Why Is My Mini Split Not Heating My Home Or Not Blowing Hot Air?

There are many possible reasons why your mini split isn’t blowing hot air or warming your home. Most of them boil down to buildup inside the air handlers that prevent airflow or heat transfer. Now, there’s an easy fix for that.

This article walks you through the four most common reasons a mini spit won’t work correctly. You can handle a few of these on your own. For others, you’ll need a professional.

But, the good news is that in many cases, that professional isn’t an HVAC contractor. Instead, you can schedule a mini split cleaning that usually solves the problem — and offers a few other benefits as well.

Of course, we need to warn you not to start taking apart your air handler or heat pump. These units have some tiny, delicate parts in there. It’s easier than you may think to make the problem much worse.

Related: Mini Split Improper Installation: What Could Go Wrong?

Instead, run through our quick DIY troubleshooting. Then, give HydroKleen208 a call if you’re in Valley County or Boise Metro here in Idaho. We’ll answer your questions over the phone and help you decide if cleaning is the right move. You can reach us at (208) 779-5596.

Four Common Reasons Your Mini Split Is Not Blowing Hot Air

The four common things to check for when your mini split is not heating your home or blowing any hot air are:

1. Wrong Thermostat Settings
2. Dirty Or Clogged Filter
3. Frozen Coil
4. Clogged Coil

You can fix the first two yourself, and we’ll go through all four in-depth.

Wrong Thermostat Settings

Sometimes, the problem is simply the thermostat setting on your air handler.

For instance, if you don’t switch from “Cool” to “Heat,” your heat pump waits for the house to get warmer than the setting. In the winter, you want the opposite: Heat coming on when it goes below that call.

Or, there’s “Fan Only,” which only circulates air without moving heat around. This is more common on forced-air systems, but it’s an option here as well. In the winter, it would only move around the air in the room — which is cold when there’s no heat.

Read More: My Mini Split Won’t Turn On: Four Common Causes (And How To Fix Them)

What To Do

Check the thermostat on each air handler. Make sure they’re set to “Heat” and not “Fan Only.” Then, set them to the temperature you want.

Dirty Or Clogged Filter

The filter in your mini split traps all sorts of dust and debris. When that stuff floats through the air and into the air handler, the filter prevents it from going further into the unit and then blowing back out.

But that filter gets clogged eventually. When that happens, it blocks airflow. Now, your air handler is trying to move heat into the room. But, there’s no circulation, so you don’t get any hot air.

Related: How To Spot And Fix A Condensate Drain Line Clog

What To Do

Open the panel on your air handler and check the filter. Does it look like this?

If so, clean it right away. Then, see if that solves the problem. If it does, make sure to clean it once a month from now on — that’s the usual manufacturer recommendation.

Frozen Coil

A mini split heat pump can “ice up” or “ice over.” It’s when water on the coil freezes. Then, it can’t draw in heat and circulate it inside your home. The result is a system running in the winter but delivering cold air instead of warmth.

The two main culprits here are a dirty coil or a refrigerant leak. We’ll talk about the coil in our next section.

A refrigerant leak produces freezing-cold air in the heat pump and on the coil. It’s so cold that all the moisture on it or in the air freezes up. It ices over and prevents heat transfer.

 

 

 

 

 

 

What To Do

Listen for hissing sounds or chemical smells near the heat pump. Those are signs of a refrigerant leak. IF you notice them, call your HVAC contractor right away.

If not, disconnect the power to your heat pump. Once the ice melts, power it back on. If it happens again, call a professional.
Meanwhile, visually inspect the coil if you can see it. Take off the filter in your air handler as well. If they are visibly dirty, you need a cleaning. That may solve the problem.

Clogged Coil

A clogged coil causes heating problems even if you don’t notice ice on the system. In fact, the ice problem is rare. A far more common symptom is air handlers not working as well as they used to is a far more common symptom.

Once again, the problem is a clogged coil: All sorts of gunk, from dust to even mold, builds up in between the tiny fins and prevents proper heat transfer and circulation.

It happens on the heat pump outside and inside your air handlers. And, it results in hot and cold spots in the house or getting cold air when you want heat.

What To Do

Start with a deep cleaning. It’s a more detailed, involved process than what you’d get with routine maintenance from your regular HVAC provider. And that’s no slight on them. It’s just that this is a specialized process.

What you want is a service that gets behind and inside every component of your air handler and mini split to flush out contaminants and eradicate any microbial organic pollutants.

Related: How Often Should A Mini Split Be Cleaned?

What Do You Get With A Mini Split Cleaning?

HydroKleen208 uses equipment and cleaning agents designed to quickly and completely flush and sanitize your entire mini split system. You’d be amazed (and probably grossed-out) by what lurks inside your air handlers and heat pump.

Here’s an example from a recent job. As always, we pause halfway through to show the homeowner the difference we’ve made. So far, we’ve cleaned the left side. Check out the horror show on the right:

And, we’re sorry to say, this isn’t an unusual case. If you’ve never had your system cleaned out before, your units probably look like this as well.

Fortunately, we can make a huge difference with one quick visit.

Related: What To Expect With A HydroKleen Visit

Mini Split Cleaning In Donnelly, ID

HydroKleen208 specializes in mini split deep cleaning for homes and businesses in Donnelly, ID, Valley County, and Boise Metro. We guarantee our tools and cleaning agents will get your mini split working like new. If they don’t, our visit is free. Click below or call us at (208) 779-5596.

