Few home comfort systems work better for the Florida climate than a heat pump. It provides superb air conditioning during the summer (and helps remove humidity from the air) and can almost always draw in enough heat from the outdoors during the winter to keep you warm. A heat pump also costs less to run during the cold months than most competing heating systems.
But heat pumps can malfunction, and a common problem that you might encounter is when one shuts off early, before it gets your house warm or cool enough. What’s the reason for this, and what can be done about it?
We’ll answer those questions in this post. If you need further help, or if you want repairs for your heat pump in St. Augustine, FL, get in contact with AC Designs Inc. We’re about to start our next decade of providing St. Augustine residents with excellent HVAC services.
When a heat pump turns off prematurely, it’s known as “short cycling.” The most common reason for this is that the heat pump is too large for the space it’s supposed to heat/cool. If you installed your heat pump without professional assistance in selecting the model, you may have ended up with too large a system for your home. An overlarge heater will reach its target temperature too fast and shut off early, then restart a little while later. This will make the heat pump drain extra power and also overwork itself toward repair needs and eventually a full breakdown. If this is the case, you should have a new heater installed with professional assistance to make sure it will match your home’s heating requirements.
However, there are some other explanations for short-cycling. One is that you’ve put the heat pump on too powerful a setting: excess heat or cold. During the summer, don’t lower the thermostat too far below 78°F (a recommended energy-saving temperature), and during the winter don’t try to punch it all the way up to 90°F. The heat pump will shut off early, and you’ll waste energy.
It’s also possible that a poor, amateur installation mismatched the indoor and outdoor coils, making them incompatible. This is another reason why it’s so important to have professionals handle your HVAC installation.
If you’re unsure about why your heat pump has started to short cycle, contact AC Designs Inc. Our experts can find out what’s behind the trouble with your St. Augustine, FL home’s heat pump and offer you the best solution to keep you comfortable no matter the season.