Detailed View of What Needs to Be Checked On a Heat Pump Before Winter

In this video I visit a a recent install to do a Preventive Maintenance. I try to show the typical things I normally check. Hope you enjoy. #fieldpiece #hvac #hvactechnician #hvacguy #hvaclife #hvactech #acrepair #hvacinstall #milwaukeetools #rheem #ruud
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[@W4AX]

A great set of tips for heat pump PM. Thank you.

[@michaelgonzales803]

Nice work I always enjoy watching your videos! Keep up the Great Work!

[@westonhuffman7908]

Well, I just figured that it's wise to wash out the outdoor condenser coil every autumn and that way you could get more heat out of it.

[@Le_Comte_de_Monte_Felin]

Many thanks!

[@AnalogueKid2112]

Really informative, thanks

[@MannyFontes1968]

Damn Curtis, winter comes quick up there in Georgia where you are...lol I'm still dealing with 85 degree weather here in Tampa.

[@Bryan-Hensley]

We aren't dealing with any hurricanes. I'll take the trade off. Besides I hate 85 plus weather.

[@michaelburton4025]

Brother please get u a battery powered shop vac to vaccum all the debris out of those units.

[@m9ovich785]

52 F, I'm still in Shorts & a T shirt LOL. Thanks Mike M.

[@EverythingHVACR]

Nice job Curtis! You gotta get some Viper pan treatment, keep up the good work 💪

[@Infowarrior-45]

For sure. Once I learned of the Viper pan treatment spray, I got rid of the tablets.

[@jamesfitzsimmons381]

Thanks looked like you have cut of tip off the yellow protector so you could slide up and down. I seen some of your tools are marked with tape. Thankyou for your time By the way I’m impressed how you check your defrost thermostat. That how us boys in the north do it lol

[@christopherscott8853]

Whatever your sentiments on this fella, don't ever label a service call as "preventive maintenance". Call it "planned service" instead. You're not preventing anything...and the courts agree.

[@Bryan-Hensley]

Something I do on every service call when I need to get into the outside unit is check to see if the defrost switch is stuck closed or has fell off. The customer will notice a frozen outside unit but very few will notice it's defrosting every 30 minutes all day and night.

[@jkelleyhvac]

People call us when they see that steam saying their unit is on fire! Lol

[@scottmaz4063]

Great video Curtis

[@anvibrimel41]

Thanks for the teaching video but I didn’t catch from where you disconnected the fan motor wire Thanks for your answer,I appreciate

[@chuckquinn8026]

You’d think they would put a LED on the unit that indicates “Defrost mode” 🤷‍♂️

[@CrucialSpeaks]

some do in fact

[@khx73]

I actually added one to my thermostat

[@EastDallasKicks]

@@khx73 any tutorials?

[@EastDallasKicks]

@@khx73 any tutorials?

[@khx73]

@@EastDallasKicks no.. just basic electronics. Small LED with a dropper resistor. Connected between white and common. Lights when the defrost board outside signals the heat strips to come on inside during defrost.

[@SDPP992]

Up north here in south dakota we have heat pumps but don't work as good though

[@Bub61fd]

Are aluminum coils better than the cooper ones- thanks keep them coming/ but a lot of work and editing,

[@Bryan-Hensley]

Yes and no. Copper flows heat through it quicker than aluminum. That's why these aluminum coils are huge. But putting metals against each other, aluminum and copper in this case, creates a perfect place for oxidation. They have to put a metal on the ends that will rust (absorbing the oxidation process, kinda) to keep the copper from oxidizing the aluminum. But even so, the metal on the end will become fully rusted and the copper-aluminum oxidation begins, petty soon leaks. When you having all aluminum coil there's no oxidation from putting different metals against each other. They'll outlast a copper coil by decades if they both are built at the same quality level.

[@hinspect]

That was a great instructional video, I always enjoy watching. I have a gift tool to send to your shop but I'm unsure of the address. Looking forward to the next one!😀🇺🇸

[@christopherscott8853]

Wait til he's sued for not preventing a failure by calling it preventive maintenance. It's happening across the fn country. Call it planned service instead.

[@EastDallasKicks]

@@christopherscott8853 a pm is a scheduled call where you do a simple cleaning, a couple control checks to suggest a part bd swapped or state that everything conveniently checks out. As long as he’s cleaning everything pre season coils and BM wheels what’s the issue? Maybe clean a drain too, but if you suggest something to a customer and they deny it, it’s not like you’re going to take the cost on a cap or BM, or comp out of principle. A pm really is just a check up, cleaning and a set of recommendations that the customer can deny.

[@christopherscott8853]

@@EastDallasKicks Keep calling it "preventive maintenance" then. If you're just doing little jobs like this it probably won't bite you in the ass.

[@christopherscott8853]

@@EastDallasKicks I stopped calling it "preventive maintenance" in 1995 after the first law suit. Planned service is much more appropriate.

[@Bryan-Hensley]

Something I do on every service call is check the defrost switch if I'm in the outside unit. I mainly want to check to see if it's stuck closed. A customer will notice a frozen up heat pump, usually, but few notice that it's defrosting every 30 to 90 minutes all day and all night, everyday. I even check them when I'm running summer service calls. I should be going back on installs after a period of time, that's good customer relations.

[@ItsAllFakeAndGhey]

Where’s the defrost switch? I asked my guy to check that and he said my heat pump didn’t have one but I’m wondering if he was lying lol

[@Bryan-Hensley]

@@ItsAllFakeAndGhey get a new service company. All heat pumps have a defrost board and switch (thermostat, sensor). All defrost boards have a test function.

