If your heat pump isn’t working like it should, your reaction may be a combination of frustration over lack of home comfort and dread of a costly repair bill. Before calling in an HVAC professional, try some of these troubleshooting tips to see if you can revive the unit yourself. (For any of these tasks that you don’t feel comfortable undertaking yourself, please feel free to call your local HVAC pro.)
Doesn’t come on:
- Make sure the unit’s receiving power and that the thermostat is set to the proper mode, either heating or cooling.
- Check the heat pump’s circuit breakers at the main circuit panel to see if any of them have been tripped. Reset any tripped breakers and try to start the unit again. If the breakers continue to trip, it could mean a dangerous problem, so call for professional help.
- Check the heat pump’s own circuit breakers and fuses. Most heat pumps have supplemental electrical heating elements, so the fuses or breakers protecting these elements may be blown or tripped.
Doesn’t heat or cool properly
- Look at the thermostat to make sure the unit is set to an appropriate temperature. Shift the temperature setting a few degrees up or down, as appropriate, and see if performance improves.
- Check the unit’s filters and change them if necessary. Dirty filters can cause major problems and breakdowns in an HVAC system. Check them at least monthly and change if needed.
- Make sure supply vents and return registers are unobstructed and that heated or cooled air is flowing from the appropriate vents.
Cycles on and off incorrectly or too often
- Make sure the filter isn’t clogged and causing airflow problems.
- Check the thermostat for improper calibration or incorrect placement. If the thermostat isn’t installed where it can take a good measurement of indoor temperatures, it will cause the heat pump to work incorrectly.
Blower doesn’t move any air
- The most likely cause of a malfunctioning blower is a broken or damaged belt connecting blower and motor. Replace the belt according to manufacturer’s instructions.
Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning has offered HVAC service, sales and repairs to customers in Lorain, Erie and Cuyahoga counties for more than 30 years. Contact us today for more expert troubleshooting suggestions and for reliable, professional HVAC service when you need it.
Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about heat pumps and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
Energy 1 Heating services the Lorain, OH area. Visit our website to see our special offers and get started today!
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Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning
1 (440) 246-5440
Serving the Lorain, OH Area