York Heat Pump - Outside fan not running

I have a York Heat Pump. Not sure what model, but it is used to heat and cool a small condo... one unit for the upstairs and one unit for the downstairs.

The fan in one of the outside units has stopped running. The outside unit is making a humming sound of sorts so I am guessing the fan motor or relay has gone out or something else is wrong inside. Inside the house warm air is coming out even though the fan outside does not run at all. I do NOT have it set to emergency heat.

I have a good service person, but he is not available until for a few days and I can't reach him.... don't flame me: I am not attempting to fix it myself and I can't afford to replace the whole unit (I have read other postings here about people's opinions on York :-)

1) If I continue to run the heating unit (which I pretty much need to... it is about 5F outside) will I damage the system? 2) Since I am still getting warm air is the unit automatically running in "emergency heat" mode ? I'd kind of like to know if I need to "prepare myself" for my next heating bill.

Any thoughts or recommendations on what I can or should not do until the repair guy can come?

Thanks if you can help. Disco

Reply to
disco
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Probably so.

No.

I'd kind of like to know if I need to

Depends on how long the problem has been going on.

Put it in emergency heat and leave it there until the repair guy can get to you. That's what it's there for. Running it in 'heat' mode would more than likely use MORE electricity if the condensing unit is not working properly.

Reply to
Dr. Hardcrab

If the humming noise is intermittent its very likely a bad compressor... if its constant it could just be a control problem. You need to call a

*qualified heat pump specialist.

The back up resistance heaters are often wired to come on when return air drops below a preset level regardless. How your unit is wired is anyones guess.

Yes and no... if the compressor is not trying to start you can run the system on emergency heat with no risk...if the compressor is trying to start and cant (that humm, but it would be intermittent about 10 times an hour or less)...then you would be damaging the system. read the instruction manual for what to do in that case. I have no idea how the controls on your unit are arranged.

Yes...it will be a real high, about 3 to 4 times higher per month than with running the heat pump. You could easily afford to go out and buy a couple of 10 gallon propane tanks, and a indoor rated radiant heating element and heat the house with that and use the electric to trim with. talk to the propane dealer or local HVAC dealer about safe use of the radiant heat system and location etc.

buy a carbon monoxide detector.

choose to heat one or two rooms to 68 or so, and let the rest of the house cool to 50 degrees or so...leave your fawcets running cold water if it gets real cold outside in rooms you have set too 45 (by blocking off thier air diffusers with tape 80% or so)

buy heating pads to sleep on...set the room stat to 55 at night.

Phil Scott

Reply to
Phil Scott

It may just be trying to defrost. The fan goes off when it reverses and heats the outdoor coils, hoping to melt the ice it detects there.

The heat pump isn't doing you any good at 5F anyway, if that's what it is. Try Emergency Heat and see what it does when it gets warmer.

(Doesn't do you much good but doesn't draw much current either, so it's not a loss in theory; neither does it save you anything though.)

Reply to
Ron Hardin

All that sounds likely especially since is 5 degrees F outside.

Phil Scott

Reply to
Phil Scott

This is Turtle.

You have one of these items wrong and as listed here.

Problem with defrost system. Bad condenser fan motor. Bad capasitor. Does not sound like a bad compressor. Your Low Ambiant outdoor thermostat is cutting the condenser off and switching to Em. Heat for you. OT or outdoor thermostats will do this.

Cut the system to Em. heat and wait for the repairman. You can damage somethings by keep running it.

Switching to Em. heat verses the heat pump will only be 30% more at 50ºF outside temp.. At 15ºf outside temperature there will be no difference in cost to heat [ heat pump verses the Em.Heat ].

TURTLE

Reply to
TURTLE

Reply to
C.Duphily

the carbon monoxide detectors you find in ANY retail market only alarm at

Reply to
C.Duphily

This is Turtle.

Hey Duddley Do Right , They Don't have a Fan Cycler or a motor Master on a heat pump in heating mode. There is no such thing and where did you get this ideal from anyway? Now there is one on some models of Heat pumps but it is totally by-passed when in Heating mode / they don't use it in heat mode. In heating Mode i can take the Fan cycle switch and take it off and throw it in the yard and the heating system will work fine.

Duddley , Did you forget about the Fan switch on the defrost board which will turn the fan off on defrost board and some times turn the fan off for hour on end and then just turn it back on to run a while. It's called a defrost board problem.

Duddley did you forget about the Defrost button stuck shut and calling for defrost all the time.

Duddley , Did you forget the 7 different relay and devices that turns the fan off if they malfuction and the fan motor still good and ready to go.

One Last thing here Duddley, In heating mode the condenser coil becomes the evaperator and the Evaperator becomes the Condenser inside. So your fan cycle switch would never let the condenser fan run if it was in heating mode for it reads the condenser freon pressure and it will be at about 40 to 60 PSI and the cycle switch would never let it come on for the condenser pressure will have to be above 195 psi to let it turn on.

Yea, That Paul is a Asshole alright. He just will not let a super star Tech like yourself shine. That is Bad.

TURTLE

Reply to
TURTLE

You get a lot of CO with your HP systems you work on?

Reply to
modervador

Here is the verdict so far... "parts are on order"

1) The fan motor is shot 2) The "defrost switch" is broken and needs to be replaced. 3) Operating in "emergency heat" mode until parts come in and are installed.

Hey TURTLE, what does the "defrost switch" do anyway? Thanks for all your help!

disco

Reply to
disco

Here is the verdict so far... "parts are on order"

1) The fan motor is shot 2) The "defrost switch" is broken and needs to be replaced. 3) Operating in "emergency heat" mode until parts come in and are installed.

Hey TURTLE, what does the "defrost switch" do anyway? Thanks for all your help!

disco

Reply to
disco

This is Turtle.

The Defrost switch is a Defrost Control Board. It is a relay timer Board that Check the outside condenser coil for ice by way of temperature of the coil. If it sences a very cold temperature of the coil it will trip and defrost cycle which will turn the fan off and reverse the flow of freon to heat the coil up to burn the ice off the coil. This device will check the coil for ice every 30 / 60 / 90 minutes depending on how long you have it set to check for ice. It is a computor board and it will catch wear being outdoors in the wet weather.

Thank You Now.

TURTLE

Reply to
TURTLE

What if he has the old chest type HP with the vacuum switch?

Reply to
profft

This is Turtle.

WOW , I did not think anybody would think about a May Flower Heat Pump. There was only two of them because Christ Columbus only brought 2 of them with him on the May Flower. I wonder who has the other one / Do you have the other one ?

TURTLE

Reply to
TURTLE

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