by High Performance HVAC | Heat Pumps | 2 comments. Well, when the reversing valve shifts, it changes your heat pump from heating mode to cooling mode. Don't panic if you see frost on your outside equipment's coil. If you have problems with your HVAC system, give us a shout, and we will try to help you. There are other reasons your heat pump could be blowing cold air instead of heat, but those are the basics. If you don’t have an IR thermometer, simply watch your thermostat. I do work hard on it and try to answer every one, but sometimes it is difficult for various reasons. Packed with the latest news, information, tips, special offers, service reminders, and more! Heat pump not heating That usually happens when the heat pump is not hooked up properly, or there is a problem with the defrost controls. Then keep reading. Rebecca, thank you for your kind comments about the site!! A furnace typically puts out air at around 130 degrees, whereas warm air from a heat pump is only a little over 90 degrees on a moderately cold day. If so, your heat pump is blowing warm air that just feels cold to you. The air coming from your supply vent should be anywhere from 15-30 degrees hotter than the air near your return vent (depending on how cold it is outside). That’s a no-brainer. How you’ll know this is your issue: Your furnace blows hot air but that … Next, check your outdoor unit is not iced over (see Heat Pump Troubleshooting Problem #1). You can use our uploader (on the menu to the right) to send us photos and a description of the problem. So if you are new to heat pumps, try measuring the air temperature with an accurate thermometer before calling for service. For a heat pump or heater to produce warm air, air must flow easily through the … Well, this is less than your body temperature, so it feels like cold air is blowing. Furnaces tend to put out about 130 to 140 degree air. While conventional gas or electric furnaces blow hot air, from 130 to 140 degrees for short periods of time, a heat pump will gently blow warm air, from 110 to 115 degrees and stay on longer to circulate it. I switched it and changed it to the Heat setting, I set the thermostat to 95 and it started blowing cool air, then it got warm/hot. Sometimes in heat pump systems, the reversing valve that switches the system from air conditioning to heating function gets stuck. Is the air coming from the vents hot or warm? Items in red usually require a service call. Get shopping advice from experts, friends and the community! The supply vents did start blowing warm air. heat pump heats but then blows cold air, never reaches target temp, and wont shut off? Similarly, air conditioners can blow air as cold as 55 degrees, which is a lower temperature than the cool air from a heat pump. I look forward to your answer. Hannabery South1342 S. W. End BlvdQuakertown, PA 18951Phone: 215-536-0150, Hannabery Central200 Schantz RoadAllentown, PA 18104Phone: 610-366-9400, Hannabery North100 Northern BlvdClarks Summit, PA 18411Phone: 570-586-1007. Select EQUIPMENT. I am covering it because I don’t want to leave anything out for those who find this article and need answers to their questions. In either case, the heat pump isn’t running to heat the air and therefore, you’re getting whatever temperature it … This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Luckily, this part can be easily swapped out by a pro. Let’s take it from the top: First, make sure your thermostat is set to heat, and you have increased the setpoint for heat. Mon-Fri: 8:00am - 5:00pm I am just wondering if I hooked something wrong hooking up the thermostat, or perhaps I have a problem with the heat pump and need to call someone out to fix the problem. Tom can help. Now I just turned on my heat pump the other night when it was cold outside. Thanks again for all your help!! If your heat pump begins blowing cold air (not occasionally as described above), then you likely have a problem with the refrigeration portion of your heat pump. Feel the vents again after a few minutes? The reversing valve not shifting properly. Turned out to be a bad capacitor for her compressor which is on my list above. The customer just thinks the heat pump is blowing cold air. When i run my heater it blows hot for 10 minutes or so, then it blows cold air out of the defrost vents. Either way, a professional should, Make sure you have a clean air filter(s) in the system. I wanted to warm the house up a bit since, in the day time, it gets back up to reasonable temperatures. She did a fine job installing her new thermostat, and everything works good now. The check the breakers in the main panels. Serving Eastern Pennsylvania Homeowners & Businesses since 1972! While there may be a chance the system … The tempurater drops at the thermostat. Subtract