Heat pumps are great systems for keeping your home comfortable all year round. However, they don’t last forever. Time and normal use will eventually wear out your heat pump, and when that happens you need to have it replaced. You probably don’t want your heat pump to die on you in the middle of a hot summer day, so it’s a good idea to know some of the more obvious signs that your system is failing. That way, you can get it replaced without a lapse in climate control. Let’s examine some of the more common signs.
Touchstone Heating & Air Inc. Blog: Archive for the ‘Heat Pumps’ Category
3 Signs That Your Heat Pump Needs Replacing
Monday, July 20th, 2015Heat Pump Problems You Should Know
Monday, June 22nd, 2015As the summer season gets into full swing, most of us are going to be relying on our cooling systems to keep us comfortable on a daily basis. That includes heat pump users, a rapidly growing demographic in the home HVAC market. While heat pumps are great systems for keeping comfortable all year round, they are not perfect. There are still problems that can affect them, and if you’re a heat pump owner you should know what they are. Let’s take a closer look at the problems you’re likely to run into during this summer.
Why You Should Consider a Heat Pump for Air Conditioning
Monday, May 4th, 2015When you think about air conditioning, chances are you imagine a traditional central air conditioner. While central air conditioning units are quite effective at keeping homes cool, however, they are not the only option available. Plenty of other options exist for cooling your home during the warm season, one of which is a heat pumps. Have a look at the reasons why you should consider a heat pump for air conditioning this summer.
Why Do Heat Pumps Need Refrigerant for Heating?
Thursday, December 18th, 2014A heat pump is an effective and efficient heating and air conditioning system. In order for any system to provide cool air, it requires a medium to transfer heat out of a space first, usually using a chemical blend called refrigerant. But most heating systems don’t need any refrigerant at all, instead generating heat to heat up the air before it moves into the ducts. So what’s the difference with heat pumps? And why do they still need refrigerant for heating?
When homeowners need installation, repair, or maintenance for heat pumps in Fort White, they know to count on the expertise of the technicians at Touchstone Heating and Air Inc.
Heat Pumps and Refrigerant
We hear it surprisingly often: “Isn’t refrigerant used for cooling and not for heating?” But a heat pump uses refrigerant to pump heat from one area to another, out of the house in the summer and into the house in the colder season.
See, heat pumps are designed much like conventional air conditioning systems. A refrigerant line connects the indoor and outdoor units. The outside unit contains a compressor, while the indoor and outdoor units have a set of coils. In the summer, the indoor coil allows refrigerant to evaporate into a gas and absorb heat while a large fan blows air over the coil. The outside coil allows the refrigerant to condense and give off heat, essentially pumping the heat from one place to another.
In the winter, the heat pump utilizes a component that air conditioners do not have, the reversing valve. A reversing valve allows refrigerant to flow in the opposite direction, absorbing heat from the outside to bring into your house. This can work even in very cold temperatures, which is why heat pumps have become a popular replacement for air conditioning units.
Heat pumps are extremely efficient for heating since refrigerant only has to move heat rather than generate it. This means that if you choose a heat pump for new HVAC installation, you’ll see energy savings in the summer and in the winter.
Contact Touchstone Heating and Air Inc. for your new installation or for any other questions regarding heat pumps in Fort White.
What Is Involved in Heat Pump Maintenance?
Friday, June 6th, 2014Heat pumps may sometimes seem like miraculous machines: using the power of an air conditioner to shift heat from one place to another to provide for both heating and cooling, whatever you need for whatever time of the year. But heat pumps are still just electro-mechanical machines, and they will wear down over time and begin to work less efficiently. Although no heat pump will last forever, you can prolong the service life of the one that keeps your family comfortable through a regimen of annual maintenance from professionals like the team at Touchstone Heating and Air Inc.
We’ll look at what actually goes into an annual maintenance visit for a heat pump in Gainesville, FL. This is the level of service you can expect when you sign up for our Energy Saving Agreement.
Here’s what happens during heat pump maintenance:
- Thermostat calibration. No matter what sort of heater or air conditioner you have in your home, a thermostat controls it, so a key part of maintenance is to see that the thermostat is sensing indoor temperatures accurately.
- Cleaning the coils. Both the indoor and outdoor coil of the heat pump need to be detached and cleaned so they can carry out heat absorption and heat release effectively.
- Clean the drip pan. Heat pumps have drip pans under their coils to catch water moisture from condensation. Cleaning the pan makes sure there are no drain obstructions that might lead to overfill and water damage.
- Electric wiring checks. Faults with wiring in the electric system are among the most common reasons for repairs in a heat pump, so the technicians will take special care to see that all the wires are connected and none are frayed or near to breaking.
- Refrigerant level check. The charge of the refrigerant should be at the factory-set level; if it isn’t, the technician will recharge it.
- Inspect and change the filter. This reassures that the system is receiving a steady flow of air from the return vents.
- Monitor the reversing valve. Should this valve fail, the heat pump will become stuck in one mode.
- Check and oil the fans. The technician will make sure the two fans can move freely and the blades are tight and undamaged.
- Examine the run capacitors. Key parts of the electrical system, the capacitors may need replacement if they are aged.
- Ductwork inspection. The technician will make a visual check on the ventilation system to watch for breaks or gaps.
There are even more steps, but this will give you an idea of how thorough the inspections are: the technician will catch whatever might be wrong, and fine-tune every element of the heat pump.
