Nights are getting chilly in Raleigh. Are you wondering if you need heat pump repair service? Your utility bill could have the answer!
One very common tale tell sign that your heat pump not working properly is your high electric bill in the winter time. If your heat pump is not working at peak efficiency, its heat strips might come on repeatedly throughout the day, taking a toll on your energy bill. But having to use Heat Strips is like using ten toaster ovens and ten hair dryers at the same time, all day, everyday. That type of energy drain that definitely has an impact on your heat bill, and could be your indication that you need heat pump repair service.
Heat strips on a heat pump are used for what is known as back-up heat or emergency heat. Normally, when your heat pump works properly, the heat strips only come on when it is below 35 degrees outside, or when you have more than two degree difference between your chosen indoor temperature and the current temperature of your home.
A properly working Heat Pump is actually the most efficient way to warm a home because it can convert 100% of its consumed energy into heat as opposed the most efficient furnaces that can only convert 96% of their consumed energy to heat. But an under performing heat pump wastes energy and can definitely results in higher electric bills for Raleigh homeowners.
So How Exactly Does a Heat Pump Work?
A heat pump is merely an air conditioner working in reverse. Instead of removing heat from your home, a heat pump brings heat into the home. It does this by reversing the flow of the freon. When you put your hand over the outside unit (condenser) in the summer you will feel warm air from the fan (assuming you AC is working properly). But when you put you hand over your condenser (outside unit) in the winter, you should feel very cold air blowing from the fan. If the air is not very cold, then your heat pump is not working as it should. The air coming out of your AC unit is very cold because the freon has soaked up all the warmth from the air. That warm freon then travels into your home and through the evaporator coil (the thing in your attic or under your home), making your evaporator coil warm. As the HVAC unit blows air across your warm evaporator coil, the air gets warm. That’s how warm air comes out of your vents when the heat pump is working correctly.
If the heat pump is not working correctly or if the air outside is very cold, the Heat Strips, or back up heat, will come on instead to supplement the work and warm the air in your home.
What should you do if you suspect your Heat Pump is not working properly?
Before you call a Raleigh Heat Pump Repair Company, I recommend you do a quick check to confirm your heating problem by going outside and putting your hand over the fan that blows from the outside unit (condenser) — or better yet, use a temperature gun or thermometer if you have one.
If the air coming out of your condenser unit outside is not roughly ten degrees colder than the outside temperature, it’s your signal that your Heat Pump is not working as it should and needs repair.
If that’s the case, the best thing to do is call your local Raleigh heating repair company (we suggest Cool Change Heating & Air Conditioning –
919-457-2494) to come out and troubleshoot your heat pump. Often times, the cause is simple and does not require extensive heat pump repair. It might simply be that your unit needs more freon. But if you suspect a problem, don’t ignore the issue. Attending to your heat pump and fixing the problem right away will not only help with your utility bills, it will limit the wear and tear on your heating and cooling system and prevent costly heat pump repairs down the road.
Our trained and certified heat pump repair technicians can assess your Heat Pump with a set of digital freon gauges to make sure your HVAC system gives you all the heat it can during the cold months. At Raleigh’s Cool Change Heating & Air, it is our goal to keep your heat pump performing at its very best, so it will provide you family with low cost warmth for years to come.
