You want your heat pump to warm your home in Hobe Sound, FL, in a reasonable period and not cycle repeatedly. A normal cycle is 10 to 20 minutes, so something is wrong if your system turns on and off more than often. Short-cycling heat pumps may have a dirty air filter, a compressor issue, a faulty thermostat, or a blowing capacity that is too strong for the home.
Obstruction to Airflow
Usually, short-cycling occurs because the system overheats and shuts down to prevent a serious breakdown. Obstructions to airflow are one of the most widespread causes of overheating in heat pumps, so you want to ensure there are no blockages.
Replace your air filter every one to three months. Otherwise, the debris the filter captures will block the airflow. A maintenance service technician could tell you if your ductwork is full of debris, too.
Dirty Coils
In particular, you don’t want the coils, which have refrigerant flowing through them, to get dirty. A dirty condenser coil will overheat, forcing the heat pump to shut down after a short cycle.
Uncalibrated Thermostat
The system may work fine, but the thermostat may signal it to shut down before it reaches your set point. This can happen if the thermostat, losing its calibration over time, mistakenly reads the temperature as higher than the actual measurement.
Oversized Heat Pump
Another possibility is that whoever installed your heat pump put in a system that’s too big for your home. Its excessive blowing capacity will cause it to heat your home quickly but unevenly. If this is the case, you’ll need a new system entirely.
At Krauss & Crane Air Conditioning, we can repair your short-cycling heat pump in Hobe Sound, recommending replacement if necessary, so call today for an appointment. Our NATE-certified service technicians work on both ducted and ductless systems regardless of brand or model.
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