heat pump ?

[mrblue]

Just moved in to Grannys old house.. Inside unit and outside look just a few years old.. When heat is on inside the outside unit is running ( thats a heat pump correct??) Problem is now i notice it is iceing up real bad..
what does the switch em heat do on the control?
Will this stop the freezing up? Temps prob in low thirtys past day or so.
anyhelp would be appreciated.. Don

[Ed Imeduc]

Sounds like you have a heat pump. Yes when it calls for heat the blower in side should come on and the outside unit also the big copper line going in to the indoor unit should be hot to warm. Now on the out door unit at times it will ice up for sure. At that time it should go into a defrost when it does that the compressor should run but not the outside fan this make it an AC for a time so the strip heaters in side should turn on also so you dont get cold air. Also at this time you can see like smoke it will be only steam comeing up off the unit. Now say the outside unit goes out then you turn the tstat over to that EM switch and that should heat the home with just the stip heaters there. When you are on just heat and it calls the out door unit will turn on if it cant hold the temp then the strip heaters will turn on to help. Check and make sure the filter is clean every 30 to 90 days.
Post back here in same post if we can help you more on just what is what.

ED ;)

[mrblue]

thank for the help Ed, i will get ice off of it today and keep a better track of it.. The filter has been changed every 30 days relig. when i say ice up.. i mean ice up. the whole unit looks as if it is covered and the fan couldnt turn.
The heat works great though.. I have never been around a heat pump so was not used to.

[Ed Imeduc]

If the outside unit is that bad for ice dont run the heatpump at all till ice is off. Turn it to AUX or EM what every you have there. You can burn up the outdoor fan. Id turn the breakers off to the out side now .you should still have heat inside with the strips.

ED :eek:

[Grady]

Like ED said, turn off the breaker to the outdoor unit & set the stat on Emergency Heat. Usually the easiest way to melt the ice on the outdoor unit is with water from a garden hose, unless you want to wait for nature to do it. There are several reasons for a unit to ice up & not defrost. The most common is a bad defrost board &/or sensor. What brand is the unit?