Addressing A Heat Pump That Blows Cold Or Lukewarm Air
Your heat pump has the important job of keeping your home warm. With the cold weather on its way, it is important that you ensure your residential heating is in good shape. If your heat pump isn't blowing enough hot air to keep all your rooms warm, here is a look at what could be wrong and whether you may be able to resolve the issue yourself or need professional help.
DIY fixes
One of the main reasons why your heat pump may be failing spectacularly at warming up your home is an obstructed outdoor unit. During winter, your heat pump's outdoor unit sucks in heat from the outdoor air and transfers this heat to the indoor spaces. If the outdoor unit is obstructed, there will usually be low heat intake in the condenser coils, leading to the unit blowing lukewarm air.
To prevent the unit from struggling to absorb enough heat, be sure to remove shrubbery, grass, snow or other obstructions such as fences blocking the free flow of air over the unit's refrigerant-filled coils. You should also use compressed air to blow dust and other debris out of the condenser coils to boost heat absorption.
Lack of power to your outdoor unit can also be problematic, as no heat will be moved to the indoor coil. This is often caused by a tripped breaker, which you can easily reset at your home's main electrical panel.
Professional fixes
If your heat pump still blows cold or lukewarm air after the above DIY fixes, you may be looking at a bigger problem that will likely need to be resolved by a heating technician.
One possible cause of the problem could be return duct leakage. Return ducts typically carry cold air from your home to the heat pump to be heated. If damaged, these ducts will often suck in cold air from your attic and other unconditioned spaces, making your home almost impossible to keep warm. An HVAC technician can seal any leaks and insulate the ductwork to reduce heat loss. .
Another possible problem could be a low refrigerant charge due to leaks in the refrigerant lines. Refrigerant fluid is what absorbs heat from the outdoor air and dissipates it to your conditioned spaces, so any leaks would lead to your heating unit providing insufficient hot air. Your technician can typically locate the source of the leak, seal it and add a refrigerant charge to boost the heating efficiency of the unit. For more information, contact a business such as Don's AC Service, Inc.