5 Heat Pump Mistakes You Don’t Want to Make in Tucson, AZ

by | Dec 30, 2021 | Articles

A heat pump comes in handy in places with moderate cooling and heating requirements in Tucson, AZ. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, a heat pump can cut your electricity use for heating by 50% compared to using furnaces and other heating options. But if you make any of the mistakes below, your heat pump won’t operate efficiently.

1. Setting a High Temperature on the Thermostat

It’s tempting to set a high temperature on the thermostat to heat up your home fast. However, the heat pump operates at a constant speed and releases the same amount of conditioned air even when the setting on the thermostat indicates a high temperature.

Cranking up the thermostat doesn’t increase the cooling or heating rate. Instead, it increases the time the heat pump will run to attain the set temperature.

If your heat pump has a variable-speed fan, it will adjust its speed to match your needs. However, variable-speed fans typically run at a slower speed to reduce the amount of energy needed to cycle on and off. Instead of cranking the thermostat, consider insulating your home and sealing any leaks.

2. DIY Installation and Repairs

Since you use it to both heat and cool your home, your heat pump needs a professional tune-ups twice a year. A heat pump requires several connections and attachments to work with the existing duct system in your home. If you decide to make repairs or install components by yourself, you risk fixing the wrong components.

Fixing a heat pump also means connecting it to high-voltage electricity, and you may not have the necessary tools or the skills to handle such peak electric capacity.

3. Keeping the Heat Pump in Auto Mode All the Time

Homeowners may prefer Auto mode because it’s a set-and-go mode. The heat pump cycles on and off, depending on the temperature in the house. It will be on heating mode, and when the room heats, it switches off and may turn to cooling mode.

With the On setting, the blower fan runs continuously but at a low speed. Set your heat pump to heat during the cold season and to cool during the warm season, and avoid adjusting the settings every day since the heat pump is more efficient in maintaining a constant temperature. Our HVAC experts can tell you more about heat pump thermostat settings.

4. Ignoring Routine Maintenance

Ignoring routine maintenance might result in a system breakdown in the middle of a heating or cooling season. During routine maintenance, the technician makes sure that the outdoor unit doesn’t foliage growing around it. This can restrict airflow around the heat pump, making it less efficient in heating or cooling your home.

The technician also cleans or changes the filters to enhance airflow and ensures that the registers are open and the outdoor coils are clean. All these tasks keep your system operating efficiently and help to discover minor issues before they have a chance to become big problems.

Our experts might recommend replacing some components or making repairs on the heat pump after the routine maintenance. Performing these repairs makes it much less likely that your heat pump will fail you when you need it most.

5. Failure to Insulate Your Home

Without proper insulation, your HVAC system takes longer to heat or cool your home. Heated or cooled air escapes through leaks in ductwork, or around windows and doors, causing your system to overwork. Your heat pump relies on moving heat into or out of your home using the refrigeration process, so it may take a little longer to heat your room than a furnace would.

If you fail to seal leaks and insulate your home, your heat pump will work longer and your energy efficiency will suffer. To schedule an appointment to tune up your heat pump or perform any other HVAC services in Tucson, contact us at Oasis Air Conditioning & Heating.

Image provided by iStock

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