Direction of Airflow for Heat Pump Condenser

[techster82]

After an ice storm we had this past week, I had damage to the condenser fan on my outside heat pump unit. I purchased a new fan today and replaced the damaged one, then put everything back together. Everything is running smooth but I am worried that I may not have installed the fan blades in the right direction. With the outside unit running, cold air is blowing out of the top of the unit. We have heat coming out of the inside vents, but should the outside heat pump be sucking air in, or blowing it out?

thanks,
Clay

[bmathews]

You most likely won't get much help on here. It is a no DIY site. I however like you guys. You screw so much up, I can charge double to fix it. It's hard to say which was is right without looking at the blades on the unit. It could be clockwise or maybe counterclockwise. You really have to look at it to tell.

[HeatXfer]

Oh boy...:rolleyes:

[techster82]

Figured I would get a response like that but as I wasn't asking how to install something per se, just what direction airflow is on a heat pump, figured I would ask. Also, this was my first time to diy a heat pump and only because the service guys couldn't get to me for a day or two, and we would like heat.

Thanks again for your help.

[bmathews]

I'm serious when I say it could be clockwise or counterclockwise. There is no rule for which way the motor should turn on a heat pump. You just have to know what you're doing and it is very simple once you look at it.

[tpa-fl]

Damn, were's Twilli when you need him? I want to know which way the box fan is supposed to sit on top of the heat pump too!

[techster82]

My thought was that air is pulled through the coil and expelled through the top of the unit. I just wasn't sure with a heat pump if that direction was reversed when you were heating a house, versus cooling one. Would you mind elaborating on why it can be both directions? I am just curious as to how one works.

[cmajerus]

My thought was that air is pulled through the coil and expelled through the top of the unit. I just wasn't sure with a heat pump if that direction was reversed when you were heating a house, versus cooling one. Would you mind elaborating on why it can be both directions? I am just curious as to how one works.
different mfger's use different approaches to accomplish the same thing. It probably should blow up through the top, but you should have verified that before you took the old one out(or let a tech do it)

[ascj]

I hope I'm not breaking the rules? But all the brochures I have seen, the air discharges from fan on heat pumps.

Does that make your repair safe or correct, nope.

[tpa-fl]

Not all...some do blow horizontally.

[karsthuntr]

Figured I would get a response like that but as I wasn't asking how to install something per se, just what direction airflow is on a heat pump, figured I would ask. Also, this was my first time to diy a heat pump and only because the service guys couldn't get to me for a day or two, and we would like heat.

Thanks again for your help.

You had emergency heat, that should have held you over for a couple days.

[sktn77a]

My thought was that air is pulled through the coil and expelled through the top of the unit. I just wasn't sure with a heat pump if that direction was reversed when you were heating a house, versus cooling one. Would you mind elaborating on why it can be both directions? I am just curious as to how one works.

To the best of my knowledge, no the fans do not reverse. Your owners manual or even the sales brochure should tell you whether it blows upward (they invariably do) or, failing this, the manufacturer's website or customer service line.

Helps to have a friend in the business, though! ;)

"Does that make your repair safe or correct, not necessarily."

[beenthere]

Helps to have a friend in the business that kows what he's doing.

Before this thread gets into a technical discussion.

Thread Closed.