Heat Pumps and Electric Heating - Heat pump clicking noise? Redux

I wrote about a month ago in regards to a coleman heat pump making a clicking noise.

Coleman Heat Pump Clicking Post (http://forum.doityourself.com/showthread.php?p=655660#post655660
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I've found that the problem seems to happen when the thermostat/heat pump wants to go into/out of Auxiliary Heat mode. When the clicking starts, the Aux light blinks in time with the clicking noise that is occurring from the heat pump. If I turn the heat up on the thermostat, it goes completely into Aux and stops clicking. This only works temporarily, so it isn't a complete "fix". I'm wondering if I can "disconnect" Aux completely some how to fix this problem. If so, will this cause any problems with the unit? Also, how do I figure out which wire tells it to go into Aux mode?

Thanks anyone who can lend a hand!

W2 generally energizes the strips from the tstat. clicking is probably contactor going to the strips. either contactor is weak (doubt that) or intermittant call for strips is present at times of "clicking"

W2 generally energizes the strips from the tstat. clicking is probably contactor going to the strips. either contactor is weak (doubt that) or intermittant call for strips is present at times of "clicking"

What strips are you talking about? And if I disconnect w2 will anything "bad" happen?

W2 is the auxillary heat. The "strips" are elctric heat strips,which are normally used as auxillary or back-up in a heat pump.

The downside of disconnecting them is that if it gets below 32º outside the outdoor unit will begin to freeze up and the colder it gets the outdoor unit will not operate and you will be without heat since the auxillary was disconnected.

I just read your other post and those relays are what we call "ice cubes" they are very inexpensive at like Grainger or Johnstones but i doubt that's your problem.

Unhook W2 and see if it still does this if it don't your stats bad.

I just disconnected W2 and it still did the clicking, only the Aux light didn't blink, which makes sense. :mad:

Any other ideas?

I reconnected it last night and it still clicked. I disconnected it and the Aux light was still lit. Why's that? Drives me nuts!

Now what you want to do is take a volt meter to the "ice cube" that is doing the clicking. On either the schematic or the cube it will show what connections are for the coil of the "cubes" relay. While it's running and clicking see if you are intermittantly loosing voltage to the coil. If it's steady voltage replace it. If you are loosing voltage to it you will have to trace the wires out and find what's dropping out the voltage.

Damn these early nights. I'll check it out and let you know. I do have a voltage meter, but tracing the wires might be beyond me, but I'll give it a shot. Thanks for the help mattison. I'm getting a lot further now at least! :D

Did you ever get your cousin over to check this out?

No, unfortunately he's come upon some hard times and he hasn't been able to get up this way... It's still doing it... but I've found that if I turn the heat up a little bit on the thermostat and then turn it down, I can at least counter act the clicking noise. It has something to do with the AUX... I disconnected w2 and all that did was make the light go off on the thermostat. I've had so much happen in the past 3 weeks, a car died, the new car was in an accident crap like that, I've pushed this on the back burner for now... I'd be more than happy to figure it out though... just don't seem to have the time right now... UGH!!! BUSY BUSY!!! :D