When the outside ambient temp drops below 32 deg a heat pump doesn't work properly especially if it's raining, flip the thermostat over to EMHEAT it starts the electric coil heater in the air handler and shuts off the condenser unit, simple fix when the unit thaws and it's above 32 deg. switch it back and prey the condenser fan motor's not damaged. Do this every time the temp drops below 32 deg.
Here is my advice as someone who does this every day. First heat pumps will work below 30 degrees. No need to get technical they have systems built in to defrost. Where we run init some problems are when there is light freezing rain. Sometimes, the defrost cucle can not keep up overnight in those conditions. If there is light frost on the coil, leave it alone. Check it again in an hour. If there is soild ice buit up on it. Turn off the system and use a water hose to melt off all the ice inside and outside of the unit. All the ice! Then, turn it back on and monitor the operation. Most of the time, everything will be ok. If it freezes up solid agian call a professional. I would not recommend turning your system to emergency heat just because it is going to be freezing at night. Sometimes, as I have found latlely either the contractor did not install heat strips or they installed them and did not hook them up, and they are only back up heat, which mostly will just leep the tje house moderatley warm. Remember, if you have to call a professional out, beware of the corporate and private equity companies. Just because your system is old doesn't mean you need a new $19,000 system. I have had several calls that were told they need a new system, and once I melted the ice off, there were no issues. You take that infoo for what it is worth. Sorry this was so long.
the problem is the "defrost control board". Your outside being frozen means you have a "heat pump" . what is supposed to happen is the a/c runs backwards. the outside part gets cold, inside gets hot. when it gets real cold outside for a long time the outside freezes every so often, that's normal, the system if working properly has a sensor to detect this and actually flips itself to air conditioning mode AND turns the fan outside off. At the same time IF equipped with aux heat strips (most are) the heat strips come on so even though the unit is in air conditioning mode the air you feel coming out your vents is still warm . This makes the outside get hot fast. the ice melts fast and it switches back to heat mode all by itself. During a defrost your system pulls 3 to 10 times the normal amount of electricity that's why your bill is so high after a hard freeze. So that's how it is supposed to work if its not here is what to do. Look at your thermostat , look for a setting that says emergency or aux heat. Flip it to that. The system will turn off outside and the heat strips will energize. BE PREPARED (i cannot stress enough) for a burning smell even some smoke it may even set off the smoke selector if they haven't worked in years. This is NORMAL The heat strips are like the strips inside toasters only on a mega scale. They have at least a year of dust or more on them that needs to burn off like toast crumbs in a goodwill toaster does. there is no way to clean them off even if u try they are brittle and will snap (tired that) You will notice the air coming out of the vents is not very hot. This is normal. The heatstrips are a backup to keep u from freezing. If it is 50 inside your house the air out of a vent on emergency heat may only be 65. Let it stay running it will eventually heat your house to a safe level. Your emergency heat makes no more than half the heat as your heat pump. If you smell that smell your heater is working. get your heat pump fixed asap. even the smallest heat strips use about double the power. In my home as example my ac pulls about 4kw of electricity . My heat strips however pulls almost 11kw. If you are frozen and have no heat strips then u "can" shut it off and then while its off melt the ice and then turn the heat back on for a little while. until it gets to the mid 40s outside it will refreeze again. the colder outside and the higher you set the heat the faster it will refreeze. Defrost controls are prone to failure i had change my parents a few months ago good luck.
I turn my emergency heat on BEFORE hard winter to burn the heat strips clean on MY terms and time... Can't tell you how annoying it is to wake up at 3am with smoke alarms blasting! And I'm in Arizona
These units most likely had bad defrost boards or sensors for some time but would not normally be an issue unless it's colder than 32 degrees which usually never happens in Florida
Heat pumps do this a lot when temperature is below 32. They will also freeze up with dirty filters, inside fan not running, low refrigerant. Then there are other things that could happen. In North Florida, always have a second source of heat if you have a heat pump. Keep the maintenance updated at least yearly. Twice a year is best. Use a reputable and licensed contractor.
This should be an advertisement for why nobody should run a heat pump in Canada. It's been well below freezing here for a few weeks and I am inside wearing shorts and a t-shirt, no problem. Pouring hot water on electrical devices isn't too bright. Should have taken direction from the puppy. You know the one covered in fur that can survive outside in the winter.
My fan blades was frozen and had ice on it...the video said dont pour water on it but i poured hot water on it n broke the ice off of it and it's working again just fine
@camdenwise5816 I have a space heater but it's like 50 degrees inside so it's not big enough. My mom says we have to wait for it to unfreeze but it's gonna be in the 30s at night for the rest of the week. I don't know how people in colder states stay alive.
![Felix "Unfair" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Oswujxm2Ag0/mqdefault.jpg)
When the outside ambient temp drops below 32 deg a heat pump doesn't work properly especially if it's raining, flip the thermostat over to EMHEAT it starts the electric coil heater in the air handler and shuts off the condenser unit, simple fix when the unit thaws and it's above 32 deg. switch it back and prey the condenser fan motor's not damaged. Do this every time the temp drops below 32 deg.
