It’s not quite time to switch your heat pump from heating mode to cooling mode just yet, but that time will come soon enough. And when it does, you’ll want to easily adjust your heat pump system so that it begins cooling as effectively as it heated your home all winter long.
However, we can’t guarantee that your heat pump will work accurately every time, especially if you skipped your maintenance appointment (this tune-up should be scheduled twice a year for heat pumps) or if your heat pump is aging and is about ready for retirement. If either of these scenarios are the case, then you might find that warm or lukewarm air is coming through your vents still when you try to switch over to cooling mode.
If this is the case, you’ll want to call for professional Sugar Land, TX heat pump services right away. In the meantime though, we’d like to tell you what’s probably going on with your HVAC system.
The Issue Might be Basic
The first step when your heat pump doesn’t work as you expect it to, is to not panic. First, check to ensure that the thermostat is set correctly. We don’t just mean that it’s in cooling mode, but also that you don’t have a pre-programmed setting that is interfering.
The next thing you should check is that there is a fresh air filter in the system. A clogged filter leftover from winter will restrict air flow and can make it seem as if your home isn’t getting cool enough. Your air filter should be changed every 1-3 months during periods of system use—which, with a heat pump, is just about year round.
Or the Problem Could Be Bigger
If your heat pump system is actually suffering from a malfunction, there are a few possible reasons why.
The most likely culprit is a broken reversing valve. This is an essential component in the heat pump, since it’s what enables the system to work as both a heating and a cooling system. As refrigerant leaves the compressor, it enters this valve. The reversing valve controls whether the hot, high-pressured chemical blend moves first to the outdoor coil or the indoor coil. The direction determines whether your system will work in heating mode or cooling mode.
So naturally, if the valve becomes stuck during any part of the process, the heat pump will get stuck in whatever mode it was in. Our professionally trained technicians may repair the reversing valve, although in many cases it’s more beneficial to have the valve replaced with a new one altogether.
One more possibility is that the heat pump’s mechanical parts are just fine, but that the reversing valve isn’t receiving any signal from the thermostat. This loss of connection means that no matter what the thermostat reads, the electrical signal that causes the valve to shift positions will not activate. Our technicians will be able to trace down the connection problems and resolve the issue.
Contact Fresh Air, L.P. today for reliable heating and cooling services.
