Heat Pump Problems: 5 Things You Can Take Care of Yourself

A heat pump is very efficient for cooling and heating your home. Like any other piece of equipment, though, a heat pump can have problems which cause it to stop running or run improperly. Before you call in a professional, check a few things yourself.

At Home Heat Pump Troubleshooting Tips

Here are five heat pump problems you can take care of yourself before calling a professional:

Verify the thermostat is turned on and set properly. Many homeowners forget to check this. Make sure the thermostat is turned on. Try to set the temperature beyond where you normally set it. This should trip the air handler and outside unit to run.
Check the house breakers. If you are not getting any sign of life from either the air handler or the outside unit, you may find one or more breakers tripped. Turn off the breaker, wait a few seconds, then turn it back on.
Check the outside breaker. Some heat pumps have a breaker mounted on the wall nearby. This breaker will turn off all power to the unit. Make sure it has not been turned off or tripped. Reset and turn it back on.
Check the air filter. Your air handler strains to pull air through clogged filters. If the clog is too much, it can cause the air handler to overheat and shut down temporarily. Change the filter, wait 15-20 minutes, and try to turn the system back on.
Check that the condenser drip pan is draining properly. When your heat pump is working, condensation can come off the air handler condensing coils and drop down into the condensing pan. If this pan cannot drain, it will trip a sensor which shuts down the system.

Heat Pump Repair and Service

If these things do not work, or you find a problem beyond your experience level, call in a professional. Trying to do a major repair yourself can end up causing more problems that it fixes. It may also void your warranty.

For help with your heat pump problems, contact us here at Ross & Witmer. We have been proudly serving the Charlotte area since 1945.