With the Energy Saving Agreement at Touchstone Heating and Air Inc., you’ll receive the above work, plus a 15% discount on repair services and priority scheduling. Call us today to start taking great care of your heat pump in Gainesville, FL.
Why Heat Pumps Are Popular for Heating
Thursday, February 6th, 2014Many homes in our area use heat pumps to keep comfortable throughout the winter. The technology uses a refrigerant cycle similar to that seen in air conditioners to both cool and warm the house. During the summer, the heat pump absorbs the heat from your house and transfers it outside, and during the winter it absorbs heat from the air outside and brings it in. It’s an effective system, which is just one reason why heat pumps are popular for heating in Gainesville, FL. A short list of additional reasons can be found below.
- Energy efficient. Heat pumps don’t actually create heat. They simply transfer it from the refrigerant to the surrounding air. The process is very efficient, which means that heat pumps use less energy than other types of heating.
- Warm-weather friendly. Heat pumps lose their efficiency when the weather drops below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, though most are equipped with electric resistance coils that can turn on for very cold days. Luckily, Florida weather only rarely dips down that far, making heat pumps a good fit for our balmy climate. Since they provide excellent air conditioning, you can take care of your year round comfort with just one system.
- Cost savings: Since you only need a single heat pump for both heating and cooling, you can have a lower installation cost than installing a furnace and a central air conditioner separately.
Understanding why heat pumps are popular for heating in Gainesville, FL is just part of the equation. The other part comes with finding a reliance service to maintain and repair your heat pump. For issues with heating in Gainesville, FL, the experts at Touchstone Heating & Air Inc. are ready to help. Give us a call when your heat pump experiences problems, or you just need a little maintenance to keep it running at its peak!
Signs of a Heat Pump Refrigerant Leak
Wednesday, January 29th, 2014Did you know that heat pumps operate according to the same principles that air conditioners do? They circulate refrigerant and take advantage of the temperature changes created when it shifts from a gaseous to a liquid state and back. When refrigerant leaks out of the system, it can cause problems with your heat pump, just like it can with your air conditioning system, that need to be corrected immediately.
Here are some ready signs of a heat pump refrigerant leak:
The biggest sign of a refrigerant leak is the formation of ice on the evaporator coils (either indoor or outdoor, depending on your heat pump’s current mode). Like air conditioning units, heat pumps need specific levels of refrigerant to work. When those levels drop, the cooling or heating process is compromised and ice forms, not only preventing your heat pump from working efficiently, but also insulating the remaining refrigerant from absorbing heat.
A more direct sign comes with your heat pump’s reduced ability to heat or cool the air. You may notice this simply by feeling the air being blown into your home, or in the fact that the heat pump runs longer than it usually does during the cooling or heating process. You might also notice it in your monthly bills, which go up dramatically despite the fact that you’re not running the heat pump any more often than normal.
Tracking down the leak can be difficult, since the refrigerant usually escapes in gas form and doesn’t betray any overt signs of removal. Trained technicians can detect the leak using specific equipment, then seal it up and recharge refrigerant levels to restore functionality to your system.
Heat pumps are very popular here in Florida, in part because they work best in places with mild winters like ours. If you live in Gainesville FL, heating repair companies like Touchstone Heating and Air Inc. can help you with refrigerant leaks. Once you spot signs of a heat pump refrigerant leak, give us a call to repair the damage. We have the experience to do the job right, and our technicians are dedicated to your complete satisfaction!
Heat Pump FAQ: Will My Heat Pump Really Keep Me Warm this Winter?
Tuesday, October 15th, 2013“Will my heat pump really keep me warm this winter?” It’s a fair question, and if you look at various forums and discussions across the Internet, you might conclude that it won’t. That assumes a generic staring point however: a world where the heating needs of New England are exactly the same as they are here in Gainesville, FL. They’re not, and things that work down here won’t work up there. If you’re looking for a heat pump, Gainesville FL presents an almost ideal environment, which means you won’t need to worry about sufficient heating in the winter.
Heat pumps operate according to the same principles as traditional air conditioners. Refrigerant is cycled through condenser coils, which place it under tremendous pressure and heat it up. The heat is dispersed in the condenser coils to outside of the unit, turning the refrigerant into a liquid state which keeping it under high pressure. It’s then passed into an evaporator coil, which allows it to evaporate and cool the surrounding air. The cooled air is then pushed into your home with a blower fan, which the refrigerant returns to the condenser to begin the cycle anew.
With a heat pump, this cycle is essentially reversible. In the winter, it can be used to bring warm air into your home, instead of just cool air. This makes it work well regardless of the weather, and because it uses less energy than a traditional central air conditioning system, it can save you considerable money in your monthly heating and cooling bills.
Perhaps most importantly, heat pumps work extremely well in climates like ours. Their effectiveness hits its peak in areas where the temperatures don’t drop below 40 degrees (like, say, Florida’s). Beyond that, their efficiency begins to suffer, making them less enticing as an option. Down here, however, our warm weather makes for an ideal fit, and if you’re willing to put up a little more for the installation itself, you could save a great deal in monthly energy bills.
If you’re asking “Will my heat pump really keep me warm this winter?” You needn’t worry. The experts at Touchstone Heating & Air can explain the benefits to you, then discuss options for installation and upkeep. If you’re looking for a heat pump, Gainesville FL makes a great fit. Call us today and let us show you how.