With how hot it has been this past summer, some of you may have forgotten that your A/C unit even has a heating function. What’s worse, you may have just tried to turn on heating mode only to discover that it isn’t working.
Here are a couple of reasons why your heat isn’t working.
- Leaking Refrigerant
Regardless of whether your A/C is in heating or cooling mode, it needs the right amount of refrigerant to function effectively. Your unit can’t function without refrigerant. Refrigerant isn’t meant to dissipate. Ideally refrigerant should last the entire life-cycle of the system it is in. If your refrigerant is leaking, the biggest sign to look out for is that lukewarm air will be coming from your vents.
- Thermostat Problems
Sometimes dust or dirt clogs up the machinery, which could influence how it operates. Wiring could also be the issue. When wires become frayed or corroded, it prevents them from conducting electricity effectively.
There’s also a possibility that something in your settings is keeping it in cooling mode or the programming on your thermostat could be experiencing a glitch. These are all things that could be why your heat isnt working.
- Reversing Valve Malfunction
The reversing valve is the part of the heat pump that switches it from heating mode to cooling mode and visa versa. Sometimes this valve can get stuck on one mode or in between the two. It’s possible that the issue could be related to the solenoid. If it is the solenoid it can most likely be repaired. If it doesn’t involve the solenoid it could be very bad news.
One of the worst things you can do when your heat isn’t working is wait for the issue to fix itself. In most cases, this makes the problem worse, costing you more money in the long run.