Biotoxin Illness, Mold, And Common Mini Split Problems In Boise, Idaho

Are you concerned about mold in your home? You should be. Many strains of mold can cause what’s called biotoxin illness. Or, more specifically, toxic mold syndrome. And, if you heat and cool your home with a ductless mini split, this problem is more likely than you realize.

Mini splits are fantastic in many ways: They use less energy than conventional HVAC setups. And, they can make your home way more comfortable.

But, the downside is that they’re a breeding ground for mold, bacteria, and other microorganisms that can cause biotoxin illness.

 

Even if you keep your home spotless, it’s still a threat. And, it’s becoming more of a risk as ductless systems become more popular.

If you’re reading this, chances are you’re already familiar with biotoxin illness. If you’re not, we’ll explain more about it in a moment. And, if you already know about it, we’ll tell you about how you can prevent it in your home.

We’ll focus most on your mini split, of course. That’s our specialty. But we can also help you find more resources if you think there’s a bigger problem in your home. Homeowners, businesses, and property managers in Boise Metro or Valley County can start by giving us a call at (208) 779-5596.

We can schedule your first cleaning right away. Or, we can start by answering your questions.

What Is Biotoxin Illness?

Biotoxin illness is a general term for a host of problems stemming from exposure to any number of microbial contaminants, harmful biological organisms, or neurotoxins. Any time you’ve heard about Pontiac Fever or Legionnaires Disease, or Sick Building Syndrome, or even tetanus, you’ve heard about biotoxin illness.

Related: What Is Microbrial Contamination?

Toxic Mold Syndrome

When it comes to your mini split, the biggest threat is toxic mold syndrome. The inside of your air handlers are warm, dark, and moist — perfect for mold to grow. And when it does, those spores spread through the air, to other parts of the house, and into your lungs.

Now, we’ll note that toxic mold syndrome is a controversial diagnosis. You’ll find some sources saying it’s a myth or a misdiagnosis.

But, we know for sure that mold is a major asthma trigger. People with allergies are also sensitive to it. And, just about anyone can end up with a bad cough or wheezing, runny nose, itchy eyes, or even fever and shortness of breath. 

Call it what you like. The bottom line is that mold, bacteria, and other microorganisms build up inside your mini split. And, they’ll make you feel sick.

Related: Common Indoor Air Toxins And Their Symptoms

Biotoxins, Mold, And Indoor Air Quality

Biotoxin exposure, particularly mold spores, can occur through airborne transmission: You breathe in the pollutants that make you sick. These illnesses are why indoor air quality is a huge issue today.

According to the CDC, Americans now spend around 90 percent of their day indoors. And recently, we’ve been spending even more of that time at home. The work-from-home revolution is in full swing, and plenty of parents opt to home-school their children here in Idaho.

Because of this, the air in your home needs to be cleaner than ever before.

Related: Excellent Indoor Air Quality Is Essential For People With Asthma

Mini Splits

Mini splits, or ductless HVAC systems, provide better, more “even” comfort than forced-air or baseboard heat. And they use way less energy than other systems.

But, they can be a nightmare for indoor air quality, even with their advanced filtration systems. The problems lurk deep inside the air handlers.

The inside of your wall-mounted unit is warm, dark, and moist — the exact conditions mold, bacteria, and other biotoxins need to grow. And, when the fans turn on, your system circulates all that nasty stuff throughout your home.

Related: How Often Should Your Mini Split Be Cleaned?

Why Mini Split Cleaning Is Important (And Difficult)

 

 

 

The good news is that a deep cleaning virtually eradicates them. That’s easier said than done — and we’ll explain why in a moment — but it’s worth it for a few reasons.

 

Health Benefits

Eliminating biotoxins and microorganisms in your mini split prevents those contaminants from spreading through your home and into your lungs. That also goes for dust, dirt, pet dander, and other junk that builds upon the coils and behind the barrel fans.

Comfort And Efficiency

Clean heat pumps and air handlers function better. If you’ve noticed a rising electric bill or hot and cold spots in your home, a dirty mini split is often the culprit.

Cleaning Challenges

Until recently, the only way to really clean an air handler would be taking it apart and manually scrubbing each part. That includes carefully brushing between each fin on the coil.

Picture all the tiny grooves on the exterior of a conventional AC condenser outside a house. That’s what’s behind the panel on your wall-mounted unit. Now imagine scrubbing them one by one without bending any of them.

Related: HydroKleen’s Cleaning Agents Are Non-Toxic And 100 Percent Environmentally-Safe

This process would take all day, even for an experienced HVAC contractor. And, they’d have to charge for all that time. It’s too expensive of a job in that case.

Now, however, there’s a better way.

Why You Need A HydroKleen Cleaning

HydroKleen Global, our parent company, poured over a decade of research and development into a mini split deep cleaning that’s fast, effective, and safe.

The short version is that we essentially flush out every mold spore, bacterium, and speck of dust from inside the mini split using specialized equipment and a custom, non-toxic, hypoallergenic cleaning agent.

It’s all precisely calibrated to reach every nook and cranny with enough pressure to do the job without damaging anything. You can get a closer look in this video:

Heat Pump Cleaning In McCall, ID

Today, HydroKleen208 is the leader for heat pump cleaning in McCall, ID and down through Boise Metro. We guarantee you’ll notice a difference in your home immediately. And, if you’re not satisfied, you pay us nothing. Then, we pay one of our competitors to do your next cleaning. To learn more or schedule an appointment, click below or call us at (208) 779-5596.