I have steam/smoke coming out of my outdoor unit.

This is a normal occurrence when the heat pump is defrosting during cool weather. It is normal for heat pump to build up a layer of frost during cold damp weather. This build up of frost is automatically removed by the defrost cycle built into the heat pump. While the unit is defrosting, it is possible to see a cloud of steam/fog rising from the unit. You should not be alarmed. The steam/fog will quit within a few minutes. 

My auxiliary heat light keeps coming on.

This can sometimes be normal, or it sometimes can indicate a possible problem. Not all heat pumps have an auxiliary heat light, but most conventional heat pumps in Oklahoma have auxiliary heat. It is normal for your auxiliary heat light to come on during very cold weather. Under these conditions, the light is just letting you know that the auxiliary heat is being used along with the heat pump to maintain the desired temperature in your home. This is normal. If the auxiliary light is coming on during relatively mild weather (above 35 degrees) and the wind outside is not blowing, you may have a problem with your heat pump. If this is the case, you may even notice that the heat pump is running more than usual on mild days. The best course of action would be to have your heat pump checked by a qualified technician.

My heat pump runs a lot.

This complaint needs to be broken down into two steps in order to determine if you may have a problem. First step, if your heat pump is running a lot during very cold weather this is normal for a properly installed heat pump. In fact, many heat pumps may run continuously during bitterly cold weather. Believe it or not, a properly sized and installed heat pump should run almost continuously when it is below 20 degrees or so. Second step, pay attention to how your heat pump operates during mild weather. If your heat pump is running continuously or if it is running more than normal on mild days when the wind is not blowing, chances are, you need to call for professional service.

My heat pump blows cold air sometimes.

This is our number one complaint with conventional electric heat pumps. It is a fact that the air temperature that comes from your registers can vary a lot with a conventional electric heat pump installed in our climate. The fact is, sometimes a conventional heat pump delivers heated air that is actually cooler than your body temperature. If moving air that is less than your body temperature strikes you while you, it tends to feel cold, when if fact, it could be several degrees warmer than the room temperature. Make sure to locate furniture so that you do not get a direct draft from the registers. It is normal for a heat pump to only deliver air that is only 10 degrees warmer than the room temperature at times. If you are periodically getting a very cold blast of air that only lasts a few minutes, you could possibly have a problem with your heat pumps defrost controls. If you have a thermometer, place it at one of your supply registers. You should not get alarmed if you frequently see supply temperatures only slightly above room temperature during cold weather (below 25 degrees outside). If you are periodically getting blasts of air that are much colder than the room temperature (in the order of 10-15 degrees colder), you probably should have your heat pump checked by a qualified technician. 

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Revised: March 07, 2008