There are several options for indoor heating, but the heat pump is the most popular choice. This is because it is energy-efficient, easy to maintain, and inexpensive. Although it is meant to keep your indoors sufficiently warmed throughout, this might not always be the case. One of the frequent issues that affect heat pumps is short cycling. This is the switching on and off of your heat pump which prevents its optimal warming of your interior and causes a significant wastage of energy.
You will need to call in a heating repair technician from Draper if you notice a change in the sound of your pump’s fans and compressor and unevenly heated rooms. The short cycling that these signs signify will strain your heat pump and cause its premature total breakdown if the issues causing it are not promptly addressed. The following are some of the common causes of short cycling in heat pumps:
Incorrect HVAC Unit Size
If your HVAC unit is too small for the space you want the heat pump to warm up, then it might not sufficiently distribute the warm air generated throughout. This will force the heat pump to start and stop severally to compensate for the varying temperature reading on your thermostat. If this is the cause of your unit’s short cycling, then you will need a replacement for your HVAC system. There are different methods of calculation that experts will use to determine the unit capacity that will suffice for your property.
Overheated HVAC Unit
An HVAC unit with any obstructions in its airflow will not distribute the heat generated by its heat pump efficiently. These obstructions commonly arise from dirty filters and bent or damaged ductwork. The heated air will hence accumulate in your HVAC unit which in turn overheats. The short cycling of your heat pump is its attempt to protect its components from the potential damage the heat might cause. The overheating of your HVAC unit puts your property at risk of fire and contributes to cracks and leaks in different components of the unit.
Thermostat Malfunction
If your thermostats generate an incorrect temperature reading, then your heat pump will have to keep restarting to achieve your programmed temperature. Rather than a breakdown of the thermostat, the issue might be its placement in the wrong place. You should not place it in direct sunlight or next to your ductwork. If this is not the issue, you will need the thermostat replaced in most cases.
Compressor Damage
The compressor is a kind of “refrigerator” that dehumidifies and cools your interior. It squeezes the refrigerant from your unit and raises its pressure and temperature, thus pushing out to cool the air in your unit. When it is damaged, it will usually switch on and off faster than it should. This contributes to an incorrect thermostat reading and short cycling of the heat pump as per this reading.
Pinpointing the exact cause of your heat pump’s short cycling is not easy owing to the different elements involved. The troubleshooting articles you will come across will hence offer little recourse in this case. Your only solution in short cycling is to get a repair technician to diagnose its cause from the ones mentioned above.
