Maintaining the comfort of the occupants of your commercial building, especially during the cold winter months, is essential. However, extreme weather conditions can make heating your building more challenging. Dittmer Air and Heat shares some common winter HVAC problems that you should watch out for in today’s post.
Excessive Ice or Frost on Your External Heat Pump Unit
A heat pump can ice up during the winter. A light frost or ice isn’t a cause for concern because the heat pump will periodically go into defrost mode. However, if the heat pump becomes completely encased in ice, this could mean there’s an underlying problem. Not addressing the cause will result in greater damage to your equipment.
One reason could be an issue with the heat pump itself, such as a malfunctioning defrost control. This type of issue must be resolved by your heat pump repair specialist.
At other times, the cause could be the extreme weather. For instance, the coil could be blocked by snow or other debris, or perhaps freezing rain has occurred. If this is the case, turn off the unit and remove the snow or ice on top of it if possible.
Blowing Cold Air
If your unit is blowing cold air, before doing anything else you need to make sure the thermostat level isn’t set to “cool.” If there are no problems with the setting, then check the refrigerant levels and inspect for leaks. Contact your HVAC repair service provider if the coolant level is low or you discover leaks.
Not Warm Enough
It’s possible that heated air is escaping the building, so you need to ensure that the building is properly insulated. Inspect the weatherstripping around windows and doors and replace as needed. If possible, switch out old, inefficient windows with those that have Low-E window glass. Another option is to use thermal curtains to improve window insulation.
For all your commercial HVAC maintenance needs, you can trust Dittmer Air and Heat. Our technicians are NATE-certified, so you can be assured of quality service. Call us at (321) 637-0170 or fill out our contact form to set up a consultation.