To keep you comfortable in Pooler, GA, your heat pump should cycle two to three times an hour and for at least 10 minutes. Short, frequent cycles, coupled with a lack of the warm or cool air you want, should tell you something is wrong. A dirty filter, refrigerant leak or mismatch between heat pump and house may explain the short cycling.
Clogged Air Filter
Every three months or so, you will need to change your air filter because the debris it collects can eventually hinder airflow. The blower motor will have a harder time circulating air and may cause the system to overheat, forcing the system to shut down before anything worse happens. In other words, the short cycles may act for your safety, though they’re also wearing your system down.
Refrigerant Leak
Leak detection is an important part of yearly maintenance, especially refrigerant leak detection. Refrigerant is the substance that transfers heat from outdoors into your home, but if it gets low because of leaks, the heat pump will not be able to produce cool or heated air. You may have higher-than-expected electric bills. You may also get the same result as with a dirty filter: premature shutdowns.
Uncalibrated Thermostat
Maybe it’s all a matter of the thermostat reading your indoor temperature incorrectly. In that case, the device would tell the heat pump to shut down before you’re comfortable. In this case, the sensors need to be recalibrated.
Oversized Heat Pump
The most dreadful possibility is that whoever installed your heat pump disregarded its heating capacity, thinking that “bigger is better.” In the HVAC industry, that’s not the case. Oversized heat pumps will heat or cool a home quickly and unevenly, using too much energy to do so.
If you live in Pooler and think you need a heat pump repair, contact McDevitt Air. You’ll appreciate working with our NATE-certified technicians and getting a free estimate for whatever job is at hand. We’re also available 24/7 for emergencies.
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