If you’ve recently replaced your air conditioner with a heat pump, or you’re considering making that leap, you might have some questions. What maintenance do heat pumps need? What can go wrong with a heat pump? Do they need different repairs than an air conditioner would need? We’ve got the information you need.
How Air Conditioners Work
First, let’s just cover some basics. Heat pumps and air conditioners both operate using a compressor to pressurize refrigerant and cycle it through a system of coils. In an air conditioner, the indoor or evaporator coils soak up heat from the air in your home, while the outdoor or condenser coils are where the heat is allowed to dissipate. A blower fan pushes the newly-cooled air through your ducts and throughout your home.
The Heat Pump Difference
The amazing thing about heat pumps is that they can be used in reverse, to bring heat indoors, so air is warmed in cold weather. The critical component in this process is the heat pump reversing valve. It changes the direction that the refrigerant flows through the system. To do this, it opens or closes apertures to allow the refrigerant through different pathways.
The reversing valve uses a slider to cover or uncover these openings. The slider is moved by pressure, which is created by an electromagnet called a solenoid. When the solenoid is being charged with electricity, it pushes the slider into the “active” position, which makes the refrigerant flow in the direction that creates cold air. When the charge stops, the slider moves into the “passive” position and the heat pump creates warm air.
Unique Heat Pump Repairs
Because of this unique component, there is something that can go wrong with heat pumps that simply cannot happen to an air conditioner. The reversing valve can stop working, leaving your heat pump stuck in one mode! This will be heating mode because that’s the position the slider can be in with no electrical charge to the solenoid. So what went wrong? And what should you do?
There are three places where the problem may be occurring. First, there’s the thermostat itself. Is it set correctly? Might it need to be recalibrated? Second, there’s the wiring that conducts the signal from the thermostat to the solenoid. Finally, there’s the solenoid itself, which may simply need to be replaced. Check your thermostat, but if it’s set properly, you need heat pump repair in Madison, WI.
Heat Pump Maintenance
Because your heat pump will spend much more of the year working than an air conditioner would, it will accumulate more wear and tear. It will wear away lubricant more quickly. In order to keep its efficiency high, help it be most effective, reduce the likelihood that repairs will be needed, and keep it running for as many years as possible, your heat pump needs professional maintenance twice a year.
Whether you need to schedule routine maintenance, you think your heat pump needs repair, or you simply have a question we didn’t cover here, don’t hesitate to reach out.
You can always count on 24-Hour Home Comfort Services, your heating and cooling specialists.