If you think your heat pump is short cycling, it’s a problem that you want to address sooner rather than later. Short cycling can increase wear and tear to your heater and cause it to lose years off of its expected lifespan. But when you address problems early, you can prevent additional damage and maintain your heater.
If you have a heat pump short cycling this winter in Saint Johns, our team can help. We’ll get right down to the root of the problem and offer you a solution or a variety of solutions. Sometimes there are multiple things contributing to a short cycling problem. Keep reading to learn more about how to identify short cycling and why you should fix it before it becomes a big problem.
Heat Pump Operation
If you have a heat pump system, it uses electricity to move heat from the outside into your home during the winter. In the summer it takes the heat inside your home and moves it out to lower the temperature. Your heat pump doesn’t run constantly. Instead, it turns on and off at intervals to heat your home in the winter and cool your home in the summer.
You set a temperature on your thermostat and then choose heating or cooling. In the winter, when your indoor air temperature drops low enough, the thermostat triggers the heat pump to turn on and begin heating your home back up. Once the desired temperature is reached, the heat pump turns off until it needs to run again. These cycles usually happen 2-3 times per hour.
Risks of Short Cycling
If your heat pump is short cycling, it turns on and off much more frequently. It may run for five minutes and then turn off, only to turn back on shortly after. When your heat pump short cycles like this, it never completely heats your home, but it keeps trying. Your heat pump wasn’t designed to turn on and off so frequently. It can put a lot of strain on the system. If you let your heater short cycle as a mode of operation, it will eventually overheat and stop working completely.
Address Short Cycling
If your heater is short cycling, there are some steps you can take to address the problem and prevent it in the future:
- Invest in annual maintenance
- Keep the space around your heat pump free and clear
- Make sure that you have adequate drainage
- Make sure that you have adequate ventilation
- Utilize a programmable thermostat to maximize efficiency
- Ensure that all vents are open and not blocked by furniture
If you ever have doubts, give our team a call. We can address the root of the problem. After all, short cycling isn’t actually a problem itself. It’s the result of a larger problem. Once we fix the problem we can also offer tips on how to use your heater efficiently and prevent short cycling in the future.
Serving St. Johns County since 1988 with quality, hometown service. Schedule an appointment today for heating service.
