01/18/2025
We here at Parker Service Company are following the snow forecast in our area for Tuesday (now at 93%, according to Weather.com), and we wanted to remind everyone how to protect their heat pumps. Heat pumps are not designed to handle wet, snowy conditions on their own, which is why they aren’t commonly used in colder climates. The exhaust air from the unit can melt snow as it lands, but in freezing temperatures, it refreezes, forming icicles that hang from the top grate and extend into the unit.
To protect your system, switch your heat pump to the emergency heat setting as soon as the snow starts falling. Keep it on emergency heat until the snow has stopped and the top of the unit is clear. Once the snow stops, you can go outside, brush off any remaining snow, and then switch the unit back to the heat pump setting. (The emergency heat may still cycle on occasionally but shouldn’t run continuously.)
Whenever it snows—even though it’s rare— we gets many calls about damage caused by icicles forming inside the unit. If the fan tries to run while blocked by ice, it can burn out the motor, damage the fan blades, or even break an icicle that could puncture the coil and destroy the entire system.
We want to make sure everyone knows how to prevent this type of costly damage to their heat pumps.
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