Do you have issues with your heat pump? Does your heat pump freeze up during winter? If yes, you should continue reading this blog. It is important that you get the unit repaired immediately so that it does not suffer even more damage and break down permanently.
Heat pumps sometimes develop frost or ice on the outdoor coils. When the buildup of ice is detected, the heat pump temporarily shifts into cooling mode. This reverses the flow of refrigerant through the coils and hot refrigerant moves through the outside coils thereby melting the ice formed on the outdoor coils. The unit shifts back to heating mode when the defrost cycle is complete.
However, if the heat pump freezes and cannot defrost the ice or frost on the outdoor coils, then there must be some serious problem with the unit.
Issues to Resolve Faulty Heat Pump
You should hire a qualified HVAC technician to repair heat pump that freezes-up. The professional technician will analyze the pump to determine cause of the problem. There are various reasons that cause the heat pump to freeze up. Some of the reasons that the heat pump freezes up and does not defrost the ice or frost include:
• Faulty defrost relay
• Low refrigerant levels
• Faulty defrost controls.
• Faulty reverse valve
• Malfunctioning defrost sensors
• Damaged defrost thermostat
• Out of order outdoor fan motors
• Improper leveling or elevation of HVAC unit
If the heat pump is completely covered in frost, the technician will shut off the system diagnosing the problem. The HVAC technician may also disassemble the unit to troubleshoot the problem.
How to Prevent Heat Pumps from Freezing Up?
There are certain steps you can take to prevent water heater to freeze up. Following these steps will ensure that your heat pump efficiently defrosts the ice and do not freeze up. This will also elongate life of the heat pump and ensures optimal efficiency.
• You should check the unit’s air filter to make sure that it is not damaged or clogged.
• Check and replace dry filters immediately.
• Try to keep leaves, twigs, grass, snow, dirt and other materials away from the unit. They interfere with airflow of the unit and prevent it from working properly.
• You should regularly check indoor registers and air vents to make sure they are not blocked. Boxes, furniture, clothing, or other items may block the vents and registers that should be kept away from the unit.
• Finally, you should make sure that the roof gutters do not overflow and drip onto the outside unit. This may damage the defrost unit and may even cause it to break down completely.
Bonfe offers HVAC and plumbing services to customers throughout Minnesota in the Minneapolis and St. Paul area. You should visit www.bonfe.com today for more information on how to resolve issues related to heat pumps and get the equipment working again.
It’s nice to learn how to work with a heat pump. We moved into a home that has one, so I want to know how to fix it. As of right now, I think it’s frozen up, so we’ll need to hire a pro to come look at it.