Today the most efficient way to bring personalized comfort to your home is ductless and ducted heat pumps typically called mini splits which are becoming increasingly popular across the USA because of the sheer number of benefits. With benefits also come drawbacks, some of which are error codes, or operation modes that can be confusing to operate or how sometimes normal operation of mini split units can be confused as abnormal if you are unaware of the type of heating and cooling these units provide. Mini Splits can take some getting used to, here are some of the common problems we see customers run into that can be corrected sometimes by the homeowner and sometimes by a call to a licensed professional like MetroWest MiniSplits to ensure your heat pumps are operating correctly and efficiently.
ELECTRICITY
- Heat Pump units are powered by electricity and like any electronic device it is prone to occasional electrical related problems. Easy solutions such as a tripped breaker at the panel, or at your home’s main fuse which might protect the expensive electronic components in your home such as your TV, refrdigerator and other electronic items including your mini splits.
ERROR CODES
- Other problems other than electrical issues might include blinking lights. Sometimes blinking lights can be a normal part of operation such as in the defrost mode. Other times it is helpful to reference your owner’s manual, certain error codes can be reset by resetting the condensing unit. Other will need the assistance of a trained technician. A typical error code for a Fujitsu mini split would be something like a 10-1 which might indicate a series of problems but the most common seems to be low refrigerant, which usually is an easy fix.
NO COOLING
– Keep in mind that mini splits can be used for both heating and cooling. The typical problem with a customer calling with no cooling turns out that the unit is either in the wrong mode, or it is not in sync with the remote, other times it might be in mis-matched mode with the condensing unit. Some condensing units with multiple indoor mini splits attached need to have all the attached units be in the same mode, either in heating or cooling but not both at the same time. To ensure your unit is in-sync with the remote in your hand, ensure you are pointing the remote directly at the indoor unit, and listen for an audible indication and on most units a visual indication with the light blinking to let you know the unit has taken the command you have just entered on the remote.
NO HEATING
– Minisplits work for heating as well as cooling and some customers are taking advantage of the new rebates and covering their whole home with heat pumps which are more efficient than fossil fuels. Heating mode might not be working correctly if your unit is flashing an error, the outdoor condensing unit might need to be reset. Possibly your indoor unit and the remote control have become out of sync, to re-sync your remote raise the heat all the way to the max, typically 88 degrees, listen carefully for the audible tone that enables you to determine the unit has taken your command. When your heat pump is not producing heat, and it’s the winter time, this might be your only source of heating available in your home, if this is the case, please call us as we provide service on heat pump mini splits even if we did not install the unit.
Mass Save Whole Home Heat Pump Rebates Up to $10,000 Massachusetts program Mass Save is offering homeowners up to a $10,000 residential rebate by installing electric heat pumps (minisplits). The program is offered through the Mass Save residential Heating and Cooling Program and is through Eversource, National Grid, Liberty Utilities, Cape Cod Light and Berkshire Gas. The equipment must be installed in the home by a licensed contractor in 2022. The install can include replacing existing heating systems, or by covering the home with 1-4 units. Home Energy Assessments must be complete prior to heat pump installation for Whole-Home Heat Pump Verification From must be completed, Signed and submitted. Visit MassSave.com to see specific terms and conditions. It’s time to replace that aging furnace, inefficient HVAC equipment or simply add a primary source of heating and cooling to your home that is 3-4 times more efficient. Heat Pumps provide both heating and cooling to your home and are more efficient than an old fuel burning furnace. Now you can provide heating and cooling to your home with more efficient equipment, saving you money, and making the environment and your home safer by eliminating fuel emissions which means cleaner air for both the environment and the inside of your home. Turning to heat pumps means you will have more control over the temperatures of the different parts of your home and you will have greater flexibility to provide heating and cooling to those areas of your home that were previously had problems with under heating or under cooling. So rather than making the entire home one temperature, you have the flexibility to individually control the temperature of each living space to the perfect temperature. The heat pump compressors are variable-speed and reduce energy consumption compared to conventional systems by up to 40% Heat pumps run on electricity so they do not burn fossil fuels which is far better for the environment and most Heat Pumps have an Energy Star rating. A Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating SEER and other scientific evidence to prove that heat pumps are the energy source of the future for residential and commercial environments. Call for your free in-home heat pump estimate today!
A heat pump is able to transfer thermal energy from inside to outside and also from outside to inside. A heat pump works as an air conditioner by transferring heat from inside to outside. Heat pumps can also be used for heating. When heat pumps are used to heat a building the energy or heat is transferred from outside to inside. Mini Splits are commonly ductless and for this and other various reasons they are highly efficient and rely on electricity to provide heating and cooling thereby reducing the demand on fossil fuels. Typically it has been measured that 1kWh of electricity can transfer 3-6 kWh of thermal energy into a building, this is amazing and highly efficient as opposed to an oil boiler or a window AC unit both of which minisplits are 3-4 times more efficient over. Heat pumps are filled with refrigerant, this gas/liquid is highly controlled by the EPA and you must be licensed by the EPA to purchase and handle the current models on the market. Most of todays heat pumps are currently working with 410-a refrigerant. The heat pumps produce heat by taking the liquid outside and compressing it, making it hot. This hot liquid is transferred inside through a series of copper tubing that must connect the indoor and outdoor units. This hot liquid passes though a coil and is blown with or without ductwork. To cool your home, the heat pump works in the opposite, by compressing the indoor hot liquid and sending it outside to be cooled by the large coil and fan at the outdoor compressor. It is possible that heat pumps could be used in the future to replace most oil and gas fired heating equipment to create a lower carbon footprint. Air sourced heat pump minisplits are relatively inexpensive to install and historically have been the most widely used type of heat pump, modern heat pumps with a low temperature designation are able to provide heat inside your home even when the outdoor temperatures reach down to -15 degrees. In traditional air sourced heat pump systems, the system has a vapor compression device, a compressor and the system includes a reversing valve so that the direction of thermal energy, heat, or cooling, can be reversed. The energy efficiency of a heat pump is measured in SEER – Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating a heat pump must meet a SEER rating of 14.5 to qualify for an Energy Star rating.
If you’re faced with a Minisplit that is flashing an error code at you and you’re unsure how to determine what the code is or what to do here’s how to tell if it’s actually normal flashing. Right now with the cold winter temperatures and the freezing rain and snow and sleet and driving winds that we have been receiving here in our area it’s been putting a tremendous amount of stress on the heat pumps as they try to produce heat for your home because the outdoor condensing unit is located outside and in some cases is not protected from these types of elements. Above is a good example of an install that is protected from the home yet is still far enough away from the house to allow for proper airflow behind the machine which is wheddsd If you have only one single flashing light at you and it is steady and constant this might be a defrost mode. Defrost mode occurs as part of normal operation when the coil outside gets too cold the outdoor condensing unit stops and send a signal inside to have the fan slow down sometimes the fins will close up and the light will start the flash to indicate the unit is in defrost mode outside this might be in the state for 6-8 minutes. During the 24 hour period you may not notice but the unit could do this maybe four times a day or more.