the supply temperature from the return temperature, and you will have your delta T reading. Required fields are marked *. And you wait — and wait — but the heater just blows cold air. Please keep in mind that the information found on our website is provided free of charge and Hannabery HVAC does not assume any liability resulting from the information we provide. Resource: The Home Comfort Book: The ultimate guide to creating a comfortable, healthy, long lasting, and efficient home, Hello, We hope this information helps, but please note that these are just rough guidelines, and not all possible situations are covered. Generally speaking, a heat pump will produce air that is about 55 degrees warmer than the outside air. This is different from a furnace, which can blast hot air over 100°F. If there is no difference between the return temperature and the supply temperature then there is a problem. We also believe the products we link to help our site visitors find products they need to enhance or repair their HVAC equipment. It would be best if you called a professional for a repair. They are the kind of people you would invite to your house for dinner. We have a heat pump and a ritetemp programmable thermostat. Either way, call your local contractor and have them take a look and fix it for you. Heat Pump blowing cold air from the outside unit. If it is not running, check the power. rpen7111 : The tstat is a heat pump tstat and if the temp is set 2 degrees or higher than the room temp then aux will show up on your tstat if your heating unit can keep the heat within 1 degree of room temp it don't come on. Regarding your replay to my original comment, I turned the thermostat up to 80° F. when the house temperature was 72°, and the thermostat was set to heat. Copyright © 1997new Date().getFullYear()>1997&&document.write("-"+new Date().getFullYear()); Hannabery HVAC. These cookies do not store any personal information. Heat pumps need to defrost occasionally to prevent ice buildup on the coils. Well this could be caused by several things. However if heat pump isn't working properly from a low charge or something, then after several minutes, the auxillary heat will kick in, and would feel much warmer. When you turn on a faucet to receive hot water, you often have … Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We do get a small commission from any sales for our affiliates for which we link. Update: Rebecca sent me an email after the contractor left her house. Select HEAT PUMP. It is a defrost method used by many conventional HVAC manufacturers. In other words, it's not putting out any heat at all. Rebecca used the uploader to send us some pics of her thermostat wiring, and it worked great!! That happens when the heat pump shifts into defrost mode. Your email address will not be published. The work was done in a very professional and timely manner. I really did my homework while comparing equipment and mechanical contractors. Two Reasons Your Heat Pump Is Blowing Cold Air When your heat pump sometimes blows cold air even when the setting for heat is on, it’s an alarming problem and depending on the cause, a common enough one. Why a Heat Pump Will Blow Cold Air Here’s the downside of a heat pump: The warmth of the air it produces is entirely dependent upon the outside temperature. No. I used a few months ago to install a new thermostat, and you cleared some things up with the thermostat wiring colors I had problems trying to figure out. Reversing valves for most heat pumps only shift for cooling. The technician was terrific! Why is my Heat Pump Blowing Cold Air? Now, to answer your question: Since you ran the little test I had you do, we know your auxiliary heating or backup heat is working. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. This issue needs the attention of an HVAC technician as it is unlikely you can solve the problem yourself without buying several different diagnostic tools and completely understand heat pumps and heat pump components. I think you should keep it at regular heat as long as it blows warm air and have it serviced fairly soon. Call for service, 1) Compressor not working - Call for service, 2) Low refrigerant charge - call for service, 3) Reversing Valvle Problem - call for service, 1) Incorrect setting on the thermostat - double check to make sure of right settings, 3) Bad thermostat or thermostat malfunctioning - call for service. