When it’s freezing outside, the only thing keeping you and your loved ones warm and comfortable is the heat pump. Although heat pumps are designed to last for years until needing a replacement from HVAC companies, but some problems can impede the performance. As a result, your heat pump might be throwing cool air instead of warm air when you need it the most. Let’s take a look at some important tips that will help you troubleshoot the issue.

Frozen Outdoor Unit

Heat pumps like many other household appliances require regular maintenance. Depending on the external factors such as rain, dirt, and debris and the manufacturer’s recommendations, you might want to get your heat pump maintained at least once or twice a year.

However, the problem in most cases is that while the homeowners tend to clean and remove grime, dust, and dirt from the indoor unit, they neglect the outdoor unit. This becomes a huge problem when the freezing temperature sets in. The outdoor unit is as important as the indoor unit.

You should regularly inspect the outdoor unit as well for any frost or ice buildup. If that is the case, you should run tap water to defrost it rather than using sharp materials. Once the ice has defrosted, you can simply remove it by hand or something that does not harm or damage the unit.

During the winters, it is normal for ice to build-up on the outdoor unit. However, if you notice that there is simply too much, you might be looking at a problem. Therefore, you should contact an HVAC professional.

Low Refrigerant Charge

The majority of homeowners assume that the refrigerant is only needed by the heat pump to produce cool air, which is not right. The heat pump needs refrigerant to produce hot air as well. If the refrigerant level happens to be too low, the heat pump will not be able to produce a sufficient amount of hot air.

Another sign of low refrigerant is a frozen coil. Part of maintaining your heat pump includes cleaning the evaporator and condenser coils as well. Therefore, if the refrigerant level happens to be low, the coils will freeze too. Then again, you will need to contact an HVAC professional to recharge the refrigerant.

Incorrect Thermostat Settings

More often than not, heat pumps will produce cool air simply because someone in the family had disturbed the thermostat settings. If you have kids living with you, chances are that they might have played around with the buttons out of curiosity.

It also might be that an elderly tried to adjust the settings but was not able to. With that said, the first thing in such situations is to check the thermostat settings. Make sure the thermostat is set to heat mode.

If that is not the case, then you might want to get the thermostat checked. It might be that the unit is faulty or uncalibrated. If the thermostat happens to be uncalibrated, it will not communicate proper information to the heat pump, which might not produce hot air as a result.

Air Filter Problems

In extreme cases, your heat pump will simply shut down if the air filter has not been replaced in years. This puts the unit under extreme stress and will lead you straight to a new replacement. As compared to that, replacing the air filter will cost much less.

Therefore, you should make sure to inspect the air filters regularly and follow the user’s manual to check for replacements. If you live in an area that is vulnerable to extreme weather conditions, you might need to replace the air filters more often.

Although you can clean and re-install them as well if they are not too dirty but regardless of using the heat pump or not, you will need to replace the air filters every year. This ensures that any complicated and serious problems associated do not keep you up at night.

Final Word

In the end, a heat pump throwing cool air instead of hot air can sometimes be either a simple fix or a complicated one, requiring heat pump repair services Long Beach. Make sure that you follow the manufacturer’s recommendations and keep up with your maintenance game.