This time of year, especially when it gets cold outside in the evenings, we get many calls from homeowners concerned that there is cold air blowing out of the duct registers in their home when their heat is running. We wanted to address this, as many times homeowners think this is an issue with their heating and cooling system, but if they have a heat pump, it's actually typically a very normal process. Don't know if you have a heat pump? Check out this article, on how to tell if your unit is a heat pump or air conditioner. In the summer, a heat pump picks up the heat in your home and dumps it outside. In the winter, your heat pump picks up heat from the outside and dumps it into your home (yes, even when it's cold outside). Now, that may be hard to grasp, but this is the way it works. In the summer, your indoor coil is cold (and pulls humidity out of the air, and comes in the form of water) which is drained from that PVC pipe located on your roof, or side of your house.

In the winter, that same humidity is pulled out of the air, but it comes in a form of frost on the outdoor coil (condenser). If you see frost on the outdoor coil, it is natural to the process and it is not a sign of any kind of malfunction- the reason the coil is cold falls back to the second law of thermodynamics- which states that energy always moves from areas of higher concentration to areas of lower concentration. As the frost builds up on the outdoor coil, it could potentially inhibit the ability for air to flow across that coil. Once the frost builds up, your heat pump automatically goes through what we call, a defrost cycle to keep allowing the air to flow across the coil freely (which is a necessary function of your system). You may have noticed a loud sound right before cold air blows out through the vents in your home. The sound you hear is the reversing valve switching your unit over to cooling mode. Frost on the outside coil is condensation that forms up on the coil in the form of frost.

When a heat pump begins the defrost cycle, the outdoor fan shuts off and the system switches over to cooling mode. The reason for this, is that in the cooling mode, the outdoor coil actually becomes hot. best ac unit for rvThis is because hot refrigerant circulates through the outdoor coil, which in turn melts the frost. clearance window ac unitsThe reason the fan shuts off during this process is so the system doesn't pull the cold air from the outside across the coil while the hot refrigerant circulates.20 ton cooling unit While the system is in cooling mode, the frost that had built up on your outdoor coil then turns to water, runs down the outdoor coil, and piles towards the bottom. When the defrost cycle is complete and the defrost sensor closes, the system runs in heating mode again.

This is when the fan kicks back on and all of the frost that ran down to the bottom of the coil in the form of water is pushed out of the top of the unit, sometimes in the form of steam. If you see steam coming out of your outdoor coil that is a normal operating procedure for a heat pump system, so don't be alarmed. Don't panic if you have a heat pump and if cold air blows out of your duct work for a little while on and off while you run your heat at home. Don't panic if you see frost on your outside equipment's coil. Don't panic if steam comes out of the top of the outside equipment. It's all part of the process of heating your home with a heat pump!Why Is My Air Conditioner Spitting Water? Central air conditioners and window or wall units work in the same basic way. They take in air from the house and use a fan to blow it across Freon coils. The heat from the air is dispersed outside while cold air is circulated back and vented into the home. An air conditioner that is spitting water is due to a malfunction in the condensation drain, which may be due to a few separate causes.

Any water emanating from your air conditioner, whether it is a central air conditioner or a window unit, has one source. When an air conditioner cools the air, it also removes humidity from the air to increase indoor comfort. When indoor air is blown across the cold Freon coils, the coils "sweat" in much the same way a cold glass of water sweats in a hot room. This sweat drips from the coils in to a condensate pan, and drains outside the home. Any water emanating from an air conditioner is condensate as there is no other source of water in an air conditioning system. Window/Wall Unit Spitting Water If a window air conditioner is installed improperly, its condensate pan may overflow and get water on the circulation fan, which can cause water to spit. Window units are constructed in such a way that, when properly seated on the windowsill, they have a slight slope away from the house, which enables water to drain outside the house instead of overflowing and draining indoors.

Verify that the unit is properly seated in the window and is sloping away from your home. Central Air Conditioner Vent Spitting When your central air conditioning unit is spitting water into your house through the ducts, you have a malfunction in the condensation pan. The drain may be clogged, or the pan may be bent in such a way that water is not pooling at the drain, which can allow water to make its way into your ducts and drip or "spit" from your air conditioning vents. Ensure the condensate pan is draining properly, and clean out any hair or debris. Central Air Conditioner Spitting Outside You may find that your air conditioner is spitting water outside your home through a PVC pipe or hose on especially hot and humid days, which can cause concern if you haven't noticed this before, but it is nothing to worry about. Air conditioners work to dehumidify the air and must drain this water outside the home. On especially hot and humid days, you will find that your central unit's drain is pumping out significantly more water as it should.

If the water is causing a problem with mosquitoes or mud, place a barrel under the drain and use the water for garden irrigation. Aircomfort Systems: Everything About Air Conditioner Water Leaks SRP Net: Questions and Answers About Air Conditioning and Heat Pumps Frugal Dad: How to Unclog Air Conditioner Drain How to Drill a Hole to Drain Water From My Window AC Unit. Air conditioners express water as part of the air-cooling... Air conditioners cool a ... Agitate the washbasin until the soap fully incorporates into the water and add the air ... Why Does My Window Air Conditioner Blow Water in the House? Window air conditioners remove humidity and cool the air. Never assume that your air conditioner is functioning properly when it leaks water. Often times, water leaking from your air conditioner indicates... How to Stop a Window A/C Unit from Leaking Inside the House How to Clean an Air Conditioner Condensate Drain Easy Way to Drain Water From Portable Air Conditioners