When the weather is cold, many homeowners choose heat pumps to stay warm. Heat pumps offer an energy-efficient alternative to furnaces and are, therefore, quite popular in the HVAC industry.
The global heat pump market is expected to reach $9.87 billion by 2026, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.5% during 2021-2026.
Regardless of their popularity, we often get complaints about heat pumps blowing cold air.
Today, we are going to share the possible reasons why your heat pump is blowing cold air and ways to fix it. But before that, it is important to tell you how a heat pump works.
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While a traditional furnace burns natural gas or uses an electric heating component to blow warm air, heat pumps are different.
Heat pumps don’t use any energy source to produce heat. Instead, they work by transferring heat. That’s why they are a more cost-effective and energy-efficient alternative to both furnaces and air conditioners.
To provide heat during winters, a heat pump absorbs heat energy from the air outside of your home (even in cold temperatures) and then transfers it to the indoor air.
When in cooling mode (during summers), it does the opposite and releases heat energy absorbed from the indoor air to the outdoors, acting as an air conditioner.
Here’s a diagram that will explain how a heat pump works:
But what if it is freezing outside and your heat pump starts blowing cold air?
There could be many reasons why your heat pump is blowing cold air. Let’s take a look at a few common heat pump problems and learn how to fix them.
Usually, heat pumps produce air that is about 55° warmer than the outside air. If the outside temperature drops to 25°, your heat pump will blow 75° air, which is cooler than your body temperature.
Therefore, you will feel cold and think that your heat pump is blowing cold air. Whereas, it is actually blowing air that is warmer than the outside temperature.
If your heat pump is blowing cold air, it may be in the “defrost” mode or the “air conditioning” mode due to a human error or malfunction.
Want to test if your heat pump is in the air conditioning mode?
You should go outside and check your outdoor unit. If the fan is not spinning and is producing steam, your heat pump is in the defrost mode.
Many heat pump failure problems can cause your heat pump to blow cold air, including:
Your heat pump may also be blowing cooler air because it needs cleaning and servicing. To keep your heating and cooling systems in optimal working condition, you should get them serviced at least twice a year.
Learn why regular HVAC maintenance is important.
If your heat pump is blowing cold air, contact us. We, at Bradshaw Heating and Air Conditioning, have over 34 years of experience in offering HVAC services and can fix your heat pumps with ease.
You can also reach out to us at (530) 903-6061.
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