Should reversing valve cycle every time a/c turns off?

[Cincy_Ron]

Hey folks, new to the site. I had my a/c unit replaced under a home warranty when I bought my house years ago and the original Carrier unit (a/c only) was replaced with a Goodman split system heat pump unit. It's never been wired to use for heat, just for a/c, and every time the outdoor unit shuts off after a cooling cycle there is a loud "whoosh" as the reversing valve is de-energized. Is that normal? I'm including a link to a mp3 I just made of it shutting off. Thanks!

Ron

Reversing valve audio

[turkey]

Depends on equipment and I don't install goodman but not uncommon for a manufacture to set it up to energize the valve for cooling.

[just_opinion]

Hey folks, new to the site. I had my a/c unit replaced under a home warranty when I bought my house years ago and the original Carrier unit (a/c only) was replaced with a Goodman split system heat pump unit. It's never been wired to use for heat, just for a/c, and every time the outdoor unit shuts off after a cooling cycle there is a loud "whoosh" as the reversing valve is de-energized. Is that normal? I'm including a link to a mp3 I just made of it shutting off. Thanks!

Ron

Reversing valve audio

NO.
Unless, it is poorly installed.

[hvacrmedic]

Hey folks, new to the site. I had my a/c unit replaced under a home warranty when I bought my house years ago and the original Carrier unit (a/c only) was replaced with a Goodman split system heat pump unit. It's never been wired to use for heat, just for a/c, and every time the outdoor unit shuts off after a cooling cycle there is a loud "whoosh" as the reversing valve is de-energized. Is that normal? I'm including a link to a mp3 I just made of it shutting off. Thanks!

Ron

Reversing valve audio

Have an HVAC contractor come out and run continous power to the RV. Sounds like they used a two-wire connection and have the contactor and RV wired in parallel.

[catmanacman]

That is the problem with home warranty you never get the good work .do you have a gas furnace or electric heat

[Cincy_Ron]

Thanks for the replies guys, I appreciate it. Yeah, it seems to me like whenever the thermostat is on auto/fan AND cool the reversing valve solenoid should be energized then. It might have been a case of not enough wires running out to the unit since the original wasn't a heat pump.

Catmanacman, I have a Carrier Weathermaker SX gas furnace that I use for heat. If I remember right it's around 90% efficient.

Having said that, I have another question. I live in the Northern KY area just across the river from Cincinnati. Would it be worthwhile to have a new thermostat, outside sensor, etc. installed and use the Goodman in heat pump mode for heat? Would I see any noticeable savings on my bill?

I just installed new high efficiency windows and I'm adding an extra R-30 of insulation to the attic, so I'm kind of looking for anything else I can do to save energy. If it helps, I pulled up my bill from last Feb and I paid $1.01 per CCF for gas, and 8.75 cents per kilowatt hour for electricity.

[beenthere]

It can save about 2 bucks per 1,000,000 BTUs of delivered heat at outdoor temps where its COP is 3. Break even is at about a COP of 2.5

[54regcab]

If somebody "hacked in" a heat pump I have to question the rest of the installation. In particular the choice of indoor coil.

[Cincy_Ron]

54regcab, the evaporator coil is the matching unit to the compressor unit outside. They were both replaced under a home warranty when I bought my house and the combo is what was supplied to the installer by the insurance company. The install was nicely done appearance wise, it doesn't look "hacked in" as you put it. It wasn't replacing a heat pump, or installed as a heat pump, and I think hvacrmedic nailed it. The contactor and reversing valve solenoid are wired in parallel. Yeah, it should have been done right during the install and the extra wires run out to the unit. Should be an easy fix. I'm having a guy come out this week that my brother and I used on a house rehab a couple of years ago to take care of it.

[54regcab]

Not sure why they would have installed the heat pump and matching coil when a less costly straight A/C would have done the job. it must have been what they had in stock, glad to hear the job at least looks professionally installed. Since you already have the heat pump, might as well make it functional.

[catmanacman]

If you use a honeywell iaq thermostat you will need only 3 wires from the stat to the furnace then you will only need to run a new wire from the furnace to the outdoor unit and a seperate wire from the furnace to the outdoor sensor

[Cincy_Ron]

Not sure why they would have installed the heat pump and matching coil when a less costly straight A/C would have done the job. it must have been what they had in stock, glad to hear the job at least looks professionally installed. Since you already have the heat pump, might as well make it functional.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure it was all they had in stock at the time and if I remember right I was being a little vocal to the home warranty folks about how long the whole thing was taking. ;-)

I think I am going to invest in the right thermostat and outdoor sensor and give the heat pump option a try.

[Cincy_Ron]

If you use a honeywell iaq thermostat you will need only 3 wires from the stat to the furnace then you will only need to run a new wire from the furnace to the outdoor unit and a seperate wire from the furnace to the outdoor sensor

That's a sharp looking thermostat catman, but yikes! I can feel my wallet tingling.

Edit - The Prestige IAQ 2.0 System that is. I see there are less expensive options

[Rodney28334]

A goodman defaults to heat on RV. Sounds like they tied the 24v to RV with 24v to Contactor/compressor and when the cooling call ends the RV defaults/changes over to heat. Have them come back and wire it so it is always energized. Did you request a Heatpump for future dual fuel or going away from gas. I think it gives you better options down the road depending on your location.

[vstech]

I was taught that reversing valve problems arise when they sit in a single position for extended periods, so the energize to cool option was enacted so during the summer the valve would switch often, preventing any oil or sediment from accumulating in the valve blocking changeover.
in heat mode, each time the defrost cycle is called for, it reverses, so the only issue is in summer when the thermostat will stay in cool mode for months straight.
I vote that it is ok for it to switch to heat between cycles.

[catmanacman]

That's a sharp looking thermostat catman, but yikes! I can feel my wallet tingling.

Edit - The Prestige IAQ 2.0 System that is. I see there are less expensive options

In some cases its cheaper to get the iaq thermstat than it is to fish a new wire
From the thermostsat to the furnace.

[beenthere]

I was taught that reversing valve problems arise when they sit in a single position for extended periods, so the energize to cool option was enacted so during the summer the valve would switch often, preventing any oil or sediment from accumulating in the valve blocking changeover.
in heat mode, each time the defrost cycle is called for, it reverses, so the only issue is in summer when the thermostat will stay in cool mode for months straight.
I vote that it is ok for it to switch to heat between cycles.

Rheem energizes the RV in heat mode. So all summer long it stays in the cool mode and never switches until heating season.

[vstech]

yup. GE units used to be energized to heat also, but in the 80's when heil and Janitrol had training classes, this was the reason they gave for why they chose to energize in cooling.
also, many thermostats energize the cooling mode the entire time the tstat is set to cool, not each time the stat calls.

[Cincy_Ron]

I was taught that reversing valve problems arise when they sit in a single position for extended periods, so the energize to cool option was enacted so during the summer the valve would switch often, preventing any oil or sediment from accumulating in the valve blocking changeover.
in heat mode, each time the defrost cycle is called for, it reverses, so the only issue is in summer when the thermostat will stay in cool mode for months straight.
I vote that it is ok for it to switch to heat between cycles.

Good point. I'm not in the trade but I'd think with the newer programmable thermostats they could be set to cycle the RV every X number of cycles/days.