Warning Signs You Need Geothermal Repair
With a geothermal system providing the heating and cooling power for your home, you’ll experience a level of energy-efficiency and durability that few other home comfort systems can match. Geothermal underground pipes can endure for more than 50 years, and the steady heat of the earth means cooling and heating power that remains stable no matter the outdoor temperature.
Geothermal systems, thanks to their longevity, require few repairs. With regular annual maintenance on the system, you can experience many years without needing to make a call for technicians to fix a problem. But repair needs can still occur, no matter how well you maintain your geothermal heat pump. Here are some signs to watch for that may indicate it is time for professional geothermal repairs in Cary, NC.
Trust to the experience of Raleigh Heating & Air for the repairs and maintenance on your geothermal heating and cooling that will keep it running for decades.
Watch for these signs of geothermal repair needs
Although it’s rare for the ground loops of a geothermal system to spring a leak, it can occasionally occur—especially if the loops are nearing the 50-year milestone. (Make sure you know how old the loops are if you inherited them with your house.) These loops usually do not circulate refrigerant, but water or a water and antifreeze mixture, so leaks can appear as inexplicable wet spots on your lawn. If these spots appear in conjunction with a reduction in heating or cooling power, call for a technician to inspect the system. A dye placed into the heat pump will identify where the leak is occurring when the coloring appears on the ground above the leaking loop.
Because your geothermal system is technically a heat pump (a “ground-source heat pump,” since it uses the ground as its medium for heat exchange), keep watch for malfunctions similar to those in a standard heat pump: a loss of cooling or heating power, ice developing along the indoor coils during cooling mode, a drop in air flow, and grating loud noises coming from the cabinet. Some of these (such as heating/cooling power loss and coil icing) can occur because of damage to the loops, but the problem may originate inside the interior cabinet. The other problems are mechanical failures, problems also located inside the cabinet. Keep in mind that the indoor heat pump elements of a geothermal system will require replacement before the underground elements, so you will likely need repairs on the heat pump before you need them for the loops.
As with any heating or cooling system, maintaining a close watch on power bills can warn you of trouble: when costs spike for no discernable reason, you might have an HVAC malfunction.
Because geothermal systems are extensive and require special installation, only trained repair technicians can properly fix them. Don’t open the heat pump cabinet, and leave the shovels where they are. Instead, dial up Raleigh Heating & Air and ask for geothermal repairs in Cary, NC. We have 20 years of experience to put behind any job we perform.