Heat pump blowing cold air in winter – normal or a problem?
Hey everyone, need some quick advice here. We moved into a house with a heat pump last summer, so this is our first winter using it. Lately, I've noticed that it sometimes blows completely cold air for about 10-15 minutes, and there's a strange clicking sound coming from the outdoor unit. It gets pretty chilly in the living room during this time. Is this normal behavior for these systems when it gets freezing outside, or should I be worried and call a technician? I don't want to waste money on a service call if it's just how heat pumps work, but I also don't want the system to break down completely in the middle of January. Any insights?
10 Views
Don't panic just yet, it actually sounds like your system might just be going into defrost mode. When it's really cold and humid outside, ice builds up on the outdoor coils, and the pump basically reverses itself for a short time to melt that ice. During this cycle, it can blow cooler air inside. However, if it's doing this constantly, or if the air stays cold for hours, you might have a bigger issue like a faulty reversing valve or a clogged filter. I recently stumbled upon a really detailed guide that breaks down all these typical issues, what causes them, and when you actually need to worry. You should definitely check it out to compare your symptoms https://axiumtech.net/common-problems-with-heat-pumps-what-you-need-to-know/ it helped me understand how my own unit works.