cmoney23 Posted January 8, 2015 Report Share Posted January 8, 2015 Any knowledgeable HVAC guys? Got some snow and -6 degree weather. My outside hvac unit w/ heat pump is full of snow. The whole surrounding vents( like radiator vents they look like) are packed with snow. and it looks like the heat pump inside is covered with snow. The outside top fan blade works while running heat. It didn't sound good when I looked at it when I got home from work and noticed it was packed with snow. So I turned on my emergency heat so the outside heat pump would shut off. Now how in the world do I unthaw the dam thing??? Cause I don't wanna run it the way it is and I don't wanna run my emergency heat all week. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WantaSSS Posted January 8, 2015 Report Share Posted January 8, 2015 (edited) sounds like you have a bad defrost board/ sensor in the unit outside. Also it isnt really efficient in that type of weather to run that type of heat pump. I am pretty confident that your system was already running the electric heat to keep up. Edited January 8, 2015 by wantaSSS (see edit history) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aldofashow Posted January 8, 2015 Report Share Posted January 8, 2015 Doesn't it get rained on anyways if so pour hot water on it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrrat1SS Posted January 8, 2015 Report Share Posted January 8, 2015 (edited) Doesn't hot water freeze faster than cold? I hated science but that seemed to have stuck! Might want to clean as much snow & ice off as possible. then maybe use one of those kerosene shop heaters. The tube type pointed at the unit. Just don't burn it all down Edited January 8, 2015 by Mrrat1SS (see edit history) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aldofashow Posted January 8, 2015 Report Share Posted January 8, 2015 (edited) I know hot water freezes faster but I don't see cold water helping to unthaw things and the heater sounds like a good idea also but it's gonna be battling the outside cold air. Pour a bunch of warm water over it and then after its melted pour some below -0 windshield washer fluid over it to help from the water freezing also make sure the power is off to the unit while performing this Edited January 8, 2015 by Aldofashow (see edit history) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WantaSSS Posted January 9, 2015 Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 Fix the defrost board/ sensor and the unit will go into defrost and melt itself. That is how it is designed. It reverses refrigerant flow and heats up the outdoor unit thus melting the ice/snow on it. Like I said I am sure your unit was already running the aux. heat because of the cold weather you are having to keep temp in the house. HVAC is what I do for a living. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsanders347 Posted January 9, 2015 Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 Putting it in a/c will melt the frost. Could be a refrigerant issue as well. Get someone to throw some gauges on it and see what's going on. Defrost board, sensor and refrigerant will cause it to freeze. You could (I would not advise you to) put in defrost mode manually by disabling the fan and let the compressor run (which is essentially all defrost mode is anyway) Hot water would work and I've done that before when the unit is a big block of ice. Your best bet is to bite the bullet and find a reputable company to fix the issue so you don't get hurt or make matters worse. Just my 2 cents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WantaSSS Posted January 9, 2015 Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 Exactly what Sanders said. Hope you get it sorted out. Let us know Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmoney23 Posted January 9, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 alright got an update. I think it is the defrost that's not turning on. Yeah it is suppose to go to defrost mode every 60-90 minutes. I did pour hot water over it and it did help. It still works. And my emergency heat was kicking on to help heat the house. So as of now I got a "pro" coming out in the morning to look at it. So im gonna run emergency heat all day. I heard emergency heat will cost me twice as much but oh well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrrat1SS Posted January 9, 2015 Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 Hope you get it fixed soon!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cmoney23 Posted January 9, 2015 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 Got quoted $350 to repair the part that defrosts the unit. It wasn't defrosting. Does $350 sound legit! Prolly $250 part $100 labor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsanders347 Posted January 9, 2015 Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 The parts are almost always cheaper than the labor. It's expensive but you're paying for knowledge and experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WantaSSS Posted January 9, 2015 Report Share Posted January 9, 2015 (edited) That's definitely in the ballpark. You must keep in mind there is naturally a markup on the part and it isn't just labor you have work comp. Insurances, tools , van to maintain, ect. that the company has to pay for . Glad you got it fixed! Edited January 9, 2015 by wantaSSS (see edit history) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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