A heat pump is an immensely popular way to heat and cool a home. It works by either pulling heat from the cold air to heat your home or pulling the heat out of your indoor air to cool your space. In many cases, a heat pump is the primary way that a homeowner heats and cools their home. Therefore, when a heat pump stops working for any reason, it can cause a big issue with regard to the interior comfort of your home. So, if you find your heat pump not working, you want to get to the bottom of the issue as quickly as possible and fix the problem, getting your heat pump back working optimally.

Why Your Heat Pump is Not Working: Troubleshooting and Fixes

Heat Pump is Running Constantly

A heat pump is designed to cycle on and off. Therefore, if you notice that the unit is running constantly, this indicates a problem. Of course, it also can cause sky-high electric bills, so you need to get to the bottom of it. A constantly running heat pump can be the result of a few issues, such as:

  • Improper Thermostat Settings: Setting your thermostat temperature either too low or too high can cause the heat pump to have to run constantly in an attempt to maintain that temperature. A good guideline to follow is to keep your thermostat set to 78F in the summer (and decrease as needed to find the highest comfortable setting) and between 68F and 72F in the winter. Wear extra layers if this doesn’t keep the space warm enough. It’s also important to ensure that your thermostat is properly calibrated or invest in an automated thermostat.
  • Dirty Air Filters: Another common cause of a heat pump running constantly is dirty air filters. When filters are dirty or clogged up, less air passes through them, meaning that a heat pump has to work harder to maintain a comfortable interior temperature. Ideally, you should clean your air filters once every two weeks and replace them at least once every three to four months (or more frequently if you notice them getting clogged sooner).
  • Broken Compressor Contractor: A heat pump will run constantly if the compressor contractor, which is a small device that controls the flow of electricity to the unit’s components, breaks. You need to call in a professional to diagnose and fix this issue.

Other issues that could cause your heat pump to run constantly include having an incorrectly sized heat pump, having a refrigerant leak, or having dirty coils.

Heat Pump is Not Running

The other extreme to the constantly running problem is a heat pump that isn’t operating at all. There can be many reasons that a heat pump stops running, and a great number of them require a professional diagnosis and solution. However, the following are just a few problems that might cause this issue:

  • Thermostat Problems: If your thermostat is losing power, it cannot communicate with the heat pump and tell it what to do, meaning it won’t turn on.
  • Power Loss: Your heat pump has separate power switches, so you can check and see if the power is still turned to ON, or look at your circuit breaker to ensure that you haven’t blown a fuse.
  • Faulty Starter Capacitor: This part of your heat pump delivers power to the motor that powers the heat pump. If the starter breaks, then the heat pump will not be able to turn on. A good indication that this has happened is hearing a clicking noise (faint) coming from the heat pump when you attempt to turn it on.

Other causes of a heat pump not coming on include having a faulty reversing valve, dirty air filters, or closed registers, so it’s a good idea to check these as well when trying to figure out the issue.

Contact us at Comfort Systems

At Comfort Systems, we are here to help you get to the bottom of your faulty heat pump. We understand that even going a day without a properly working heat pump can make it very uncomfortable inside your home. Therefore, we proudly offer 24-hour emergency service and will work to help you remedy the issue as quickly as possible. Contact us today to learn more about our expert services.

Posted in Heating