Heatpump question

   / Heatpump question #1  

KubotaSteve

Platinum Member
Joined
Dec 4, 2003
Messages
819
Location
eastern panhandle of WV
Tractor
Kubota B7800 with loaded R-4s
I noticed the other day that the light for our emergency heat was on quite a bit. I did some checking and found out that the outside unit is not running at all. In the past our emergency heat came on very little, even when temps got colder like into the 20's and 30's. Last night I was trying to figure out what the problem was but had no luck. It was like when it needed heat the blower inside would come on and then about 5 to 10 minutes later the emergency heat light would light up. It was like it was trying to call for the outside unit to come on but it wouldn't. I guess if you guys don't know anything to try, I'll have to call the HVAC people.
 
   / Heatpump question #2  
Steve,

Years ago I had a heat pump and occasionally in the winter the shuttle valve in the outside compressor unit would stick due to getting frozen. This is the valve that switches the unit from heating in the winter to cooling in the summer. Even in the winter it occasionally has to shift into the cooling mode so that it can melt the ice that forms on the outside unit (in heating mode the inside coil is hot and the outside unit is cold, vice versa for cooling mode).

The shuttle valve is inside your outside unit. As I recall, it was pretty obvoius where it was (it will be where the lines from the house connect to the unit). I had to knock on the shuttle valve occasionally when it got stuck to get it to shift. Pouring warm water on it also loosened it up.

If it happens frequently, as I recall, it means there's condensation in your freon (or RU134) lines and you'll need an HVAC guy to purge the system.

Wasn't that brutal Sunday night!? 40+ mph winds at 20-30deg! My propane furnace ran all night and all day yesterday. ($$$$$)! :eek:

WVBill
 
   / Heatpump question #3  
Steve, In addition to what Bill has advised , I would add that more than likely your outside unit would still run but wouldn't produce heat because it is stuck between demand for heat or cooling... I think it is more likely a blown fuse in the outside disconnect. The starter capacitor for the outside units compressor may have blown also..(however I think the outside unit fan would still run but the compressor wouldn't kick on if it is the capacitor). They can be replaced fairly easily be removing the cover looking for the internal electrical cover and locating the cylindrical chared unit.

So my vote is for blown fuse in the outside disconnect, even easier to change ,but hit the breaker to change this... don't forget to pull the disconnect in advance when getting inside the outside unit ;)
 
   / Heatpump question #4  
Is breaker tripped. Inside and outside should be on dif. breakers. E heat/electric elements usually dosn't come on till two or more degrees temp diff. Thermostat is tripping normally but since no heat and temp still dropping in house-e heat temp level finally reached activating heating elements. If thermostat is very old might be good time to replace with programable version. Heat pump systems equire special thermostat. Be sure new one says heat pump. If you have volt meter or electrical test probe verify 220 and 24 vac at outside unit. 220 should be there all the time and 24 vac when thermostat trips. Usuall crude diagram on outside unit compressor access cover. Critters can chew up control and power wires to outside unit. Usually happens at wire entry point to house. Good luck
 
   / Heatpump question #5  
I wish I was dealing with this problem instead of the two gas hog furnaces we have. I'm putting in a big heat pump package unit myself as soon as it warms up.

On yours I'd check to see if it looks like it's froze up. If it's low on freon or the valve is stuck it probably will be. A contaminated charge could do it too. Those emergency heat strips cost a fortune to run so don't wait too long. Check the breakers too like they already said. It's not that uncommon. We kept having circuit board problems in our last one in a rent house we had. It was running the heat strips and the pump and really costing a fortune. SInce we didn't own the place I didn't fix it till 4 repair men refused to listen to me and we got out first electric bill. That hurt.
 
   / Heatpump question
  • Thread Starter
#6  
Bill, those winds were nasty and wreak havoc on my Christmas decorations. Knocked over 3 of my 4 deer with lights and blew the wreath off the door. Luckily, I had turned off all of my inflatable snowman, santa, Christmas tree and Snow Globe.

Anyways, $500 later the problem has been fixed. Turns out fom the vibration of the unit a thin copper tube rubbed against a larger copper tube and caused a small hole and let all the freon get out and since the pressure switch wouldn't activate it just went to auxilary heat. The guy came out and diagnosed the problem, soddered it back, added a filter, vacuumed it down refilled it (9 pounds of freon :eek: for a cost of $288) and it works good as new. It could have been worse, and I'm thankful that it wasn't. I'm working from home today so he showed me exactly what was going on.

Afterwards, I was talking to wife and said "What do people do who can't afford to get it fixed?" I mean $500 around Christmas time can be a lot of money to someone who is all ready just barely making it. Don't get me wrong $500 still hurt the old wallet, but there is a difference between hurting the walllet and not having it in the wallet. Sort of a reflective thankful moment so to speak.
 
   / Heatpump question #7  
I'll bet that 500 bucks would have been eaten by the jump in your electric bill if you hadn't gotten it fixed. Our bill went to 750 just for the month that ours was running on them. I made the landlord pay it too since that idiot wouldn't listen to me when I told him what the problem was and he kept sending out different morons all month that didn't properly fix it.

Our propane furnaces are out right now. We have an underground leak and the gauge was stuck at 7% on the tank. They both flamed out with no fuel over a week ago and we are getting by on wood heat from a boxwood stove in the living room. It's doing pretty good considering we have 3500 square feet so I'm not fixing the propane system. I'll put in a package unit heat pump myself in the spring.
 
   / Heatpump question #8  
Steve
Glad to hear you got it fixed. I know what you mean though $500 can be an "ouch" for some but a killer for others.

After having had a heat pump when we lived over in Fairfax we swore we'd never have another. When we get up in the morning nothing beats being able to warm the toes over the gas heating ducts. We never got anything more than a lukewarm flow out of the heat pump even though the room temp was the same.

WVBill
 
   / Heatpump question
  • Thread Starter
#9  
My wife hates the heatpump, but I love it. I like cold weather. I grew up with a woodstove and it was always so hot in the house I could barely stand it. I like the cool heat (well you know what I mean:D ). I got the wife a space heater do when she is taking a shower it will be warm for her.
 
   / Heatpump question #10  
WVBill said:
After having had a heat pump when we lived over in Fairfax we swore we'd never have another. When we get up in the morning nothing beats being able to warm the toes over the gas heating ducts. We never got anything more than a lukewarm flow out of the heat pump even though the room temp was the same.

WVBill

Just remember, if the t-stat is set to 72, and it's 72 inside, what's the difference?:)

Seriously, R-22 units (heat pumps) blow a air temperature lower than your body temp (unlike a gas furnace wich blows an air temperature warmer than your body temp). So... when the air comes out of the registers, it feels like it is colder. However, it is still hot enough to keep the t-stat where you normally want it.

Keep in mind, with R410A units, the air temp in heating mode (heat pump) is now warmer than your body temp, unlike the R-22 units.

Depending on your electric rates, usually a lot cheaper to run a heat pump rather than a fossile fuel unit.
 
 
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