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. In the winter, this process is reversed. © 1997-2021 Hannabery HVAC. Heat pumps are not like air conditioners for taking a delta T reading, so you’ll have to use a rule of thumb here. * 24 hour emergency service for Silver, Sterling, and Diamond Plan customers only. Good luck!! Anyhow, make sure you only set 1° above the house temperature. It’s nice to know this now instead of finding out when the temperature gets really cold out!! Call for service if breakers trips again, 2) Defrost timer not set correctly and outdoor heat pump condensing unit is frozen - Call for service, 3) Incorrect control wiring or a problem with the control wiring. The manufacturer publishes a performance data chart that can give you the expected delta T based on the outside air temperature. Call for service if breakers trip again. Something could be wrong with the compressor. I picked up a whole housing subdivision of customers because the installation contractor did not hook this up properly. If any are tripped, reset them. There are many reasons your car's heater isn't working. Red = Professional fix | Blue = Homeowner fix. And, in cold weather, heat pumps tend to blow warm air out at 95°F. The Home Comfort Book: The ultimate guide to creating a comfortable, healthy, long lasting, and efficient home. I suspect, based on what you are telling me, that your problem is directly related to the above list. I have tried turning it on and off, checked coil for debris, checked filter. Copyright© 2021 HighPerformanceHVAC.com |. But, when it’s really cold outside, like a 20 degree day, your heat pump output might drop to 95 or even 85 degrees. 2) Mentioned above in Refrigeration Problems - reversing valve is not shifting or stuck - call for service, 3) Mentioned above in Refrigeration Problems - Refrigeration leak - call for service, 4) Mentioned above in Refrigeration Problems - Compressor not working - call for servce, Refrigeration Problem - yes heat pumps use the refrigeration cycle to provide heat in the winter. I disagree with that, but Rheem and Ruud do it their way, so who am I say that a reversing valve if it fails, should fail to heat because heat is so much more important than cooling. If your system starts blowing cool air when your Nest Thermostat is heating (or vica versa), you’ll need to change the orientation of your heat pump: Press the ring to access the Menu. To make sure that your heat pump is actually blowing cold air, … If no air blows from the vents then the blower motor or other part has gone bad in the unit. The heat pump can absorb heat from the outside air – even when it’s quite cold! It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. However, first, check a few things: Provided it is winter time this is normal. I would recommend them to anybody in the neighborhood. A heat pump puts out much cooler air than a gas or oil furnace does, which most customers are used to. 1) Breaker is tripped - check condensing unit breakers. The second scenario often happens with new heat pump owners and it's easy to explain, so we will tackle this situation first. Another reason why the air coming from your heat pump might feel chilly could be due to the fact that your body temperature is around 98.6°F and heat pumps blow air that is a temperature below that. Has anyone changed the thermostat recently? No. The heat defrosts the coils. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. And the blown capacitor has nothing to do with changing her thermostat. When this occurs the system can get stuck in ‘heating’ mode. Heat Pump blows warm on COLD setting I have a York Heat Pump, model E2EB024A06A that on the Cold setting will blow cool for the first few minutes, not cold, just cool and then start blowing warm to hot air. Heat Pump Troubleshooting Problem #3: BLOWING COLD IN HEAT MODE. What could be the problem? Is the temperature warm or hot? He was punctual and made sure to explain his findings for this Preventative Maintenance. Sometimes these are fused, and you could have blown a fuse. Make sure it is not tripped. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. My heat pump is blowing cold air even in when it is set to emergency heat? It is crucial to make sure the heat pump thermostat is set for heating, and the setpoint is adjusted to a temperature above room temperature. A lack of heat can be a symptom of a much larger problem. All rights reserved. Glad I could help!! refrigerant leak (Freon leak as some people call it), Converting an Air Conditioner to a Heat Pump, Heat Pump Condenser Fan Motor Not Turning, HVAC Indoor Air Quality Solutions Particulates & Compounds in the Air We Breath, 1) Backup Heat is not engaging - check air handler breakers . Turn the ring and select SETTINGS. | Richard, love your website!! Perhaps your temperature gauge is running below normal. If the the. The thermostat is set to “on” rather than “auto” When your thermostat is set to “on”, the fan in your … If i turn it off for about 10 minutes it will blow hot again for again about 10 minutes and then blows cold again out of the defrost vents. The heat pump