Feeling The Heat? Here's Why Your Heat Pump Can Fail This Summer


With summer just around the corner, the last thing you need is for your heat pump to fall by the wayside. There are plenty of issues that could negatively impact your heat pump's overall performance. The following touches on a few of these issues and what can be done about them.

Low Refrigerant

Refrigerant is the lifeblood of any heat pump. Without it, you wouldn't be able to effectively cool your home. Unlike other fluids, refrigerant won't dissipate as long as it's contained within the heat pump. In fact, it usually takes a leak to rob your heat pump of its refrigerant. The resulting drop in refrigerant levels can also cause a drop in heat pump cooling capacity.

To safeguard against this problem, you should have your HVAC technician conduct regular checks of your heat pump for refrigerant leaks. Your technician will also make sure your heat pump contains the correct amount of refrigerant for optimal performance.

Ice Buildup

It's not unusual for a small amount of frost to form over the evaporator or condenser coil. However, large sheets of ice can form when there's not enough air flowing over the affected coil or if there's not enough refrigerant in the unit. Either way, you'll end up with a heat pump caked with ice and no cooling capacity to speak of.

Debris buildup, whether it's directly on the coil or surrounding the cabinet, can lead to a number of problems including ice buildup and premature heat pump failure. Thawing the heat pump should be your first move, following with an effort to clear debris away from the unit. In some cases, you may need to have the evaporator or condenser coil cleaned in order to prevent the coil from freezing up in the near future.

Faulty Reversing Valve

The reversing valve plays a key role in your heat pump's ability to switch from heating to cooling mode. This valve essentially reverses the direction of refrigerant traveling through the unit, allowing the refrigerant to absorb and transport heat into or away from indoor spaces as needed. It's not uncommon for the reversing valve to fail, leaving the heat pump stuck in heating mode.

To solve this problem, you'll need to have your HVAC technician, like Actionaire Inc, check and, if necessary, replace the reversing valve with a new one. Afterwards, your heat pump should be able to switch from heating to cooling mode without any further problems.

About Me

cool and hot areas of the home

I live in an older home that we are working to renovate. There are three areas of the house that just don't seem to get cool in the summer or get warm in the winter. I have done all that I can to try to keep these areas comfortable, but I wasn't able to do much until I hired an HVAC technician to come out and figure out why those areas were so uncomfortable. This blog will show you what can be causing areas of your home to be less comfortable than other areas when it comes to temperature during both winter and summer.