We’ll cut straight to the chase... if it feels like your heat pump isn’t blowing warm air, the most likely answer is that your heat pump is working fine and you just feel like it’s not blowing warm air (Don’t worry, we’ll explain below).
That being said, your heat pump could actually be blowing cool air because of an issue like:
Below, we’ll explore each of these explanations and their prospective fixes.
Rather have an experienced tech determine whether or not there is an issue with your heat pump? We get it! With years of experience helping Tampa homeowners with their heat pumps, we can determine your issue (and fix it), quickly. Learn more about the heat pump repair services we offer or…
Your heat pump heats your home by drawing in warmth from the air outside and blowing it into your home.
When it’s cold outside, your heat pump can’t pull in as much heat from outside, so the temperature of the air your system blows starts to drop a little bit, to around 90 degrees.
Here’s the catch: Your body temperature is around 98 degrees, so the air your heat pump is blowing is cooler than your body temperature, making you feel like your heat pump is blowing cold air.
Okay, so how do I know if this is what I’m experiencing?
Hold a thermometer up to both the supply and return vents. Is there a difference between these two temperatures? If so, your heat pump is working just fine.
If there isn’t a temperature difference, read on… there’s likely an issue with your heat pump, which we’ll discuss below.
If your heat pump is blowing cold air into your home, it’s likely due to one of the following reasons...
Refrigerant is the substance that carries heat into your home. If refrigerant levels are low, your heat pump is unable to carry as much heat as needed into your home, which may be why you’re noticing the air from your vents isn’t as warm as it should be.
The solution: Contact a professional. If your refrigerant levels are low, it means there is a leak. A professional HVAC tech will need to repair the leak and refill your refrigerant to get your heat pump working correctly again.
The reversing valve is the part of your heat pump that reverses the flow of refrigerant. Refrigerant carries heat out of your home in cooling mode and carries heat into your home in heating mode.
Essentially, the reversing valve determines whether your heat pump is in cooling or heating mode. If there is an issue with the reversing valve, your heat pump could be stuck in cooling mode, which could explain why you’re noticing cool air coming from your vents.
The solution: Contact a professional. This part will need to be repaired or replaced by an HVAC professional with experience.
If you recently turned your thermostat up, you may simply have your thermostat on the wrong setting.
The solution: Check your thermostat and make sure that it’s set to HEAT, not COOL. We know, this sounds obvious, but it happens!
If you’re still noticing cold air coming from your vents, it’s probably time to contact a professional. With years of experience serving Floria homeowners, we are prepared to diagnose any heat pump issue and fix it.