Heat Pump Not Blowing Warm Air?

October 8th, 2017 Posted in Heat Pumps
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Heat pumps can be wonderful when they work the way they are intended. Cool air during the warm months and warm air when it is cold outside. But what do you do when the temperature drops and your heat pump is not giving you the warmth you need? Here are some troubleshooting tips to help you find the problem.

  • Is the thermostat working? One of the main reasons a heat pump is not providing warm air is due to a thermostat problem. Try setting the temperature on the heat pump a few degrees above the current temp in the house and turn the fan on. If the fan comes on but there is no warm air, it may be the thermostat.
  • No fan? If you turned the temperature up and turned the fan on but the fan does not engage, there are a few different things it may be. First check your breaker box to ensure the fuse was not tripped for the heat pump. If the fuse was tripped, you could have a blower motor, wiring or control panel issue. If the breaker is fine, it could be the blower motor.
  • Outdoor unit. If the fan is running but no heat is coming out, try setting your heat pump thermostat to emergency heat. Set the temperature at least five degrees above the current temp and see if warm air comes out the vents. If it does, there could be an issue with your outdoor unit.

Whatever the problem may be, you will need the help of an experienced HVAC service. If you have not had routine maintenance on your heat pump, schedule a tune-up to find out exactly what the heating problem is and have it fixed by a professional.

Posted on behalf of:
ClimateSmith, LLC
5950 Shiloh Road East
Alpharetta, GA 30005
(770) 475-9555

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Winter Heat Pump Troubleshooting

March 13th, 2016 Posted in Heat Pumps
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If the temperature has dropped outdoors and your heat pump is not warming up your home, you may be facing a heating problem. But is it something you need to call your local HVAC service company to repair? Before you make a service call, do a little troubleshooting to see if it is something as simple as a blown fuse. Here are a few troubleshooting tips for a heat pump that is not heating your home.

  • Check the thermostat. Begin your troubleshooting at the thermostat to check where the temperature is set. Try moving it up a few degrees above the current temp to see if the unit turns on and whether it blows hot air.
  • Turn the fan on. If the fan does not come on, it could be a blown fuse. If the breaker is tripped, you may have a blown blower motor, bad wiring or the control board. If the breaker is not tripped, it may be the fan relay or the thermostat.
  • Check the heat. If the fan turns on, switch to emergency heat. If the unit blows warm air, the problem is most likely with the outside unit. If the fan is on but there is no heat, the thermostat may need to be replaced or it could be in your air handler.

If it is not something as simple as the thermostat being set incorrectly or a blown fuse, you will most likely need to call your local HVAC service company to fix the issue. Keep in mind that regular heat pump maintenance and inspections can help reduce emergency repairs and catch problems before they start and you are left in the cold.

Posted on behalf of:
ClimateSmith, LLC
Buford, GA
(770) 475-9528

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Frequently Asked Heat Pump Questions

October 9th, 2013 Posted in Heat Pumps
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Whether your home is already equipped with a heat pump, or you are considering getting one, you’ll find the following questions and answers helpful.

Is Annual Heat Pump Maintenance Important?

To keep your heat pump working safely and effectively, yearly scheduled maintenance is very important. Your heat pumps’ outdoor coils need cleaning no less than once each year. Additionally, be sure to have its electrical system inspected.

Proper maintenance helps to ensure your heat pump performs efficiently. Maintenance cuts down on the quantity and costs of future repairs.  In addition, annual heat pump maintenance results in the extended life of the system.

How do heat pumps provide heating and cooling?

Heat pumps absorb heat and transfer it from one place (location) to another.

Therefore, during the summer season, heat pumps work like air conditioners. Heat from inside your home is absorbed using refrigerant, and then it is vented outside in order to maintain a cool home.

This process is reversed during the winter season. Warmth from outside is absorbed and transferred into the home. A heat pump is ideal for effectively heating your home while temperatures outside remain above freezing.

With some heat pumps, why does it sound like my furnace is running?

Most heat humps distribute air throughout your home by making use of your furnace’s fan. In addition, heat pumps use your furnace as a backup source of heat when temperatures drop below freezing. In such instances, your heat pump is assisted by your furnace to achieve the desired temperature in your home.

