DuAll Heating & Cooling Blog : Archive for the ‘Heat Pumps’ Category

Common Heat Pump Repairs You May Encounter

Friday, November 1st, 2013

The climate in Illinois is ideal for a heat pump: warm summers and spring weather, which the cooling function can easily overcome, and cold winters and fall weather that rarely plunges far enough to give the heating function many difficulties. If you have a heat pump installed in your home, you’ve made a wise investment in your year-round comfort.

But, like any machine, heat pumps will need repairs—especially if they don’t receive routine maintenance. Here are some of the common repairs we perform on malfunctioning heat pumps, which should help guide you when you start to experience issues with the one installed in your home.

Whatever the trouble with your heat pump, trust DuAll Heating & Cooling to bring you the heating repair service that will restore it to its prime working condition.

Heat pump repairs we often do:

Replacing faulty reversing valves. One way a heat pump differs from a stand-alone air conditioner is that it has a reversing valve to change the direction of the flow of refrigerant. This permits it to swap the functions of the evaporator and condenser coils. Should this valve malfunction or break, your heat pump will only be able to perform one of its jobs—and possibly lose the ability to do both.

Recharging refrigerant. The chemical known as refrigerant that runs through your heat pump to allow for heat exchange remains at a fixed level—known as its “charge”—during normal operation. Evaporation and condensation will not use it up. However, if the lines develop leaks, you could lose refrigerant. This will lead to icing on either the indoor or outdoor coil that will interfere with the heat exchange. Professionals will have to patch the leaks and recharge the refrigerant to its original level.

Fixing compressor motors. At the heart of the operation of a heat pump are two devices known as compressors, which compress refrigerant into a hot gas to begin the heat exchange cycle. A heat pump needs two compressors to run (an AC has only one), and if the motors that power them break, it will interfere with the heat exchange cycle. Dirty bearings and burnt wiring can cause motor failures, and the motors will either need to be repaired or replaced.

The moment you sense something is wrong with your heat pump—whether it’s a loss of cooling or heating power, or a strange grinding noise from the cabinet you’ve never heard before—call in HVAC professionals to diagnose the problem and fix it. The longer you wait to get repairs, the more likely the problems will escalate into more expensive repair.

For premium quality heating repair in Naperville, IL, contact DuAll Heating & Cooling. Our slogan is “quality with affordability”—just what you’re looking for.

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What Can Cause a Heat Pump to Make Noise?

Monday, November 26th, 2012

It is quite normal for heat pumps to make noises. This is especially true in the cold winter months. Most heat pumps have valves that carry out the task of reversing the flow of refrigerant when you switch between the cooling and heating modes. When the pump goes into defrost during winters, the valve is made to shift position. This is accompanied by a whooshing sound that persists for a few seconds. The compressor tends to get much louder after this. Another time when you may hear sounds is during shutdown when Freon pressure tends to equalize. Both of these are totally normal.

Another case where you may hear loud sounds coming from your heat pump is when the outdoor unit shuts off or starts running. Scroll compressors have a tendency to do this in a more noticeable manner. Similarly, some outdoor units tend to create a buzzing sound even when they are not running. This sound is created by the 24-volt reversing valve coil. Since this doesn’t waste any energy, it is nothing to be worried about. The sound of vibration is another common complaint and is quite difficult to get rid of. Rubber tubing can help in this case, but the vibration is not really doing any harm to your pump.

On the other hand, if you hear very loud sounds which resemble metal hitting metal, it may be time to worry. These sounds are often created when the fan blades hit against ice, wires or even tubing. If this is the case, you need to shut the unit off at once. This is a bad sign and can damage the fan and even the motor to an irreversible state. In fact, a misplaced tube can hit the fan blades and also cause a leak leading the Freon to flow out. Grinding or squealing sounds may point to a similar problem that needs to be fixed promptly. So if you hear any of these sounds, make sure you shut the pump off immediately and call for professional help.

Anything including low refrigerant charge, a faulty reverse valve, and defective motors or compressor valves can cause this problem. So make sure you get it checked by a Naperville heating professional if the problem persists.

Call the Naperville Ductless Mini Split experts at DuAll Heating & Cooling to find out what your options are. Contact DuAll Heating & Cooling today!

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How to Get the Most Out of Your Heat Pump This Winter

Monday, November 12th, 2012

Do you get excited about your utility bills? It’s unlikely. With the price of energy rising, people in Naperville are looking for every way to reduce the amount of energy that they use. There are many ways that you can cut corners when it comes to your energy consumption. We thought that it would be helpful for our customers in Naperville if we assembled some easy ways to get the most out of your heat pump as you’re trying to stay warm this winter. If you’re interested in learning more about these tactics, contact the Naperville heating professionals at DuAll Heating and Cooling.

Insulation

Insulation is by far one of the best ways to improve the efficiency of your home. The principle is pretty basic: keep more of the hot air inside your home. To maximize your efforts, start with your ceiling insulation. Climb up into the attic where the insulation for your ceiling is typically exposed. If you notice that there are areas that are thin, old or that aren’t touching completely touching the ceiling joists, it might be time to call a heating contractor. You should also check the insulation in your walls and floor as well.

Seal Your Doors and Windows

Another place where heat loss occurs is around door jams and window sills. You can have your heating contractor inspect these areas and suggest an insulation method for them. You should also check the access door to your attic and to your basement.

Seal Your Ducts

Another great way to improve efficiency is to have your ducts inspected. Your ducts are the veins of your heat pump, delivering hot air to all the rooms that need it. If there are holes, cracks or leaks in your ducts then that hot air that you spent money heating is just drifting outside.

Get Your Heat Pump Maintained Before the Winter

A great way to make sure that your heat pump is running at peak efficiency is to have it regularly inspected, repaired and maintained. Your heating technician will be able to detect small repairs that could be decreasing the energy efficiency of your heat pump. They can also replace any worn belts and lubricate the fan’s bearings to make sure that it is working well.

If you have any questions about any of these services, then contact DuAll Cooling and Heating. We would love to visit your home in Naperville to help you get the most out of your heat pump. Reducing your energy consumption is always a good thing. Call us today!

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