Rheem heat pump problem

[searstech3]

I have a 4 ton Rheem heat pump that I'm looking at for a friend. It cools good, and it heats good. The complaint is that he has to reset the high pressure switch on very cold days.

I slap the gauges on it in cooling and get 40 suction & 150 head on a 75* day. Evap is clean, blower etc. . I tried to add a little gas , no pressure changes...So I tried it in heating mode. Switched my gauges ,fired it up and now really scratching my head ,120 suction ,125 head.

In cooling mode the center tube on reversing valve back to compressor was cool and right tube was cool . Only 4* temp difference. In heating mode the same two tubes were warm. That don't seem right to me? Should it be the tube on left now for heat. RLA for comp 29.1 It was pulling 14.3 in both modes. Is my RV bad ? Or is this scroll compressor kicking my butt ? Also flutter on high side gauge in heat mode only. Heat pumps a rare for me to see.

[jacob perkins]

Originally posted by searstech3
Rheem heat pump It cools good, and it heats good.

The high pressure switch opens at 450psig,I think.
maybe bad switch, (or blocked meterdevice,kinked line....)

Sounds undercharged,but cant know without a suction line temp.40 is too low.

Rev.valve sounds good.

[paddyhvac]

you might check your indoor coil and filters also return sizes these things can cause high pres in the heat cycle as well as if it is an electric airhandler make sure heating element are not all on when in w1 and that there is outdoor stat that cuts hp off below 30 degrees when aux is called for only 1 or 2 heating elements should be on if it is a duel fuel system that is a whole different ball game

[jacob perkins]

....or a mis-matched coil and heatpump....

[airconman]

do you have enough air flow on inside coil for one thing?

[conair]

many things to look at first were are gauges connected and what kind of metering device is insde and out side?
does this system matched?
post more info?

[leander]

The pressures are too low. Also the suction line to the compressor should never be warm. It sounds like the compressor was not running thereby equalizing the high & low pressures & that would also explain why the warm suction line between the reversing valve and the compressor.

[docholiday]

Sounds like a hanging reversing valve to me.

[Swampfox]

Staying in defrost too long maybe, I cant see a stuck RV or one leaking by causing the HP switch to trip, that would make the head pressure lower and the suction higher, you may have more than one problem

[filterchanger]

expansion valve in the outdoor unit is bad or the bulb is off not touching pipe. just a guess!

[jacob perkins]

Originally posted by searstech3
the same two tubes were warm.That don't seem right to me?
No, it aint right.
Should it be the tube on left now for heat.
On the side with three lines (bottom) you want the middle and one side or the other to be cool.On the side with one line (top) you want it and one of the bottom lines to be hot.
Is my RV bad ?

Something's wrong. Let us know how you solved it.

[docholiday]

Originally posted by swampfox
Staying in defrost too long maybe, I cant see a stuck RV or one leaking by causing the HP switch to trip, that would make the head pressure lower and the suction higher, you may have more than one problem

He said that when he switched it to heating his suction was 120 and head 125. Thats high suction and low head, isnt it?

[billva]

make sure your low side is attached to the common suction port.
put the system into a forced defrost and see what happens to the high side(liquid line). you may have a clogged or immovable accuator.

good luck