Problems Unique to Heat Pump Compressors
Heat pumps are an exceptional way to receive year-round comfort in the hot climate of Southern Arizona. A heat pump works in a similar way to an air conditioner, except it can reverse the direction of heat exchange so that as well as removing heat from inside a home, it can also bring heat into a home from the outside. Since Southern Arizona has very mild winters, heat pumps encounter few problems removing sufficient heat from the ambient air outside to warm up a home.
In most ways, heat pumps work the same as air conditioners. However, there are a few key differences between them, such as in the compressors. If your heat pump starts to encounter trouble providing you the level of comfort you require, the trouble may lay in the compressor.
Heat pump compressor issues
The main thing to keep in mind with a heat pump compressor is that it works more often than an air conditioning compressor. Whether in heating or cooling mode, a heat pump’s compressor is operating. And because a heat pump is expected to work during cooler temperatures than an air conditioner, it has some important differences to make sure the refrigerant and other liquids flow correctly.
A heat pump’s compressor has a crankcase heater to vaporize any liquid refrigerant that may enter the compressor between cycles. The heater also warms up the oil in the compressor so that it will be able to circulate when the outdoor temperature is lower. If the crankcase heater breaks down, it will create inefficient performance when the heat pump is in heating mode.
A heat pump uses less refrigerant when in heating mode than cooling mode, and to accommodate this a device called a suction line accumulator is attached to the compressor. The accumulator is designed to keep the unneeded refrigerant from causing liquid slugging, which is when large amounts of refrigerant flood back into the compressor, often leading to the compressor failing.
These differences between air conditioner and heat pump compressors are one of the reasons you must always rely on professional repair technicians whenever your heat pump starts to act up. An amateur with some knowledge of refrigeration systems will rarely be prepared to deal with liquid slugging, faulty accumulators, and broken crankcase heaters. Goettl Good Guys Air Conditioning can deliver the heat pump repair in Sahuarita, AZ that will restore your heat pump, no matter what is wrong with it.
Call on Goettl Good Guys Air Conditioning right away for heat pump repair in Sahuarita, AZ that will take care of the problem.
