Heat pumps are one of the most efficient ways to heat and cool a home — but they’re also one of the most misunderstood systems I worked on in 45 years in the field. They behave differently than furnaces, they have quirks in cold weather, and most homeowners don’t know what to do when something goes wrong.
In this section you’ll find practical, field-tested articles covering how heat pumps work, how to troubleshoot common problems, when to call a technician, and how to get the most efficiency out of your system year-round. Everything here comes from real experience — not guesswork.
Thermostats for dual fuel heat pumps must manage switching from electric to gas heat. Here’s what to look for and which models work best to do that. In a dual fuel system, the heat pump handles mild-weather heating but loses efficiency as temperature dip toward freezing. As the outdoor temperatures drop too low, a gas…
How long does a heat pump last? Learn the average lifespan, signs of failure, and when to replace it for better comfort and energy savings. I’ve personally seen a heat pump that was running for 30 years. But, it was running very poorly and had been for quite a while. It probably consumed enough extra…
You can test a heat pump in cool or heat mode, in summer or winter, with some limitations. But limit the heat mode run time in the summer. Let me explain: In the summer, only run your heat pump in the heat cycle long enough to notice that it is heating. Too long would not…
In this post I explain how a heat pump can cool a house in 100 degree weather
No, a heat pump does not draw in outside air on it’s own. So how does a heat pump bring in outside air? Outside or fresh air is a function of the duct work not the heat pump. You can add a duct to the return air of the system that penetrates an outside wall….
I’ll explain three simple ways to reset your air conditioner or heat pump system. But if these don’t work, you have a problem that will need to be solved by a good technician. Deep down in your gut, you probably know something is wrong, and that’s what you will have to do anyway. But it…
The O/B setting in a heat pump thermostat controls the operation between heat and cool modes.
It’s a big temptation to push the reset button on a Carrier, especially if you’re sweating or freezing. But what if your unit doesn’t even have a reset button? I may not be able to show you where the reset button on a Carrier is because there are so many models that don’t have reset…
I have found this heat pump blowing cold air problem so many times I can’t even count. It’s easy to diagnose and it generally occurs in one of two ways. Although there can be more complicated problems, these are the two most common. Let me elaborate on these two. Why Does A Heat Pump Need…