Heat Pump Package unit

[242447]

Carrier Heat Pump Package unit The condenser coil on the unit is freezing up the condenser fan is not running the indoor fan running. I jumped out the R to Y to get it into cooling and the condenser fan works. so there not problem with the fan The reversing valve switch too! so its ok I'm thinking that the relay is bad on the board I didn't have time to troubleshoot due to darkness Thanks for the help

[rundawg]

Depending on the amount of frost/ice on the outside coil of your Heat Pump, you could be right in your assumption that you have a problem, but this is not the web site to get an answer ( not a DIY site ). There are several components that could be causing your particular problem. Too many things could go wrong with giving advice to people who what to try and fix problems themselves when you can't see the equipment in question. A local qualified HVAC Tech will be able to give you a diagnosis of your problem and fix your Heat Pump. Research repritable companies and ask alot of questions. Good Luck in solving this issue.

[Kevin O'Neill]

DEFROST SYSTEM:
A heat pump is a lot like a regular air conditioner, except that it reverses every heating season to blow cold air outside and warm air inside. Because the outdoor coil is getting colder than the air outside in the winter, the outdoor coil can freeze in the winter. This is because the outdoor coil condenses water on it in the winter. Only instead of liquid water running off the coil into a drain line, the moisture freezes onto the coil. The heat pump still operates efficiently with a light coating of frost on it. However, eventually the frost becomes a heavy layer of ice and the efficiency is reduced. This is why heat pumps have a defrost system that regular air conditioners do not have. Heat pumps have either a timer or differential thermostat to initialize the defrost cycle. When defrost starts, your heat pump will do some very strange things. This is especially true if you are used to a different type of heating system, such as gas or oil forced air.
The first thing you will notice when the system goes into defrost is a “Whoosh” noise, like the air being let out of a tire. Then the outdoor fan will stop. After a short while a vapor cloud will start to rise from the outdoor unit. We have occasionally had customers call the fire department at this time. But this is normal operation for a heat pump. If the vapor cloud is white, then it is just water vapor (steam) coming from the hot outdoor coil. Only if the cloud is black is it smoke. (Then you can panic!) The compressor noise will usually get louder during the defrost cycle than during normal operation.
What is happening during the defrost cycle is that the reversing valve has switched back to cooling mode so that the outdoor coil will get hot. The outdoor fan has shut off so that the outdoor coil gets hot faster because no air is blowing across it. Then the auxiliary strip heat comes on so it does not blast you with cold air coming out of the supply registers. You will also see water running off the outdoor coil. This is not a leak, just normal operation.
The defrost cycle normally lasts up to ten minutes. Then the heat pump resumes normal operation. The outdoor fan will come back on. The white vapor cloud above the unit may get really huge. The reversing valve will switch back to heating mode with another “Whoosh” and the auxiliary strip heat will go off after a short delay.


It may be your system is working OK. If you are getting too much frost you should call for service. The only DIY you should do is change your air filter on a regular basis. Good luck.

[heaterman]

DEFROST SYSTEM:
A heat pump is a lot like a regular air conditioner, except that it reverses every heating season to blow cold air outside and warm air inside. Because the outdoor coil is getting colder than the air outside in the winter, the outdoor coil can freeze in the winter. This is because the outdoor coil condenses water on it in the winter. Only instead of liquid water running off the coil into a drain line, the moisture freezes onto the coil. The heat pump still operates efficiently with a light coating of frost on it. However, eventually the frost becomes a heavy layer of ice and the efficiency is reduced. This is why heat pumps have a defrost system that regular air conditioners do not have. Heat pumps have either a timer or differential thermostat to initialize the defrost cycle. When defrost starts, your heat pump will do some very strange things. This is especially true if you are used to a different type of heating system, such as gas or oil forced air.
The first thing you will notice when the system goes into defrost is a “Whoosh” noise, like the air being let out of a tire. Then the outdoor fan will stop. After a short while a vapor cloud will start to rise from the outdoor unit. We have occasionally had customers call the fire department at this time. But this is normal operation for a heat pump. If the vapor cloud is white, then it is just water vapor (steam) coming from the hot outdoor coil. Only if the cloud is black is it smoke. (Then you can panic!) The compressor noise will usually get louder during the defrost cycle than during normal operation.
What is happening during the defrost cycle is that the reversing valve has switched back to cooling mode so that the outdoor coil will get hot. The outdoor fan has shut off so that the outdoor coil gets hot faster because no air is blowing across it. Then the auxiliary strip heat comes on so it does not blast you with cold air coming out of the supply registers. You will also see water running off the outdoor coil. This is not a leak, just normal operation.
The defrost cycle normally lasts up to ten minutes. Then the heat pump resumes normal operation. The outdoor fan will come back on. The white vapor cloud above the unit may get really huge. The reversing valve will switch back to heating mode with another “Whoosh” and the auxiliary strip heat will go off after a short delay.


It may be your system is working OK. If you are getting too much frost you should call for service. The only DIY you should do is change your air filter on a regular basis. Good luck.

Nice answer!:D I actually cut and pasted that to a word doc and did a revision for add on / fossil fuel systems to give to my "new" heat pump customers. They will have it in writing and it will save me time explaining as well as those nuisance calls.

[Kevin O'Neill]

Nice answer!:D I actually cut and pasted that to a word doc and did a revision for add on / fossil fuel systems to give to my "new" heat pump customers. They will have it in writing and it will save me time explaining as well as those nuisance calls.

It came from my instruction sheets that I hand out to my customers.