While your heat pump works great most of the time, you may have noticed that it’s not blowing cold air. Consider the most common reasons why your Whistler, AL heat pump is blowing hot air while in cooling mode.
Improper Thermostat Fan Setting
First, check your thermostat to make sure that the fan is on the right setting. If it’s set to “On,” the fan will run even when the compressor isn’t, making it feel like it’s blowing warm air. The proper setting is “Auto,” which turns on the circulating fan while the compressor is running a cooling cycle.
Dirty Air Filter
If your system’s air filter is dirty, it’ll prevent air from moving through to cool effectively. This can lead to a frozen evaporator coil, which may reduce airflow or cause warmer air than normal. The standard industry recommendation is to change 1- and 2-inch filters every 30 to 90 days.
Low Refrigerant
Your heat pump depends on refrigerant to absorb and expel heat. When it’s low, it can’t absorb heat properly, leaving your unit pushing out air that isn’t sufficiently cooled. The system doesn’t consume refrigerant, so if it’s low you’ll need an AC repair to fix a leak.
Faulty Thermostat
Your system can’t run properly if the thermostat that controls the cooling cycles isn’t working correctly. A thermostat will usually work effectively for 10 to 15 years, but then it may begin improperly sensing the temperature. If your thermostat is getting old, consider replacing it with a new model that’s compatible with heat pumps.
Dirty Coils
Both the outdoor condensing coil and the indoor evaporator coil may become dirty over time. A film of dirt, dust, pollen or other contaminants on the coil acts as a type of insulator. This reduces the amount of heat the refrigerant can absorb, leaving the air coming from your AC too warm.
You can prevent most problems that cause your heat pump to blow hot air with annual maintenance services. Call to schedule routine heat pump maintenance with the NATE-certified technicians at Air Specialty.
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