As an alternative to a furnace, a heat pump uses the earth to generate warmth and cooling for a home equipped with a heat pump. The system draws the temperature of the soil underground and flows in with air into a home that is realizing the opposite.

So, during the winter, when the home is cold, the heat pump brings in warmer air. When the air is hot in the summer, the heat pump brings in cooler air. While the heat pump isn’t going to raise a home to 80 degrees or drop it to a cold 40, it does help balance out the internal temperature, reducing strain on a regular HVAC system and saving a homeowner money courtesy of the Earth itself. That said, even mechanical pumps need repairs once in a while.

The Mechanical Part Of The Heat Pump

The design of a heat pump uses pipes that are buried underground to draw temperature from the Earth. A pump is connected to the pipes, drawing air from the home and pushing it through the pipes. The air warms or cools accordingly to match the temperature of the soil. Then the air is pushed back into the home with the temperature change included.

The pump itself runs day and night as needed. Sensors can be included to turn it on when needed and let it sit idle when the house temperature is acceptable as well. Whichever the case, the pump runs on an electrical motor which can suffer wear and tear over time. Additionally, the pipes themselves realize the pressure of the earth. While not crushing, gravity does have an effect over time, and the pipes themselves might end up being compacted if buried too deep. Both types of situations plus pests can end up triggering repair. Most times, simple maintenance is enough, including the cleaning of the air filters in the system. However, with age, things do break down.

The typical life of a heat pump is long. It can be expected to run as much as two decades before needing replacement, which is double that of a traditional home heater system. Granted, some furnaces can last longer, but manufacturers will only state their reliability for up to 10 years at best.

Obtaining Help & Repair

A heat pump repair service is specifically designed to address the needs of a heat pump system versus other types of home heating. Doing so, much of the attention is going to be on the pump engine itself, the connection points, the air filters, and the conduits.If all is in working order, the pump engine will be tested to confirm it’s in working order or what the problem may be with its operation. If all of the above is working, then the technician has to test the hosing underground for a blockage. This is easily done with pressurized air and flow check from the entry point to the exit going back to the house. Likely issues could be, as mentioned earlier, a compression, or a leak in the hoses buried.

The intrusion of underground water could be a problem as well. Where property has a tendency to flood or get saturated, immediate water presence in soaked ground can cause issues with the performance of heat pump system, throwing off its temperature delivery too.

Heat Pumps Tend To Be Reliable

For the most part, repairs to the heat pump are going to be contained to what’s above ground. Heat pump systems have proven to be very reliable and dependable, with a low instance of part and system failure. In fact, a home furnace system is more likely to fail faster than a heat pump will, especially if maintained properly.