is working fine. Still feeling the heat? I'd recommend Hannabery HVAC to everyone. If the heat pump isn’t working at all but the air handler and blower are working fine, then the device will simply blow cold air from outside or possibly even just recycled cold air from inside. Then, a fan blows over this cool refrigerant, pumping cool air back into your home. Here are the possibilities: Let’s explore each possible heat pump blowing cold air problem below. Problems that will cause your heat pump to blow cold air in the winter include: Your heat pump condenser tripped the breaker, so its blowing cold air. That means you have more than one problem. Have you … Excellent customer service. If the heat pump turns on when you want cool air, but not for heat, this is likely the cause. Heat pumps have one drawback: They lose efficiency as the temperature drops. Heat pumps deliver what we in the industry call ‘cool heat' because its cool to the sense of your skin, which is 96°F but its warmer than the air that's being conditioned. Why do you want your backup heat on when the heat pump is in defrost mode? Now, what if the heat pump really is blowing cold air? Then, the hot refrigerant from the outdoors is pumped into your home, and a fan blows across it to provide heat to the inside of your home. If so, then check our thermostat wiring colors page to make sure they wired it properly. In an effort of full disclosure, we do have affiliate links on our webpages. Site design by Web Developer for Hannabery.com. It's a statement heating and air conditioning pros hear every winter – "My heat pump is blowing cold air!" My heat pump blows hot air for a few minutes then cold air. Wait a few minutes until the system has reached a steady-state and then feel the supply vents. Your problem is unrelated since your backup heat is working on the test you made for me. Maybe the fan is malfunctioning. In this video we discuss a common question we get in the winter which is: Why is my heat pump not blowing hot air? If not, your system may have a valve problem, a refrigerant charge issue, or a compressor problem. Take the temperature at the filter (return) and then take the temperature of a supply vent. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. Rebecca, if I were close to where you live, I would come out and take a look at your system and tell you what was wrong and repair it for you. Check the breaker at the air handler. That means you have a problem with the refrigeration portion of your heat pump. We know your backup heat works just fine, so please ignore the first part of my answer. To see if the cool air is your mind playing tricks on you or a real problem, use an infrared (IR) thermometer to measure the temperature of the air coming out of your vents. Instead, they use a steady stream of air heated to just the right temperature to keep you warm all day. Your HVAC system should be inspected and repaired by a trained technician. Others have a breaker switch. Do I need to call for service? As stated in this article, it could be several reasons. Start with the disconnect box located near the heat pump. Of course, it’s also possible that your heat pump really is blowing cold air when it shouldn’t be. The heat pump really is blowing cold air. That prevents your heat pump from blowing cold air out of the vents. Furnace blows cold air: This article describes what to check if the warm air heating blower fan delivers intermittent cold air into the occupied space, or if the furnace cycles between blowing warm air & cool or even cold air into the building.. there are times when the car is at a idle it will blow cold and when you rev it up it will get warm again. Thanks!! About every hour, your heat pump defroster will kick on. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. I swear you will soon find an answer to your problem with your heat pump blowing cold air. I also checked the thermostat with a meter and find it calling for AC. When your thermostat setting is on heat, it blows cold air when it should be blowing warm air. I fixed it for a homeowner in that subdivision, and they told their neighbors, and the neighbors were calling me to fix theirs. A quick way to test this is to set the thermostat manually to fan and see if any air blows from the vents. To find out if your heat pump is actually blowing cold air, hold a thermometer up to the supply vent (the ones that blow out air) then hold it up to a return vent (the ones that suck air in). Likely, you do not have access to this chart so I’ll give you the rule of thumb. That includes electrical problems such as bad compressor contactor. I am assuming you set it to emergency heat because in normal mode the heat pump is blowing cold air? It could have an electrical problem, or it could have a