AboutHoward Livingston Expertise Can answer questions on electrical control circuits, power supply,airflow & distribution, electrical components,refrigerant problems,gas, electric & propane furnaces.No boiler or refrigerator or oil fired furnaces experience.Just HVAC questions please.
Experience 35 years experience in residential & light commercial repair & installation.
Question I got a new Goodman 5 ton heat pump system in Dec 2006. The system worked well until Jan 2009, at which point compressor had to be replaced.
Last month, I noticed frozen pipes. The installers came over, added freon, and tested for leaks - none.
It's 75F outside today, so I decided to open windows upstairs and turn off the AC. I then came downstairs and the air handler was still working. I checked the pipes - there was ice accumulation on it.
I went outside - the outside unit was working!!!! That's with both controllers in OFF position! There was ice accumulation on the pipe that leads from the outside unit inside the house and there was ice accumulation inside the unit (not the central compressor with the Copeland logo, but the other black cylinder).
I then went inside. The air handler stopped working, but there was some hissing sound inside. I then went outside and noticed that the pipes that go inside the house are HOT (I guess the unit was working in the heating mode now).
I went inside to get a thermometer. When I got outside, there was rather loud hissing sound coming out of the unit. I measured the temperature - over 150F. And the hissing sound was getting louder. I scratched my head, measured the temperature again - over 180F!!! At that point, fearing some sort of an explosion, I pulled the breaker to stop the outside unit.
Here are my questions:
1. Is it normal to have the outside unit working when both controllers are in OFF position?
2. Why are the pipes still icing over?
3. Why did the outside unit start working in the "heat pump" mode instead of "AC" mode?
3. What is wrong with my system? It worked beautifully until the compressor was replaced in February, and now I am getting one issue after another.
Thanks, Jack.
Answer Looks like a stuck closed contactor in the outside unit. Running with out an inside blower causes what you discovered..
Have learned recenlly that Goodman heat pumps have a coating on the evapoartor coils that can smell like rotten eggs in hot weather. No clue as to which models or year make it is occurring. Have you ever experienced this smell ??
