Why Is My Heat Pump Only Sending Out Warm Air?

Heat pumps are a great installation for homes in North Carolina because they handle our climate so well throughout the year. During our hot and humid summers, heat pumps work as powerful air conditioners to keep homes cool. Then when the mild winters come around, heat pumps switch over into an energy-saving heating mode the easily overcomes the chill.

Right now you almost certainly have your heat pump working in cooling mode (it’s already way too hot!). But what if you discover that the air coming from the vents isn’t cool like you expect, but room temperature—or even warm? Not only does this mean your home will be too hot, but you’ll have a heat pump that’s only doing half its job!

Here’s why this might happen

The most common reason for a heat pump to become stuck in one mode or the other (in this case, frozen in heating mode at the wrong time) is because of a broken reversing valve. The reversing valve is the essential part that allows a heat pump to work as both a cooling and heating system. The reversing valve contains a slider that shifts between two positions so that it either sends refrigerant leaving the compressor one direction or another in the system. Should the slider become stuck in one position, the heat pump will not be able to switch out of its current mode. You can’t fix this problem on your own: call on HVAC technicians, who will probably replace the whole reversing valve with a new component.

Another possible reason for a stuck heat pump is that the thermostat has malfunctioned. The thermostat is responsible for sending the electrical signal to the reversing valve that moves the slider. If the thermostat loses this connection because of wiring problem, the heat pump won’t be able to shift modes. It’s also possible that the thermostat isn’t reading the correct temperatures and therefore doesn’t even know it even needs to switch modes.

Need heat pump repair in Apex, NC? Just call Raleigh Heating & Air, Inc.