Things To Check When Your Heat Pump's Not Working Right

Is Your Heat Pump Not Working Correctly?

Heat Pump Troubleshooting

If you find the heat pump not heating or a heat pump not cooling, there are several places to examine. Here’s where to start when troubleshooting heat pump problems.

Check The Thermostat

The first thing to check when you face a heat pump not heating or a heat pump not cooling is to check the thermostat settings. If you want it to heat and it’s set to cool or to run the fan constantly, you’ll likely get cool air coming from the vent. The inverse happens if you want it to cool and you’re getting warm air. Another item on the list of heat pump problems may actually be a problem with the thermostat. If it seems like the units are working but you can’t quite get the temperatures in your home to where you want, the thermostat may need to be recalibrated. Things can get out of sync if you bumped into it and the thermostat is no longer level. This can cause the mercury vial it uses for temps to be off. Another common cause is dust and dirt inside the unit. Try taking the faceplate off and blowing off any dust or dirt you see on contact points.

Check The Power

If you find the heat pump not working at all, you want to make sure a circuit breaker hasn’t tripped. The outdoor and indoor heat pimp units should be on separate breakers. If either circuit breaker (or both) has tripped, try resetting the breaking and turning the system back on. If the breaker trips again, call for help. The outdoor heat pump should also have a dedicated power disconnect switch. These are typically mounted on the side of your home near the unit. Check to make sure the switch is set to “on” and that the fuse is intact. If a fuse has blown, it should be serviced by a contractor to fix your heat pumps problems. The indoor unit has a power switch that’s usually found on the unit itself. It will look similar to a light switch and should also be flipped to the “on” position.

Check The Air Filter(s)

Air filters remove dust, allergens, and particles from your air as it passes through the filter. If they get too dirty or clogged, they can limit the airflow. If it gets bad enough, it may even shut down your entire system.

You’ll find filters at the return-air registers in your home or in the indoor heat pump unit’s air handler cabinet (or both). When they’re dirty, toss them out and get new ones.

Check air filters at least quarterly to see if they need replacement. If you’re having heat pump problems, check more frequently. Even if things are working fine, a dirty air filter can dramatically reduce the system’s efficiency. Replacing a fairly inexpensive filter ($5-$10) can save you big bucks on your energy bill.

Check The Outdoor Unit

If your outdoor unit is frozen, the system isn’t able to transfer the heat through your system inside your home. If you see frost or ice on the copper tubing that connects the unit to the house or on the coils of the outdoor unit, something’s wrong. A little bit of building might be normal but if you’re not getting the performance you need and you spot ice or frost, it’s time to call in a pro. Clogged filters or blocked ducts can cause the unit to freeze but so can a faulty valve, worn-out motor or fan, insufficient refrigerant recharge, or other mechanical and electric problems that will require a technician for heat pump troubleshooting. A frozen unit can happen in the heat of summer or at any time of year. Today’s units have a built-in defrost mode to get rid of any frost or ice but if it’s not working properly it can cause your unit to stop working efficiently. Even if there’s no freezing going on, check to make sure you don’t have blocked, dirty, or clogged coils on your outdoor unit. If there’s dirt or buildup, you can clean off the unit or remove anything that’s obstructing the airflow.

Check Refrigerant Levels

A frozen coil may be a sign of low refrigerant charge. If your heat pump is low on refrigerant, it will fail to meet cooling or heat demand. The most common cause of this is a leak. A technician can diagnose the problem, repair any leaks, and re-charge the system if necessary.

Check The Reversing Valve

Really what you’d be checking is whether the valve is working. You can do this by running your heat pump in one mode, such as heating, and then switching it to the cooling mode. If it works fine in one mode but fails to work in the other, there may be the heat pumps problems lie within the reversing valve, which switches the unit from heating to cooling or vice-versa. This is another job for a technician.

Check Your Ductwork

If your heat pump seems to be working but you’re not getting the airflow is weak or the hot air’s not hot or the cool air’s not cool, you might be the victim of leaky air ducts. If you can access your ducts, you can feel along the seams to see if you can feel air leaking out. In most cases, the ducts are hidden inside walls and ceilings which means you’ll need a contractor to trace the ducts and see if there are leaks. As hot or cool air travels through your air ducts, some energy is diminished the farther away you get from the heat pump. Hot air will cool slightly before getting to the vent. If the air is no longer warm, however, that may be the sign of a leak. It’s important to get leaks fixed not just so you can have the heating or cooling you desire, but it can also cost you by creating higher energy bills.

When You’ve Got a Heat Pump Not Working…

When you’ve got a heat pump not working properly, it can impact your quality of life. It can also impact your energy bill. While there are some simple things to check, such as your thermostat setting, air filters, and circuit breakers, there are also a lot of complicated things that should be handled only by a qualified professional HVAC technician.