Many homeowners in Kildeer, IL use a heat pump to both heat and cool indoor areas. It makes their occasional refusal to properly switch between these modes all the more frustrating. Here are a few reasons why your heat pump might blow cool air in heating mode.
Reversing Valve Malfunctions
The reversing valve enables a heat pump to pass back and forth between heating and cooling. It controls the direction in which the refrigerant flows. Since refrigerant carries heat from one area to another, its direction determines whether that heat will eventually flow into your home or outside.
Therefore, if the reversing valve malfunctions at any point, your heat pump will effectively remain stuck in the mode it was in before the malfunction occurred. It will do so regardless of what subsequent commands you input. If the valve stops working during cooling mode, the system will continue expelling cold air until an HVAC technician fixes the problem.
Refrigerant Leaks
If holes appear in your heat pump’s refrigerant lines for any reason, refrigerant will leak out of them. Once this happens, the system’s ability to move heat will drastically diminish. If the leak is severe enough, there will be nothing to carry any heat at all, and the system will blow out cold air even though it’s nominally in heating mode.
An HVAC technician will diagnose low refrigerant using a specific tool and will replace any refrigerant that your heat pump loses. Regular maintenance appointments provide an ideal occasion to do this.
Broken Compressor
The compressor’s job is to pressurize refrigerant and increase its temperature until it becomes possible for it to evaporate in the evaporator coil. Without this crucial step, the refrigerant can’t release the heat that it has bottled up. If your heat pump is in cooling mode when its compressor breaks, the system won’t be able to release hot air and may release cool air instead.
Our team near Kildeer, IL can bring your heat pump back to normal. Call Martin Enterprises Heating and Air Conditioning and schedule HVAC services today.
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