For more information about heat pumps, contact your local heating and air-conditioning service company.

Posted on behalf of James Smith, ClimateSmith LLC

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The Different Kinds of Heat Pumps

February 19th, 2013 Posted in Heat Pumps
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The most common type of heat pump used is an “air source heat pump,” which moves or transfers heat from inside your house to the air outside of it. For those homes without ducts for channeling air, there are also ductless air source heat pumps available. These are called “a mini-split heat pumps.” There is also a special kind of air source heat pump called a “reverse cycle chiller.” The reverse chiller uses hot and cold water as opposed to hot and cold air. This allows the unit to use radiant floor heating systems while being used as a central heater. 

A new type of heat pump for homes and residences is called an “absorption heat pump” (it’s also sometimes called a “gas fired heat pump”). Absorption heat pumps take advantage of heat as their primary source of energy, which allows them to be driven by a wide variety of power sources. 

“Geothermal heat pumps” use naturally occurring heat from either a ground- or water-based source within the earth. Although the installation costs are much higher, geothermal heat pumps have low operating costs by comparison. This is because they make use of constant ground or water temperatures to power the unit, as opposed to electricity or other power source. A geothermal pump is therefore highly efficient as it transfers heat between your house and the ground or a nearby water source. Whether a geothermal heat pump is appropriate for your home will depend on the size of your lot and its surrounding area, as well as the landscape and soil your foundation sits on. Customer satisfaction with geothermal systems is generally pretty high, as these units can be used in more extreme conditions than normal air source heat pumps.

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Geothermal Heat Pumps – A Great Choice For Cooler Climates

June 21st, 2012 Posted in Heat Pumps
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A heat pump is an energy efficient way to heat and cool most homes.  Heat pumps work by moving warm air out of the home during the summer months and into the home in the winter.  Since a heat pump moves heat instead of creating heat, it is much more energy efficient than other types of heating and cooling systems.

More and more homeowners are switching to reliable heat pumps for heating and cooling their homes.  More than 10 percent of homes nationwide rely on energy efficient heat pump systems.  Air source heat pumps are the most common type, but they are not popular in colder climates because their efficiency suffers when outside air temperatures fall below freezing.

Fortunately, geothermal heat pumps (also called ground source heat pumps) work well in colder climates because they depend on a system of pipes buried below ground to transfer heat.  Not only are geothermal heat pumps unaffected by changes in outdoor air temperatures, but they are also the most efficient type of heat pump marketed for residential use.  According to the Department of Energy, switching to a geothermal heat pump can save a homeowner up to 60 percent on home heating and cooling costs.

In addition geothermal heat pumps can be combined with a desuperheater to heat water as well as provide home heating and cooling which results in additional energy savings.  Geothermal heat pumps have a higher initial cost than many other types of heating and cooling systems, but they are very durable and the savings on your energy bill can pay for the cost of the system in a few years.

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Innovations in Heat Pump Technology

June 21st, 2012 Posted in Heat Pumps
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Heat pump technology has been around for more than 50 years, but only recently has the rise in energy costs and concerns about energy conservation led to the development of reliable, energy efficient heat pumps designed for residential heating and coooling.  Heat pumps initially marketed for residential use relied largely on compressors and other components designed for use in air conditioners.  These parts were not up to the task of meeting the heavier demands place on them by a heat pump.

Since then, heavier duty components designed specifically for use in residential heat pumps have made heat pumps not only  more energy efficient, but more reliable as well.  Innovations in heat pump technology continue to increase the efficiency and reliability of heat pump systems.

Ground source heat pumps (also called geothermal heat pumps) are the most energy efficient type of heat pump, but the relatively high cost of installation of a ground source heat pump has deterred many homeowners.  Dual source heat pumps have been designed that combine the attributes of ground source heat pumps and air source heat pumps.  These units are almost as efficient as a ground source heat pump, but much less expensive to install.

Multi-speed compressors allow heat pumps to operate at slower speeds when the demand for heating or cooling is moderate, using less energy and saving wear and tear on the system.  Scroll compressors have been developed that are more reliable and operate more quietly and efficiently than piston driven compressors.  Variable speed fans operate more quietly than single speed fans and do a better job of dehumidifying the air which makes the home more comfortable.

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