Electric heat pump runs constantly!
I have a two year old, Heil electric heat pump, fitted accurately at 4tons for my 2000 sf, two story home. Return vents and new ducts were installed as well. The system is very well balanced. My problem is in the winter. Here in KY the temp ranges quite a bit. But, the system seems to run constantly on stage 1 (heat pump without heater strips) no matter where I set the thermostat. If it’s really cold out, below 30F, it runs all the time. When I bump up the temp 3 degrees, the thermostat tells the heating strips to kick in (stage 2) as it is programmed. Once it brings up the temp, then stage one will run continuously. When it’s warmer out, the system does not run constantly. I realize the house needs more insulation and replacement windows, but would I be better off just turning the thermostat to 68 or so instead of keeping it like I do now on just 65? Seems if stage one is going to constantly run, I may as well be warm?! Too late for a dual fuel system…… this one cost a lot. It’s a package unit, sitting outside. But the fuel systems, propane, nat gas, seem like they would just kick on, make it warm and shut down for a while at least until the house naturally loses enough heat to kick on the thermostat. Is there any way to program an electric system to use its strips to accomplish this?
Replies
Low charge
Call a service tech., but wait untill we get a warm day headed our way. 50 or 60s would be fine. Many of the techs. will not want to charge a heat pump when the temps are in the 30s. It can be done, but most of the residential guys don't know how to do it in cold weather.
Where about in KY are you?
Shelby County KY..... I wonder if freon charging, re-charging is under warranty? I'll wait for a warm day, if I can get the guy out here!
I'm next door to you in Henry Co.
We have had some colder weather than is the norm for the last few years but all in all not as bad as our neighbors to the north.
My BIL had the same problem with his air to air heat pump a few years ago. The tech admitted that it was low on charge, but he couldn't charge it when the temps were below 30 degrees. It is not an easy in and out job, but can be done.
I'm not an HVAC tech. but have done a lot of work on commercial units over the years, and have charged some pretty big heat pumps (roof top units) in weather I would have loved to have had and excuse not to work in. Below 30 degrees it is neccessary to use a warming blanket on the cylinder of gas and be carefull weighing the amount of gas used.
If you can't find a reliable HVAC company to help you out, let me know via e-mail at:
[email protected].
I know some good individuals and one or two companies that may be able to help you.
Hey Dave, you probably already know this trick but nonetheless the heatpump at my rental apts was not heating properly so when my hvac guy came out it was frosted a little nothing out of the normal for me but any way he said it needed freon and went to his truck and got out a bucket and the freon and i'm thinking about what you said about putting freon in when it's cold. anyway he put just the right amount of warm water in the bucket so whan he put the freon tank in the bucket it came to the top. and charged it that way. i thought now that's a good trick to remember. no heat blanket needed :) seems to be working ok now.
No. I have never used that one.
All the units I worked on were roof top units. I have had to drag 150' of hoses up there to wash them durring the summer months. A heating blanket is a lot easier to manuver up two stories of ladders and across a half block of roof <g>
dave i woke up yesterday to no heat. my humidifier was leaking and burnt up my transformer replaced the transformer and the relay switches for the back up electric heat (heatpump)nothing will work . i'm only reading 17 volts out of the new transformer is that normal i can jump the relay switches and get heat but my thermostat won't light upand i can't jumper on the control panel and it work but there is 17 volts there too. could the old transformer have burnt up my tstat or is my new transformer bad? thanks
Are you sure you have the correct replacement transformer? Door bell transformers will put out 16-18 volts and look the same as 24 volt control transformers. Check the label for the rated output voltage.Chuck
everything reads the same as the old one. today i checked it and it is only putting out 12volts and i'm only reading 8 volts at my tstat
Sorry I missed your question last Thursday. It was kind of a wild and wooly day here at work, then I started my four day off weekend. I seldom go online durring my off time. Got to many honeydoos to take care of.
Sounds like a bad transformer, but I 'm a few days late.
How did you make out?
yep turned out the new transformer was bad another new one and we were in business. i must of asked 20 people in the biz how much a 24 volt transformer should be putting out 24 each leg or 24 combined of the last person i asked knew no less than 24 both legs combined usually 25 or 26. the first one was all over the place 12 17 20 never 24 or over. thanks any way.
You really don't want the resistence heat to come on. Its probably 3 or 4 times as expensive as the heat pump.
My system in Central Illinois doesn't run constantly and its a heck of a lot colder here then it is there. I keep it on heat pump well down into the teens and while it will cycle more and run longer at that temp it won't run constantly.
Not saying that there can't be problems related proper refrigerant charge or other things, but, it is important to understand that your unit may be performing exactly as it should. "Running all the time" in some of your coldest weather simply means that it's sized properly for the heating load of your house. The perfect furnace, if it were made, would never shut off during the heating season--it would monitor your home's heat loss and modulate its output accordingly. Short of that, a furnace that is properly sized will run longer (and more efficient) cycles in colder weather, and will run shorter cycles when it warms up. Over-sized units wear themselves out prematurely by cycling on and off too often, which is hard on the compressor.
I see. So it sounds like it's doing its job within reason. As for "recharge", are you guys talking about freon?
two year old, Heil electric heat pump
Model number please, no meaningful response without that.
All the info mentioned above may be correct. Since the unit is newer can it be staged to run at a lower setting to maintain the home temperature then kick up to a higher setting when the inside temperature varies to much. In all cases call the HVAC installer and let him know what is happening.