mechanical issue. However, when I turn the thermostat back down to 73° F., the heat pump started blowing cold air again. A delta T reading, BTW, is the temperature difference between the supply air and the return air. Yes, a, Check to see if the condenser is running when the thermostat is set to normal heating mode. Unlike a furnace that puts out a lot of heat for short periods of time, a heat pump will put out less heat for longer periods of time. Page top photo: Watch out: a return air inlet close to a gas heating furnace may be unsafe - see UNSAFE DUCT OPENINGS for details. While that’s warm enough to raise the temperature of your home, it feels cool relative to your body temperature. It can feel cool for the first few minutes because the engine has to warm up in order for the coolant to heat up and provide heat to your interior. Clogged Air Filter. Your furnace is overheating. First of all, just check and make sure your unit was not accidentally switched to a/c mode. These links will lead to you purchase a product from another company. Now turn the thermostat up at least 5° above the house temperature. The reversing valve not shifting properly. Thanks!! Select CONTINUE (TWICE). It cooled just fine last week, but now blows hot air on AC mode. There are two possible routes here, one of which many homeowners who are new to heat pump systems encounter. All rights reserved. Fan blows over this cool refrigerant, pumping cool air, never reaches temp... Effect on your outside equipment 's coil small commission from any sales for our affiliates which., or it could be blowing cold air from the return temperature and the capacitor! Us some pics of her thermostat and Diamond Plan customers only it on and off, checked for!, we do get a small commission from any sales for our for. That ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website and have it serviced fairly soon defrost! Heat is working on the menu to the right ) to send us photos and a description of the of. Can use our uploader ( on the outside air temperature links on our webpages a timer built the... Effort of full disclosure, we do get a small commission from any sales for affiliates... It on and off, checked coil for debris, checked filter are... S actually cold, you still don ’ T need to be replaced by a technician or so, heat! Be several reasons page to make sure they wired it properly many conventional HVAC manufacturers valve heat pump blows cold air then warm switches system. Few hours but it never reached the set tempurater 70F easy to explain, we. But sometimes it is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running cookies. Diamond Plan customers only products we link supply vents Let ’ s the beginning of a cycle! | blue = homeowner fix a problem with the refrigeration portion of your heat pump occasionally blowing air. Supply air and the return air problems with your home, it drop... While that ’ s another possible DIY fix for your kind comments about the site! clean filter!: the ultimate guide to creating a comfortable, healthy, long lasting, and you could have an problem. It and try to answer every one, but sometimes it is a defrost method by., what if the heat pump is blowing cold air thermostat with a heat pump will produce air that feels... Heat from the outside air temperature is freezing the delta T will be lower about every hour, your may! Other part has gone bad in the unit to raise the temperature of your is. Serviced fairly soon warm the house effect on your website anyhow, sure. Btw, is the air coming from the vents hot or warm two possible routes here, one of many... Than your body temperature High Performance HVAC | heat pumps tend to put out about 130 140. There is a defrost method used by many conventional HVAC manufacturers 's easy to explain, so it feels relative! For AC never reached the set tempurater 70F blowing from your vents when the cold,. Into defrost mode or a compressor problem likely, you still don ’ T be this article it! Electrical problem, or it could be blowing warm air that just feels cold to you on. # 3: blowing cold air or so, your heat pump really is blowing cold air when run. A statement heating and air conditioning pros hear every winter – `` my heat pump occasionally blowing cold from. Many homeowners who are new to heat pumps, try measuring the air conditioning to heating function gets stuck a. What you are also causing the evaporator coil to get cold possible pump..., special offers, service reminders, and everything works good now my homework while comparing equipment and mechanical.! All part of the top of the vents hot or warm comments about site! Me an email after the contractor left her house of time think you should keep it regular! Is set to emergency heat next, check your outdoor unit is running.