Service, Tri-Cities
Heat Pumps for Pasco, Kennewick and Richland
One outdoor unit for heating and cooling, installed and serviced by the Pasco shop.
Chapter 01
How a heat pump differs from a furnace and air conditioner
A heat pump moves heat instead of burning fuel to make it. In winter it pulls heat out of outdoor air and carries it inside. In summer a reversing valve flips the flow, and it pulls heat out of the house the way an air conditioner does. One outdoor unit and one indoor coil do the work of a furnace and a central air conditioner together.
The Tri-Cities has hot, dry summers and a winter that's cold but seldom stays deep-frozen for weeks, a climate a heat pump handles well. On the coldest nights a backup heat source can take over, and the technician sets the changeover so it isn't running more than it needs to. Air-Tech installs and services heat pumps from its shop in Pasco.
An outdoor heat pump unit on a concrete pad beside a house
What fails, and why it ices up
Some frost on the outdoor coil is normal in cold, damp weather, and the unit clears it with a defrost cycle. When the coil stays iced solid, the usual causes are a failed defrost board or sensor, low refrigerant charge, a fan that isn't moving air, or a coil packed with dirt. The fix depends on which one, so a technician measures before guessing.
The reversing valve is the other classic failure. When it sticks, the system heats in summer, cools in winter, or barely does either. A weak capacitor that keeps the outdoor fan from starting and a drain that backs up round out the common calls. If a heat pump quits during a Kennewick cold snap, Air-Tech's 24-hour emergency service means you can call (509) 392-2021 at any hour.
Chapter 03
Seasonal care, in both directions
A heat pump runs all year, so it needs care in both seasons. Keep two feet of clear space around the outdoor unit, rake away leaves and cottonwood fluff, and after snow or ice brush it clear without banging the fins. Change the indoor filter on schedule, and if the thermostat has a mode switch, set heat or cool once and let the system work.
At a service visit the technician checks the charge, the defrost operation, the reversing valve and the electrical connections, ideally once before summer and once before winter. Every AT Advantage plan includes two visits a year, which lines up with exactly that schedule, and all four plans include a multi-point heating and cooling inspection.
Licensed and insured. WA contractor licence AIRTESF899MN. Oregon CCB 228495. Call (509) 392-2021.