Why Won’t My Heat Pump in Bon Air, VA Stay On?

When your heat pump enters cooling mode, it should turn on and stay on until the air in your home in Bon Air, VA, is cool and you are comfortable. Short cycling happens when your system turns on and off prematurely as it tries to complete this process, and it is a sign of rather deep trouble. Here are some reasons why your heat pump might be turning on and off frequently.

Clogged Filters

If too much debris gathers on your heat pump’s filters, it will cut off airflow. That means that the system will trap more hot air than before and be more likely to overheat. Overheating usually shuts the system down repeatedly, causing short cycling.

A Refrigerant Leak

Without enough refrigerant flowing through it, your heat pump loses the ability to perform heat transfer. This means its performance will decline. Your thermostat may force it to work harder, which may trigger overheating.

Maintenance is essential to making sure that refrigerant levels are where they should be. We recommend scheduling professional maintenance on your heat pump twice yearly in the spring and fall.

Excessive Size

Finally, your heat pump may simply be too large and powerful for your home. Before installation, HVAC technicians should perform a manual J-load calculation in your home. This is done to determine the appropriate system size for use there. A system that’s too small will struggle to give you results and will probably stay on constantly. One that’s too large will likely cool your home long before truly completing a cycle.

Failure to take action when you notice short cycling will accelerate your heat pump’s decline and may eventually lead to total failure. To stop that from happening, call Americool Heating & Cooling, Inc. and sign up for the best HVAC services in the Bon Air, VA area.

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