Dealing With a Frozen Heat Pump

A frozen heat pump can be a huge inconvenience for homeowners. While most heat pumps can develop a little frost on the coils during normal operation, having a significant amount of ice is not normal. When this happens in your Palm Beach County home, it’s time to contact a professional to examine the unit. Many parts of your system are delicate, and someone who is not trained in servicing HVAC equipment, or who lack the right tools, could easily damage the system.

There are several reasons a heat pump will freeze over including:

• A low refrigerant charge

• Airflow blockages, for example in the registers

• Faulty reversing valve and/or solenoid coil

• Bad defrost control

• Faulty defrost sensors

• Malfunctioning outdoor fan motor

• Lack of proper ground clearance

• A dirty air filter

Generally, during preventive maintenance your HVAC technician can discover potential problems like this and correct them before they become a huge and expensive inconvenience. Your technician will need to have special training and certification to handle refrigerants. Only your technician will be able to properly pinpoint the cause of a heat pump freeze-up and take critical steps toward effectively fixing the problem. Regular service calls can help to keep your heat pump work efficiently year-round.

It is generally recommended that you schedule two service calls each year – during spring and fall. This is the best way to ensure that your HVAC system stays in good working order. A frozen heat pump will prevent your system from working efficiently, and can result in higher energy bills. The inability to achieve comfortable indoor temperatures will usually be the first sign that something is wrong. It is best to call your HVAC technician as soon as possible so that you can get your system up and running.

The technicians at Preferred Air Conditioning & Mechanical, LLC are highly-skilled in the repair and servicing of various types of HVAC equipment. Give us a call today at (772) 905-3358 in Fort Pierce, or (561) 202-1422 in Palm Beach, for more information, or to schedule a service appointment.