We don’t get a ton of snow here in Eugene, OR, but we do get plenty of wet winter weather which results in a good amount of ice. Clearing ice certainly isn’t enjoyable, but when it comes to the outdoor cabinet of your heat pump system, it is a necessity. This is due to the way a heat pump works during the winter months. Your heat pump doesn’t have a lot of moving parts, so repairs are often minimal, but reducing the system’s access to the air it needs as well as the available heat will create systemic problems.
Why Ice and Snow Are an Issue
Heat pumps provide your home with heat by absorbing the available heat in the surrounding air. This heat is then transferred to the heat pump where it is concentrated and then delivered to your home’s living spaces by ductwork or ductless indoor blowers. If your heat pump doesn’t have enough access to the outdoor air because ice and snow are coating the grates of the outdoor cabinet, your system won’t be able to work properly.
Some Heat Pumps Have Ice Melters
Some newer heat pumps have electric cables inside the outdoor cabinet that can heat up and melt off the ice so you don’t have to. If you are unsure if your heat pump is equipped like this, call your expert to check.
Don’t Chip Away at the Ice
When removing the ice from your outdoor cabinet, do so carefully. You don’t want to take action that could damage the outdoor cabinet, or worse, the components inside the cabinet. You also don’t want to do something like take a blow torch to your outdoor unit. Instead, carefully scrape away as much ice as possible, and also let the sun do its work. If you need help removing stubborn ice from your outdoor cabinet, call your Comfort Flow Heating expert.
