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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's) for Heat Pumps

See more FAQ's in the menu to the left.

Why does my outdoor heat pump have ice on it?

Why does my heat pump blow cold air when it is real cold outside?

When should I use the emergency heat with my heat pump?

Why does my heat pump blow cold air when it starts?

Do I need to clear the snow from around my heat pump unit?

What can I do if my heat pump defrost cycle is not working?

What is that smell coming from my heat pump system?

Why does my outdoor heat pump have ice on it?
Your heat pump will build up ice on the outdoor unit during the winter and this is normal. However, the ice should not build up and stay there, the system must automatically defrost the heat pump unit based on a time cycle, the outdoor temperature or presence of ice or in a different combination of the three. If your heat pump remain ice covered for more than a few hours you more than likely have a problem with your defrost controls. Damage can occur if the heat pump is run under these types of

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Why does my heat pump blow cold air when it is real cold outside?
The heat pump system looses efficiency as the temperatures gets colder outside, typically a heat pump will cross the threshold of efficiency at around 40 to 45 Deg F. and at that point the efficient drops so your air temperature from your supply registers will get cold from that point on. The back up heat source can be set up in many different ways and the temperature that the outdoor unit switches off and allows just the back up heat source to work alone can also be changed. Call a qualified technician to make the adjustments to your system based on your comfort levels, having the back up heat start and run earlier will usually resolve the cold air issue as well as decrease the amount of time the system has to run. 

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When should I use the emergency heat with my heat pump?
The emergency heat switch on your heat pump thermostat can be used at any time you wish to use the back up heat source. Generally it is used when the heat pump has some sort of failure and is not operating properly. It can also be used during very cold weather under conditions when the system does not automatically switch to the back up heat source like it should and the system is not heating the home.

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Why does my heat pump blow cold air when it starts?
This occurs because the heat pump and the indoor blower fan start at the same time and the heat pump requires a few seconds or minutes to build up the required heat with the refrigerant. Newer heat pump thermostats and many new heat pumps have the option to start the heat pump a few seconds before the indoor blower is started and this solves the issue entirely.

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Do I need to clear the snow from around my heat pump unit?
The outdoor heat pump relies on air flow to operate properly at all times. Snow must be cleared from around the unit leaving a clearance of 2 to 3 feet at the minimum all around the unit. Most heat pumps should be elevated off the ground to allow the water during the defrost cycle to flow away from the unit. Snow build up even at the bottom few inches of the unit can prevent the unit from completing the defrost cycle properly. If the snow is not cleared the unit more than likely will not function as it should and if operated under those conditions for any length it could even lead to damage to the unit. 

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What can I do if my heat pump defrost cycle is not working?
The heat pump defrost cycle is actually simply running the air conditioning or cooling which takes some of the heat from the home and melts the ice on the outdoor unit. Typically the emergency heat is operating during these times so it may not be as noticeable as one might think. In a pinch you could try and run the system for cooling for a few minutes and watch to see that the ice starts melting, problem is that usually when you run into this issue the heat pump has a bunch of ice on it and it will take much more time than usual to melt off the ice but this is the only way to melt that ice off the unit properly and without causing potential damage.
  
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What is that smell coming from my heat pump system?
More than likely what you are smelling is the back up emergency heat or electric heating elements in your electric furnace. On many systems the back up heat only comes on when it gets real cold and in many cases this happens rarely so what is happening is that the electric heat elements are coated with dust over the time they are not used and when they first heat up they actually burn that dust off and that is the smell. The smell is hard to describe but normally if there are other issues with your indoor furnace or air handler you will smell an electrical burn smell which we are all pretty much familiar with as it has a very unique odor.

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