Does the Heat Pump A/C Need Attention? Troubleshooting Tips

Keeping cool in your northwest Arkansas home is imperative during the hot and humid summer months as you rely on your heat pump A/C to stay comfortable. However, when your system stops cooling properly, it’s time to take some troubleshooting steps before you call an HVAC professional to diagnose the problem. This can allow you to fix a simple problem yourself, or at the very least, better explain the issue to the technician. 

Step 1: Check the thermostat settings on your heat pump A/C, and make sure it’s set for cooling and not in the “fan-only” mode.

Step 2: If your system is still not responding, inspect the indoor fan by switching to the fan-only mode. If the fan does not come on, check the fan belt to ensure that it’s not broken or slipping. If the belt looks intact, your next step is to check the circuit breakers to make sure that they have not been tripped. Flip the circuit breaker switches off and back on with the heat pump set to cooling, and if this fails, your air handler or blower motor may be inoperable.

Step 3:  If your fan motor is running fine, check the air filter to make sure it’s not dirty or clogged. A clogged air filter will restrict air flow into your system, making it work harder and longer to cool your home.

Step 4: While you have the air filter removed take a look at the indoor evaporator coil. If the coil looks covered with grime, clean it with a foaming coil-cleaning spray. Allow the foam to stand and soak into the coil. Then complete the job by rinsing the coil with a water spray bottle. The foam and water will not hurt your system and should flow harmlessly into the drain pan.

If your heat pump A/C is still not delivering cool air, take the next step and contact a professional HVAC technician to examine your system.

For more questions about your heat pump A/C, contact us at Paschal Heat, Air & Geothermal. We have been delivering reputable HVAC service to our customers in northwest Arkansas since 1968.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Springdale, Arkansas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about heat pumps and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.

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