Schedule Furnaces have been the traditional mode of heating for homes throughout the country for years now, and for good reason. However, heat pumps are becoming more and more common, due to the benefits that they offer the right homes. They provide two-in-one comfort for year-round use that manages your cooling needs in the summer and your heating needs in the winter.
Of course, if you’re reading this particular post, you probably already have a heat pump in place—one that won’t switch from cooling mode to heating mode. It should, ideally, automatically switch the direction it moves refrigerant so it brings heat into the home, rather than removing it, as soon as you switch modes. But, what if it doesn’t?
Troubleshooting a Malfunctioning Heat Pump
So you switched, or tried switching, your heat pump from cooling to heating mode, but instead of feeling warm air from the vents, you feel room temperature or even cold air coming from them. You may need to end up calling for professional Sugar Land HVAC services, but it might be an easy fix! Let’s take a look below at what can be causing this mishap.
Simple Thermostat Programming Error
This might seem apparent, but bear with us. Sometimes we get calls to repair this issue and it ends up that the problem is just a mistake with the thermostat settings.
Meaning, someone in your household may have changed the settings without you knowing—either accidentally or on purpose depending on their cooling preferences! So be sure to check your thermostat first, before all else.
Clogged Air Filter Restricting Airflow
You’d be surprised by how much a clogged air filter can impact the effectiveness of your heat pump system. Many homeowners believe that the air filter is in place to protect their indoor air quality. However, it’s actually there to protect the inside components of the heat pump itself.
Therefore, we recommend that you change this air filter every 1-3 months depending on the type and the frequency of system use. Haven’t changed yours in a while? Do so now and see if that makes a noticeable difference.
Thermostat Problem
No, this isn’t a repeat of our first suggestion. Rather than it being a human error, your thermostat might not be signaling for your heat pump to switch modes due to a mechanical error.
A thermostat that’s miscalibrated might not be able to sense when the temperature in your home is actually cool enough to register that the heat pump needs to turn on in heating mode. This problem does require a call to a professional technician so we can recalibrate the component.
A Broken Reversing Valve
Last but not least, your system might not be switching modes because it can’t. The reversing valve is what makes it possible for refrigerant to flow in two different directions. So if that valve is broken, your heat pump will remain in whatever the last mode was you used, no matter how you set your thermostat or how often you change your air filter.
This can be caused by either a broken solenoid or some other internal mechanical problem. You’ll certainly want to call in a pro if you’ve checked the above-mentioned problems and still can’t find the cause.
