Heat Pump & What precisely So that you can Search Intended for For you to Preserve & Repair Your current Heat Pump - Local Support Center

A heat pump normally takes heat from the outside and moves it inside of your home.  Even freezing winter air carries some heat, and heat pumps can pull heat from the outside air on a cold day and transport it indoors to manage a comfy temperature.  It does this by operating as a refrigeration system - essentially an air-conditioner running in reverse.  If the heat pump is consuming heat from the outside air, the efficiency of the heat pump lessens as the outdoor air temperature reduces. The colder it is, the more difficult it gets to draw out and transfer heat.



The efficiency of a heat pump varies significantly with the outdoor temperature. While a heat pump may be twice as efficient as a regular heating system at 50 degrees F, when the outdoor climate drops to less than 30 degrees, extra electric resistance heating kicks in.  At very low outdoor temperatures, the heat pump compressor will shut off entirely and the backup heating system takes over - using far more electricity.  Most smart thermostats support many stages of heating and cooling, and can run the heat pump and auxiliary heat in unison to increase comfort and reduce overall energy costs.



In case of compressor or general system malfunction, many thermostats have an emergency heat switch that bypasses the thermostat and activates the supplemental heater.  You may have noticed that after a power outage, the supplemental electric resistance heater runs for a while to warm up the house.  This is natural, as the system is designed to reheat the oil in the crankcase of the compressor before restarting the compressor.



If you notice that your system is heating but the outdoor compressor is not working, or if the emergency heat light is on, there could be several factors for this.  The power might be off to the outdoor unit because of a blown fuse or tripped circuit breaker.  A very unclean air filter, or dirt on the outside unit could also be the problem.  Extreme changes to the settings on the thermostat might also drive the system into emergency heating mode.



If the auxiliary or emergency heat light is constantly on when the unit is heating, there is probably some issue with the system.  A service professional can easily check if the system is low on refrigerant, or if there is a more major problem. Keep an eye on your thermostat light and your system, as well as your electric bill.  If there is an increase in electrical usage for no clear reason, you may have a heat pump running on expensive backup electric resistance heat.

By Your Local Heat Pump Repair Heating & Air Contractor



Park Mechanical Plumbing, Heating & Air

3104 O Street. Suite 15

Sacramento, CA 95816

916-452-4154

http://parkmechanical.com