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Hey Sacramento, it’s still cold and rainy. Amid all of the other stuff happening in the world, you might be hit with the fact that your heat pump is blowing cold air. At Gilmore, we’re ready to help you diagnose and fix the issue.
Discover the likely explanation of what could be happening to your heat pump and what could be the cause. Use this information to make an informed decision on whether or not you need to call one of our skilled HVAC repair technicians to help. Gilmore Heating and Air have got you covered!
As you may be aware, a heat pump draws heat from outdoors and brings it indoors. Here lies a possible explanation about why cold air is coming from your heat pump. You see, the temperature outside may drop significantly, especially at night, and this could reduce the temperature of the heated air coming from the vents in your home.
For example, it isn’t uncommon for the temperature outside to drop to 40°F on cold nights in Sacramento and even colder up in the foothills. Even at that temperature, your heat pump will still be able to supply air at 80-85°F, a much higher degree of warmth than what the situation is outside. However, our normal body temperature hovers around 98.6°F, so the air which is at 85°F will appear to be cold since it is at a lower temperature than our body temperature.
In order to confirm that this is what you may be experiencing, the Sacramento HVAC professionals at Gilmore Heating and Air recommend that you take note of the temperature reading on the thermostat of your HVAC system and then check back after half an hour.
If you observe that the thermostat is displaying a higher reading, then your heat pump is working. This means that there is no reason to worry about the “cold air” that you thought the heat pump was releasing into your home.
Sacramento HVAC experts explain that heat pumps are designed to switch to defrost mode from time to time when the temperature drops. This mode entails a temporal change from heating mode to cooling mode to allow warm air to circulate over the outdoor coils. This safeguards the pumps from freezing due to any frost that could have built upon them.
This defrost cycle may run for a minute or two, and this narrow window could coincide with the time when you check and observe that the vents in your home are discharging cold air. Folsom AC service technicians have confessed that a number of service calls that they get fall in this category where the heat pump was okay and didn’t need any professional attention.
To confirm that the cold air from the vents isn’t something to worry about, our Sacramento HVAC techs recommend that you go and observe whether the fan on the outdoor unit of the heat pump is running. If the fan isn’t running and you can see puffs of steam coming from it, then you have your confirmation that the heat pump is in defrost mode. If still in doubt and you want a second opinion on the matter, contact Gilmore Heating and Air so that one of our experienced HVAC repair professionals can take a look and allay your fears.
If you notice that your heat pump is blowing cold air into your home and this has lasted for more than the few minutes needed to run a defrost cycle, there is a possibility that something may be amiss with that unit. This means that a professional from Gilmore Heating and Air may need to take a look. Here are some of the common defects that may cause the heat pump in your Folsom home to blow cold air:
When the heat pump doesn’t have the required quantity of refrigerant, the unit will be unable to draw sufficient heat from outside and bring it indoors. A refrigerant leak is a serious problem that needs to be addressed promptly by a Folsom AC service professional from Gilmore Heating and Air, so contact us immediately if you suspect a refrigerant leak may be the culprit.
The reversing valve in a heat pump makes it possible for the unit to switch from cooling mode to heating mode by reversing the direction of the refrigerant. If this valve malfunctions, then the heat pump will run continuously in the cooling mode. This may explain why you are noticing cold air coming from the vents in your home at a time when you expect warm air. We strongly advise that you leave this issue in the capable hands of our trained HVAC repair professionals since the complexities of this component tend to be beyond a DIY heat pump repair.
Despite running several defrost cycles, the outdoor unit could remain frozen and cause the heat pump to blow cold air into your home. A number of defects in that outdoor unit could be responsible for the inability of the unit to defrost, so it is best to invite an experienced Gilmore HVAC professional to check the unit and perform the needed repairs.
Like all machines, a heat pump can gradually lose its efficiency, especially as it nears the end of its expected service life or if it hasn’t been maintained properly. Gilmore Heating and Air recommend that you have your heat pump serviced at least once annually so that it can work efficiently for longer. If your heat pump hasn’t been tuned up within the last 12 months, call a Sacramento HVAC company, such as Gilmore Heating and Air, for the needed maintenance work.
As you can see, one out of a possible three scenarios may be at play if you observe cold air coming from the heat pump in your home at a time when you expect warm air. If you aren’t getting the service that you expect from your heat pump, contact Gilmore Heating and Air. Our experienced technicians will check the unit and repair what is defective, or even advise you to consider HVAC replacement if that is a more viable long-term solution.
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