When the Weather Is Frightful, Keep Your Home Delightful!

February 17, 2020

During the cold, dark days of winter, what could be nicer than walking into a warm, welcoming home? With a heat pump, that’s just what you’ll get, plus the knowledge that heat pumps are more efficient and economical than electric heat. A heat pump actually works the same as an air conditioner, only in reverse. When your heat pump is in summertime cooling mode, it uses refrigerant to absorb heat from your home and releases it outside. In the winter, it uses that same refrigerant to absorb heat from outdoors and pump it into your home – even during the coldest months, outside air contains enough heat to keep your home nice and toasty. For a more detailed explanation, check out this blog from Jerry Kelly Heating and Air Conditioning.

A frozen heat pump can occur when excess moisture from the outside air builds up on your HVAC coils. Your unit will go into defrosting mode to deal with the problem, but if severe icing occurs, you may have a problem. There are a few things you can check yourself: a blocked outdoor coil, a leaking gutter dripping on top of your unit, a unit that has sunk so water can’t run off, and freezing rain that has caused the unit to freeze from the top down.

Please do NOT be tempted to chip the ice away with a sharp object as you may damage the coils! You can turn off the unit and remove ice with a garden hose and make sure snow and leaves are kept away from the unit, but if your pump does not respond, you should call a professional! Give us a call at 901-362-1881 to schedule an appointment.