Does your home have a heat pump? Heat pumps have become increasingly popular. They can cool and warm your home – just like traditional heating, ventilation, and cooling (HVAC) systems.
Heat pumps, however, have different cycles, one of which is the defrost cycle. Depending on how cold it is outside, your heat pump may enter the defrost cycle.
What Is the Defrost Cycle
The defrost cycle is designed to eliminate ice on the outdoor coil of a heat pump. Heat pumps have two coils. One of these coils is installed indoors and the other coil is installed outdoors.
When your heat pump goes into the defrost cycle, it will transfer heat to the outdoor coil. This heat will cause any lingering ice or frost to melt away.
How the Defrost Cycle Works
When your heat pump goes into the defrost cycle, it will essentially operate in reverse. Heat pumps are similar to AC systems. They both have an indoor coil and an outdoor coil.
When using your heat pump to cool your home, the indoor coil will absorb heat before transferring it to the outdoor coil. This is the same way that an AC system creates cool air.
You can use your heat pump to warm your home as well. While in heating mode, the outdoor coil will absorb heat, which it will send to the indoor coil.
Your heat pump may go into the defrost mode while it’s attempting to warm your home. The defrost mode will reverse its operation. Your heat pump will send heat from the indoor coil to the outdoor coil during this mode.
Common Problems With the Defrost Cycle
The defrost mode may not work if your heat pump is low on refrigerant. Heat pumps are dependent upon refrigerant. There are different types of refrigerants, but they are all designed to absorb heat as they flow through the passages of the coils and the lines to which they are connected.
Low refrigerant levels mean that your heat pump won’t be able to absorb or transfer heat. And transferring heat is how the defrost cycle works.
Faulty sensors may prevent the defrost cycle from working as well. Heat pumps only go into the defrost cycle when there’s ice on the outdoor coil. To detect ice, most of them have sensors. Faulty sensors mean that your heat pump may fail to identify ice on the outdoor coil, in which case it probably won’t go into the defrost cycle.
If you are experiencing a problem with your air conditioning or heating call us at 512-336-1431 to schedule an appointment. We’ll be glad to come out and take a look at the issue.
1431-183 A/C & Heating proudly serves Round Rock, Georgetown, Cedar Park, Pflugerville, Leander, Liberty Hill, and North Austin.
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