Construction & Contractors Blog
As people decide that they want to become more environmentally friendly, they are choosing heating and cooling methods for their home that are far more sustainable. Towards the top of the list in the accommodating Australian environment may well be a heat pump, as this is highly energy-efficient and much less impactful than combustion-based options. Like anything else, though, problems can materialise, and somebody may have told you that your reversing valve is playing up. What is this and what can you do about it?
Simple but Effective
The beauty of the heat pump is its versatility, as it is able to both heat and cool your home at different times. To enable this to happen, the refrigerant has to be channelled between the outdoor and indoor units so that they can take on condensing or compressing roles as appropriate.
Orchestrating the Procedure
When winter rolls around, and you need some heat, the outdoor unit will pull this in while the indoor unit pushes it back out at the end of the cycle, and the opposite is true during the summer months. This is where the reversing valve comes in; without it, the refrigerant could only move in one direction.
Where Is the Valve?
This valve is usually situated where the various lines intersect and will typically have a four-way action. This junction is located where the lines branch off to the central unit intake and output functions on the one hand and to the outdoor and indoor heating or cooling elements within. Inside the valve is a solenoid and slide mechanism and the electromagnetic coil will push the slide in the appropriate direction whenever a current is applied to it.
What Goes Wrong?
Although the action is fairly simple, a couple of problems can materialise. For example, the solenoid may overheat and eventually break and may well lose its magnetism through the simple cause of ageing. Alternatively, the slide could become stuck as imperfections in the system build up and will be unable to switch positions upon command.
Taking Action
If you find that your heat pump fails to work or is simply stuck in "hot" mode when it should be dedicated to "cold", then this is a good indication that you have an issue with your reversing valve. It's not too difficult a job to rectify, but you should call in a valve repair specialist to help.
For more information, contact your local valve repairs service.
Share11 October 2018
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