:
- Broken thermostat: The issue could be as basic as a thermostat that has lost its connection to the heat pump. The thermostat is responsible for sending the electrical signal that activates the reversing valve that moves the system from cooling to heating (and back again). You can’t fix the thermostat yourself: call professionals, and they’ll either repair the unit or advise you on a replacement.
- Failed reversing valve: Another common reason for a heat pump trapped in one mode is that the reversing valve is broken. This valve is the essential component when it comes to allowing a heat pump to both heat and cool, since it changes the direction that the refrigerant moves through the system. Repair technicians can either fix the valve or (in most cases) replace it.
- Compressor trouble: The reason the heat pump isn’t sending out any warm air might be that it’s lost its ability to condition air at all—either heating or cooling. If the compressor is stuck or the motor burned out, the heat pump will be nothing more than a large house fan. This issue must be remedied immediately, since a failed compressor is an expensive repair.
Malek Heating & Cooling has served Skokie, IL and the rest of Chicagoland since 1998. Schedule service with us today.