Be On The Lookout For These Heat Pump Problems | Sound Heating & Air Conditioning Inc.

The best way to stay ahead of an HVAC breakdown is by understanding the early signs of problems and being able to identify them. When it comes to your heat pump, there are some unique problems to watch out for.

Identifying these signs early and scheduling heat pump repair in Federal Way, WA is the best way to prevent your heat pump from breaking down completely. You can keep reading to learn more about common problems that we see in heat pumps and the signs of each one.

Stuck Reversing Valve

This is an HVAC problem that is unique to heat pumps. If you don’t have a heat pump, then you have a separate air conditioner and heater. When you change the settings on your thermostat from cooling to heating, your air conditioner turns off, and your heater turns on.

But with the heat pump, the reversing valve initiates the change between heating and cooling since the unit does both. It is common for the reversing valve to wear out or get stuck as a heat pump ages. Most of the time our team can fix the reversing valve or replace it completely to solve the issue and restore your home comfort.

Unusual Operation

It’s also common to see changes in how the heat pump operates when something is going wrong inside. For example, if your heat pump turns on and off at frequent intervals, there is a safety switch somewhere inside the heat pump triggering your unit to turn off before completing an entire heating or cooling cycle.

On the other hand, if your heat pump is struggling to keep up with your heating and cooling needs, it may turn on and stay on for extended periods of time. Your heat pump should turn on and off for regular heating intervals that last for around 15 minutes. If the cycles deviate too much from that 15 minute average, something is wrong and you need to schedule service.

Lack of Heating or Cooling

Sometimes your heat pump will turn on and blow air but the air will neither be heated nor cold. Perhaps the air coming out of your vents is lukewarm. When this happens, there is probably an issue with the refrigerant lines. You may have a leak that is causing a low refrigerant charge. Without adequate refrigerant levels in the line, your heat pump will not be able to move heat in either direction.

Unusual Sounds

Any sounds that are out of the ordinary from standard operation should be considered a reason to schedule a maintenance appointment, whether the sounds are loud or quiet, or if you hear them one time or persistently.

Any sound that you’ve never heard before or that happens persistently without stopping means that your heat pump is struggling to operate. Whatever the problem is, you want to get it checked out before it begins to impact operation, potentially even leading to a breakdown.