Tuckers Air Conditioning, Heating & Plumbing Blog

Heat Pump Problems to Watch for

With cold weather here again, homeowners are going to start relying on their heating systems on a daily basis to keep them warm. If you are using a heat pump to keep warm this winter, there are some problems that you need to watch out for. The sooner you call for repairs, the better off your system will be. So let’s go over some of the signs to look for that indicate a problem with your heat pump.

Loss of Output

Probably the most obvious indicator that you have an issue, loss of output can be caused by a couple of different things. You may have a leak in your refrigerant line, which will slowly drain the system until it doesn’t have enough to siphon heat anymore. You may also have a problem with your air handler, which is preventing the heat pump from circulating air at all. Call for repairs as soon as you notice an issue like this.

Ice Buildup

Ice is going to form on the outside portion of your heat pump. There’s pretty much nothing to be done about this. Normally it isn’t a problem, since heat pumps use defrost cycles to melt the ice away every hour or so. If your heat pump is more than 50% covered in ice, though, it could mean that the defrost cycle has malfunctioned. This could cause your entire heat pump to ice over, which will prevent it from heating your home and cause other problems. Keep an eye on your heat pump during the winter, and call for repairs if it starts to ice over.

If your heat pump is experiencing problems, call Tuckers Air Conditioning, Heating & Plumbing. We offer a full range of heat pump repair services throughout Rockville, MD.