Picture this, you go to turn on your heat in the middle of winter, and suddenly no hot air is coming through the vents. You head over to your heat pump and see that the entire unit is starting to look like a winter wonderland! If your heat pump has frozen, It may seem scary, but here is what you should know.
Why Your Heat Pump Is Giving You The Cold Shoulder
If you are dealing with a frozen heat pump, we have some good news: this issue is quite common. Heat pumps can often freeze due to problems with the coils not correctly functioning, leading to improper heating. The main issue with frozen heat pumps can often be linked to low refrigerant levels in the system that will throw off heat regulation, leading to freezes.
Sometimes you can have a heat pump with an excess moisture issue from either leaks or other broken components that cause excess moisture to freeze and slow down the heat pump. Even something as simple as poor airflow due to debris, dirt, or something blocking your coils can cause the heat pump to freeze.
Big Tip: Clean
Now before we get to how to deal with your frozen heat pump, the most significant piece of advice we can give is to clean your heat pumps! Funnily enough, homeowners can overlook how dirt can damage their heat pumps significantly if it builds up.
Dirt and dust can easily clog up vents or coils, leading to poor airflow, meaning a heat pump that can quickly freeze in the winter. So save yourself the hassle of no heat in the winter by cleaning your heat pump regularly.
Dealing With the Frozen Heat Pump
Thankfully, with your frozen heat pump, most heat pumps come with a defrost cycle feature to help thaw out the system. Run your heat pump’s defrost cycle to help thaw out the unit, and within a few hours, your heat pump should be fully operational.
If the defrost cycle does not work, you can help your heat pump defrost by removing any large pieces of ice that may surround the unit. Be careful when chipping away at the ice and avoid potentially jamming sharp objects into your heat pump and puncturing a component.
Know When To Call The Pros
If your heat pump remains frozen after some cleaning and the defrost cycle is not functioning, you need professional help. At The A/C Guys® our expert technicians will take a look at your heat pump to identify the issues with your system and get it running correctly.
When you call us at (702) 820-1723 we will make sure that your heat pump is working like brand new, and give you some tips in the event your find yourself dealing with this same issue again.