[@ItsAllFakeAndGhey]

@@Bryan-Hensley ok thank you! every summer, on the hottest day, my heat pump freezes. The rest of the year works fine. Any ideas?

[@Bryan-Hensley]

@@ItsAllFakeAndGhey airflow or low Freon..

[@ItsAllFakeAndGhey]

@@Bryan-Hensleythey checked the refrigerant and everything was good, no leaks…it’s happened every summer for 4 years (always on the hottest days with no breeze-so Airflow is exactly what I thought!) The outdoor unit is only one foot from the house and positioned inside a corner, my guess is on the still, muggy days it struggles to get enough airflow and hence ends up freezing! Aside from moving the unit, any suggestions of anything else I can do? Thank you 🙏🏻

[@jamesfitzsimmons381]

Curtis forgot to say the yellow protector cover

[@bobbywanger8123]

👍👍

[@doms8903]

Drain pan mints

[@mufasah888]

How often should heat pumps have preventative maintenance done, once a year?

[@HVACGUY]

Twice - before summer and winter

[@charlespaine987]

Please forgive a question about filter/dryer . If liquid flows in two directions heat/cool mode how does filter hold contamination and not just get pushed back into system

[@billybrown1979]

did a good job. about how many jobs you do a day if they are not to big. be bless and love.

[@HVACGUY]

If I’m busy. 6-8

[@bobwhite1734]

When you transfer liquid from condenser to recovery bottle, can you put a liquid filter in the line and filter the liquid as you recover it? Keep up the great videos. I wish you were in Oklahoma.

[@Hvacnc]

Yes

[@jamesfitzsimmons381]

Your Joblink temp probe did you cut other end off so you could slide up and down to cover the sensor tip ?

[@HVACGUY]

No, I haven’t altered them other than putting tape on it.

[@techfive7202]

A ss2 that identifies as a ss3

[@MariosACandRefrigeration]

I don't think they installed a trap,or a condenser pad,hope the HPS was secured.thanks for sharing.

[@HVACGUY]

Trap was outside and pad is there. His landscapers have put down cedar chips and it’s now hard to see.

[@MariosACandRefrigeration]

@@HVACGUY saludos compa.

[@DanO181919]

Is it normal for a compressor to run a lot lower amps than what the rating plate states. You were reading right at 10 amps and the rating plate was around 21 amps for the compressor.

[@hegmaster14]

50-60% RLA is what you want

[@Spillmansgarage]

21 FLA. FLA means Full Load Amperes. Depending on the conditions; indoor/outdoor temperatures, equipment sizing, efficiency of the house, age of the equip, etc. Those all effect the load on the system. If the system isn’t running at its full load (should never be if properly sized), the compressor amp draw will be much lower than it’s rated for.

[@DanO181919]

Thanks for the Information!

[@jeremiahhively3025]

That may not have been glues to allow for easy removal for servicing or replacing the unit

[@Joe31329]

What part of South GA do you service? I live in Effingham County. Would love for you to maintain my system.

[@HVACGUY]

Albany/Leesburg

[@reubenramos4448]

Always go copper for p trap 2 thee 3 t on hi side

[@KEYSTONELIGHT69]

HAY CURTIS . ISINT THERE OIL HOLES ON EACH END OF THE FAN AND SQUIRREL CAGE MOTOR ANYMORE? I WOULD THINK THAT WOULD BE PART OF PM? JUST ASKING

[@HVACGUY]

Rarely

[@basedandredpilled88]

I know both hvac and electrical deal with electricity, but with hvac are you less likely to be shocked or killed? Also around here the plumbers union pays more than hvac does, but do you know who generally makes more working for yourself? Thanks

[@dantherepairman3821]

Subcooling, superheat???

[@Hvacnc]

What kind of insulated pliers are those that you used to remove the fan motor wire

[@AmbiguousAndrew]

I think they are Knipex pliers, expensive but well built.

[@edwardgarza5104]

Do those rheems heatpumps come with a crank case heater?

[@acrservicesmathewr7565]

Hey Curtis. I was always told to never hook up to the hot gas line in heat mode. If there is a high pressure problem it could blow your gauges out and cause serious burns. Usually I hook up to the true suction and liquid line

[@Bryan-Hensley]

Have you ever taken the gauges apart? That's flat out impossible, unless you are using something from a Chinese reseller..

[@HVACGUY]

That’s incorrect. The proper place to check is on hot gas.

[@acrservicesmathewr7565]

@@HVACGUY so the hot gas and true suction is where you take your measurements. Never the liquid line?

[@acrservicesmathewr7565]

@@HVACGUY I was told if it’s a txv you hook up to liquid and true suction and a piston then you hook up to hot gas and true suction. This is from my school so I am just clearing this up

[@georgiatoneranger5018]

First Comment

[@reubenramos4448]

That's not a true p trap

[@MariosACandRefrigeration]

was outside

[@fasttrack9395]

There is no dialogue to explain what you're doing.

[@ShannekaTyler]

Horrible!! I didn't hear him explain one thing he was doing. Exlain what your doing or just delete the video

[@christopherscott8853]

Dude, again, stop calling it "preventive maintenance". You're not preventing anything. Call it "planned service". You're a small company and this claim of ""preventive maintenance" will devastate you.

[@ShugarMeat]

Bruh. Mind blown. I'll be taking this advice. Thanks

[@Marv_the_shooter]

Literally the same thing