Your heat pump has two modes: heating and cooling modes. Besides their efficiency and longevity, this is one of the reasons heat pumps are popular. If your heat pump in Birmingham, AL, produces cool air in heating mode, here are some of the reasons why.
Frozen Heat Pump
An overworked HVAC system can develop frost or ice during normal operation. As the ice freezes and covers the coils, the heat pump starts producing cold air. When the heat pump detects the coils freezing, it reverses the flow of the refrigerant and enters cooling mode.
The cooling mode brings the warm refrigerant from your home to defrost the system before normal operation begins. If you notice ice on your HVAC system’s outdoor unit, allow an HVAC technician to inspect the system and find the cause. It can be due to levels of refrigerant, defective frost relay, faulty controls or damaged outdoor fan motors.
Warm Air May Feel Cold Coming From the Vents
A furnace blows hot air at 130 to 140 degrees. Heat pumps, on the other hand, blow out air at about 85 to 92 degrees. If you’re using the HVAC system for the first time, you might feel as if the air that comes from the vents is cool before the auxiliary heat strip kicks in to warm the air more.
Your body temperature is about 98.6 degrees, which is higher than the warmth that comes from the HVAC system at first. Give your home some time and it will warm up to the temperature you set on the thermostat.
Failing Reversing Valve
The reversing valve reverses the flow of heat pump refrigerant when you change from heating mode to cooling mode and vice versa. If this valve fails, your HVAC system will not change modes as it should.
Routine maintenance with a HVAC professional can help prevent the problem. Call us at Total Comfort Heating & Air today for heat pump services and other HVAC services in Birmingham, AL.
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