Heat pumps – which use the principles of air conditioning to both cool your home in the summer and keep it warm in the winter – are rapidly becoming a popular alternative to more traditional forms of heating and air conditioning. Our cold Dover, DE winters used to be prohibitive towards heat pumps, since older models couldn’t handle our cold fronts, but recent advances have made them reliable no matter what the temperature. Like any system, though, they still suffer breakdowns from time to time, and when they do, you need a qualified service to fix them. Here are 3 common problems with heat pumps that you should watch out for.
Refrigerant Leaks
Like air conditioners, heat pumps rely on refrigerant to do their jobs. The exact type and amount of refrigerant depends on the make and model of heat pump, but it must always be in a set amount. When leaks spring up, it throws the balance off, resulting in increased strain and difficulty in heating or cooling the home as you’d like. Refrigerant is dangerous, so only a licensed technician should repair the leak and recharge the system.
Low Air Flow
Low air flow often occurs because of problems with the fan or the fan motor, but it can also be caused by intermittent electricity and clogs in the air passages. Either way, it forces your system to work harder to do its job, and in the winter can be even more dangerous, as the hot air stuck in the system could overheat key components.
Broken Reversing Valve
Heat pumps rely on a reversing valve to switch the flow of refrigerant and go from heating to cooling mode. When the valve is broken or malfunctioning, you might not be able to reverse the flow, meaning your system will be stuck in one mode until it’s fixed.
For quality heat pump repair, you can rely on Atlantic Refrigeration!