Is Your Heat Pump Freezing Up? There are several factors that can lead to your heat pump freezing up during the summer cooling season or the winter heating season. You can fix some of the simple problems that lead to freezing yourself, while it will be necessary to call an HVAC expert for more technical repairs. It’s normal for heat pump coils to have a light coating of frost on them, but a thick ice buildup is a sign of operating problems that will prevent your system from heating and cooling properly and can lead to your heat pump freezing up. A heat pump has automatic controls that should send the unit into defrost mode to prevent ice buildup during normal operation. An HVAC technician can check to be sure those controls are operating correctly. Ice can build up on the coils if the airflow across them is restricted. This could be caused by clogged filters, blocked ducts or by blockage of the outdoor unit by leaves, grass or snow. Be sure your supply and return ducts are unobstructed by furniture, carpeting or closed doors;

clean or replace the air filter regularly and keep your outdoor unit free of debris. Conditions unrelated to the mechanical integrity of your system can lead to a heat pump freezing up. Freezing rain or leaking gutters can let ice accumulate on your outdoor unit and block airflow. Be sure that any water that condenses in your outdoor unit is free to drain away from the equipment. Check to see that the concrete slab the unit is on hasn’t settled or shifted to cause water to accumulate inside the condensing unit. Other factors that could impede your heat pump’s proper operation include an insufficient refrigerant charge, faulty valve operation, a worn-out motor or fan and other electronic or mechanical problems that your technician should be able to identify and repair. Contact the pros at Meyer’s for expert repair and maintenance of your heat pump in the Gary area. Our technicians can help you keep your home energy efficient and comfortable all year long.When new heat pump owners first think they see steam coming from their heat pump, they are sure the outdoor fan is burning up.

This feeling is further enhanced when the motor also stops running. Don't worry, this is a good thing.  It is your unit going into its defrost mode.  It happens regularly during the heating season. The outdoor coils tend to frost or ice-up during the winter. This causes the unit to lose efficiency. By regularly defrosting itself, the heat pump runs more efficiently. When the unit goes into defrost, several things happen. First, the outdoor fan stops running. This helps build up more heat to melt the ice. Also the reversing valve shifts from the heating mode to the air conditioning mode. Temporarily making the outdoor unit a condenser, the hot refrigerant passing through the coils accomplishes the necessary defrosting. At the same time, the supplemental heat is energized to temper the otherwise cold air that would be blowing into the house. At first glance this seems bizarre to say the least (running the air conditioning and heating at the same time) but it usually is only for a few minutes at a time and only when needed. 

If your unit is constantly going into defrost, this could indicate a problem. can be addressed or fixed by the homeowner. usually require a service call.cost of replacing hvac system Outdoor coil blocked-possibly with leaves20 inch window ac unit Defective defrost sensors or thermostatsoutside ac unit fan keeps stopping Defective outdoor fan motor Low refrigerant charge or a restriction The company You Choose To Install and Service Your System Will Determine The Degree of Comfortand Satisfaction You Enjoy. Excerpts of the preceding information has been compiled by Hannabery HVAC, which has graciously permitted us to include them on this web site as a service for all homeowners. These "Common HVAC Problems" are provided FREE and as a consequence Climatemakers does not assume any liability resulting from any information we provide.

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