ICE messing with Heat Pump!

rodney eppes

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 3, 2010
Location
Mt.Holly NC 28120
Had the new Heat Pump installed last June, & been Very Happy. Now with the ice falling, I walked into the bedroom, & thought a Helicopter was outside! Quickly figured out it was the Heat Pump. Switched it off, to be sure. Switched it back on, & when the fan started I heard a large amount of ice, fly off. Called the Service Cnt. for info, & got 2 different techs. First one told me just to use the Emergency Heat, until the ice quiets falling. Then the second guy added, pour some warm water on it to melt any ice, & he thinks as it runs More tonight, it will "Probably" stay clear. Well, I've de-iced it, just hope it doesn't happen again, & I Not hear it. Told them I never had that problem with the 30 year old unit. He said it is the New Huge Fan blades, & they collect more ice, + run at a lower speed. Looks like for future situations, I'll be building a portable cover!
 
every heat pump I have ever had would ice up like this. Run the heat strips. Heat pumps suck ass when it's below 28* or so..
 
Jeff B said:
every heat pump I have ever had would ice up like this. Run the heat strips. Heat pumps suck ass when it's below 28* or so..
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this

You gotta be careful about covers b/c they need to vent in summer
 
Your heat pump shouldn't even be running right now. It should be on the backup. It's just going to spend all night in defrost mode. Sounds like the guys that installed it didn't set the transition setpoint high enough.
 
20 degrees outside; I know that is not efficient, but She's purring & pumping 85 degrees out of the registers! Must still be from the pump, because the strips would reach 95-100 [I think, old unit did].
 
If it's in defrost mode, both are running. It's running the heat pump in air conditioning mode to make the condensing unit hot and melt the ice, and simultaneously running the heat strips to warm the air going through the AH. It'll run in heating mode until it starts freezing up again, then switch back to defrost.
 
shawn said:
If it's in defrost mode, both are running. It's running the heat pump in air conditioning mode to make the condensing unit hot and melt the ice, and simultaneously running the heat strips to warm the air going through the AH. It'll run in heating mode until it starts freezing up again, then switch back to defrost.
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And I'd bet the power company LOVES you right now too.
I used to hate dealing w/ my my oil heat backup but on days like this is was awesome
 
As I sit here by my wood stove with it's beautiful flames from the oak inside, I feel so bad for my brethren who heat by other means.....

ai7.photobucket.com_albums_y252_ponykilr_Woodstove_5fb99ecb_8c1805ee0d979c3423b8db48c57f52dde6.jpg



Really man, this is worst case for a heat pump and we are usually not so cold nor have ice.
Now Wed night and Thurs night....power company gonna love them heat strips.



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