Has My Heat Pump Gone Haywire?

A heat pump is one of the most cost effective ways to heat and cool your home.  Heat pumps work just like conventional central air conditioners in the summer, but in the winter they are able to reverse the process and move warm air from outside to the inside of your home.  They are a less expensive heating alternative because they use electricity and refrigerant to move heat rather than creating heat.  Electric heating uses much more electricity than a heat pump and heat pumps are less expensive to operate than gas or oil fired furnaces.

If you are the proud new owner of a heat pump, you may have observed some unusual behavior when you switched from cooling to heating and you may be wondering if your heat pump is working properly.  For example, if you’ve seen puddles of water or ice under your heat pump and water vapor streaming from your heat pump, don’t be concerned.

When the heat pump is working in cold weather, ice can build up on the coil in the outdoor unit.  When necessary, your heat pump goes into a defrost cycle to melt the ice.  The heat pump temporarily reverses and pumps warm refrigerant through the outdoor coil to melt the ice, creating a puddle of melted water under your heat pump that will turn to ice if the weather is cold enough.

Once the defrost cycle has ended, the heat pump will again reverse direction and resume heating your home.    This often accompanied by a “swooshing” sound and a cloud of water vapor may form as cool, damp air is drawn past the warm coils.  All of these are the sights and sounds of a heat pump operating normally.

If you have any concerns that your heat pump is not working properly, call a reputable local HVAC contractor with experience in heat pumps.

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