Thanks! I'm copying this to a Word doc and taping it to the thermostat! ;-)
Here is my advice as someone who does this every day. First heat pumps will work below 30 degrees. No need to get technical they have systems built in to defrost. Where we run init some problems are when there is light freezing rain. Sometimes, the defrost cucle can not keep up overnight in those conditions. If there is light frost on the coil, leave it alone. Check it again in an hour. If there is soild ice buit up on it. Turn off the system and use a water hose to melt off all the ice inside and outside of the unit. All the ice! Then, turn it back on and monitor the operation. Most of the time, everything will be ok. If it freezes up solid agian call a professional. I would not recommend turning your system to emergency heat just because it is going to be freezing at night. Sometimes, as I have found latlely either the contractor did not install heat strips or they installed them and did not hook them up, and they are only back up heat, which mostly will just leep the tje house moderatley warm. Remember, if you have to call a professional out, beware of the corporate and private equity companies. Just because your system is old doesn't mean you need a new $19,000 system. I have had several calls that were told they need a new system, and once I melted the ice off, there were no issues. You take that infoo for what it is worth. Sorry this was so long.
the problem is the "defrost control board". Your outside being frozen means you have a "heat pump" . what is supposed to happen is the a/c runs backwards. the outside part gets cold, inside gets hot. when it gets real cold outside for a long time the outside freezes every so often, that's normal, the system if working properly has a sensor to detect this and actually flips itself to air conditioning mode AND turns the fan outside off. At the same time IF equipped with aux heat strips (most are) the heat strips come on so even though the unit is in air conditioning mode the air you feel coming out your vents is still warm . This makes the outside get hot fast. the ice melts fast and it switches back to heat mode all by itself. During a defrost your system pulls 3 to 10 times the normal amount of electricity that's why your bill is so high after a hard freeze. So that's how it is supposed to work if its not here is what to do. Look at your thermostat , look for a setting that says emergency or aux heat. Flip it to that. The system will turn off outside and the heat strips will energize. BE PREPARED (i cannot stress enough) for a burning smell even some smoke it may even set off the smoke selector if they haven't worked in years. This is NORMAL The heat strips are like the strips inside toasters only on a mega scale. They have at least a year of dust or more on them that needs to burn off like toast crumbs in a goodwill toaster does. there is no way to clean them off even if u try they are brittle and will snap (tired that) You will notice the air coming out of the vents is not very hot. This is normal. The heatstrips are a backup to keep u from freezing. If it is 50 inside your house the air out of a vent on emergency heat may only be 65. Let it stay running it will eventually heat your house to a safe level. Your emergency heat makes no more than half the heat as your heat pump. If you smell that smell your heater is working. get your heat pump fixed asap. even the smallest heat strips use about double the power. In my home as example my ac pulls about 4kw of electricity . My heat strips however pulls almost 11kw.
If you are frozen and have no heat strips then u "can" shut it off and then while its off melt the ice and then turn the heat back on for a little while. until it gets to the mid 40s outside it will refreeze again. the colder outside and the higher you set the heat the faster it will refreeze. Defrost controls are prone to failure i had change my parents a few months ago good luck.
Thanks for the info, would setting a small Mr. Buddy propane heater beside the outside unit help?
@@REVNUMANEWBERN NO the amount of air that fan moves through it would instantly cool off any heat made by the heater
I turn my emergency heat on BEFORE hard winter to burn the heat strips clean on MY terms and time... Can't tell you how annoying it is to wake up at 3am with smoke alarms blasting! And I'm in Arizona
@ me too, most do not
These units most likely had bad defrost boards or sensors for some time but would not normally be an issue unless it's colder than 32 degrees which usually never happens in Florida
It happens every winter 😆.
usually never don't work well together
Heat pumps do this a lot when temperature is below 32. They will also freeze up with dirty filters, inside fan not running, low refrigerant. Then there are other things that could happen. In North Florida, always have a second source of heat if you have a heat pump. Keep the maintenance updated at least yearly. Twice a year is best. Use a reputable and licensed contractor.
Anytime it gets below 34 degrees just turn on the emergency heat until temps come back up over 34 to 36 degrees
This should be an advertisement for why nobody should run a heat pump in Canada. It's been well below freezing here for a few weeks and I am inside wearing shorts and a t-shirt, no problem. Pouring hot water on electrical devices isn't too bright. Should have taken direction from the puppy. You know the one covered in fur that can survive outside in the winter.
This has only ever happened to us in the summer when it's ungodly hot.
Mom I'm famous!!!
SAD, not really ANY or MUCH help with this clip
Ikr?
Heat pumps..heat pumps.😅😅
I'm just going to ask it, what the heck was that thing?
My fan blades was frozen and had ice on it...the video said dont pour water on it but i poured hot water on it n broke the ice off of it and it's working again just fine
What the f was wrong that guy. What state was this. Holy
@@futurus777 Florida. I don’t think your reading comprehension is very good. I’m that guy. Lmao!
@ZRACx yea. So then, who the hell runs their AC in the winter 😂
@ It’s not our AC. Our units do both cold and hot air. We’re using hot air. Insane right? It’s cold so we warm our homes.
Ok. Goodluck to you guys.
California
Yall couldn't interview anybody else? 🤦🏿
Yes!!! This happened to me.
Mine froze and fan blades were smacking ice.
My blades were frozen into ice!
I live in Philly they sales a warm cover for them in the winter
🤣
Use a thermal sheet cover
Im so cold. Im disabled andd dont know what to do.
I hope you are better now!
@camdenwise5816 I have a space heater but it's like 50 degrees inside so it's not big enough. My mom says we have to wait for it to unfreeze but it's gonna be in the 30s at night for the rest of the week. I don't know how people in colder states stay alive.
@@AprilReigns18 Ikr? I keep telling myself "People live in Alaska!" Don't know how they do it. Hope you get some good heat soon!
@@camdenwise5816 I guess they're just used to it. 30 to them is probably warm to them.
Block off any door jams, vents, and if you can hang blankets from the ceiling as walls to decrease the area the floor heater is running
Woke woke woke!
How is having no heating woke John? LMAO
@@ZRACxJohn is gay for you
@@ecgtechnologies Who can't resist all this goodness????
Thanks to the "comments section" for doing the heavy lifting of explaining what to and not to do.
👏👏👏😬🫠🙃🥶