It\u2019s more than a little unpleasant to turn on your ductless heating system expecting heat, only to be greeted with a blast of cold air. If you\u2019re using a ductless system to keep warm this winter, and it\u2019s suddenly not putting out any heat, there could be a couple of different reasons why. Let\u2019s take a look at why your ductless system may not be heating, and what you should do about it.<\/p>\n
A ductless system doesn\u2019t burn fuel to generate heat. Instead, it\u00a0evaporates and condense refrigerant to move preexisting heat from one place to the other. They switch between heating and cooling modes by reversing the flow of refrigerant through the system, using a device called the reversing valve<\/em>. The reversing valve is a four-way valve that sits on\u00a0the refrigerant line. A slide in the valve moves between two positions, which determines which way the refrigerant flows through the system. The slide is controlled by an electromagnet called the solenoid,<\/em> which pulls it from one side of the valve to the other.<\/p>\n There are two problems that can affect the reversing valve. The first problem is that the slide becomes stuck in the valve. In that case, the only thing to do is have a professional open the valve and reset the slide. The second problem is that the solenoid loses its charge, which prevents it from moving the slide. If that happens, the solenoid will need to be replaced. Either of these problems will result in your ductless system becoming stuck in one mode, which might explain why it\u2019s not heating at the moment. Repairing the reversing valve should restore the system to full function.<\/p>\n