A heat pump naturally goes through on-off cycles, but if your New Orleans heat pump starts to randomly turn itself on and off every few minutes, it has started short-cycling, which is a serious issue that needs immediate attention. Read on to find out why your heat pump can short-cycle and what issues can arise from it.
Why Does Short-Cycling Happen?
There are a number of reasons why your heat pump is short-cycling. A common issue is that when your HVAC system was installed, it was improperly sized. If the unit is too large, it will heat or cool your home too quickly, prematurely detecting that it’s at the desired temperature and shutting down.
Another possibility is that your thermostat is malfunctioning, resulting in it transmitting the wrong signal to your system. Alternatively, there could be a short-circuit between your heat pump and thermostat resulting in an erratic and incorrect signal.
The problem may also lie with your compressor, the pump that circulates refrigerant through your system. If refrigerant is leaking, you’ll have a problem with heat transfer and your system won’t be able to complete a cycle. Look for ice on your outdoor unit, which is an indication of a possible refrigerant leak. If you suspect a leak, call us immediately, as a refrigerant leak will damage both your system and your family’s health.
Issues It Causes
Because short-cycling forces your heat pump to work incorrectly, it will wear down faster than it should. Heat pumps generally use more energy to turn on and off than at any other time during the heating process. Thus a heat pump that turns and off frequently will put a strain on individual components, costing you more in energy and part replacement. In the end, if you don’t address the problem, your heat pump will eventually break down completely.
At Bryans United Air Conditioning, we understand why heat pump short-cycling is a problem. Call us at 504-208-2071. One of our trained professional technicians will find the source of your short-cycling issue and restore it to good working order.
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