Heat Pumps and Electric Heating - Advice on small HP repair

Hello. I’m learning about heat pumps from scratch. I’m renting a 600+ sq ft upstairs studio apt in a homeowners association gated community. Half of the studio has a cathedral ceiling. One wall is all sliding glass windows. It has a small Amana wall unit for heat and AC.

I’ve been told it’s similar to what’s used in hotel rooms — not in attic, no ducting, just the unit (larger than an AC unit) with vents, buttons and dials inside and ‘rear end’ of the unit on the back side hanging outside. Safe to say it’s around 30 years old. :eek:

I’m in Sacramento, where we’ve had slightly colder weather this winter than last (down to 32 to 40 degrees for 4 or 5 hours two nights in a row). It’s generally in the 40s here at night.

The pump isn’t running consistently. After running a while, it puts out very cold air when the outside temp is around 50 or 60 degrees or more. Consensus from several people is an intermittent problem with the thermostat (combined with ineffectiveness below certain temps). I changed the filter in December.

Had an HVAC person come for an estimate. He said his company doesn’t do the small units but I might find a smaller company that handles this kind of unit.

I’m considering identifying the problem part myself and seeing if I can get a replacement part. This is *if* it’s a tstat problem, *if* I can identify the tstat inside the cowling, and *if* it’s possible to get a replacement part for a 30-year-old Amana wall unit.

Unfortunately I don’t have a manual. There is a schematic on the inside of the cowling. I’ve got buttons for Hold, High and Low heat and cool, and fan only. There’s a tstat dial that says warmer—cooler (no temps). The Vent Control dial is on Normal rather than Vent — I assume that means the vent isn’t open.

I will try calling some of the smaller HVAC repair companies here tomorrow and see what they say. I’m not confident they will identify the problem since it’s intermittent. That’s what led me to consider finding a manual and looking at it myself. I have done electrical repair work before — simple stuff. :confused:

Lots of information! I’ve been reading other posts and wanted to be sure I’ve given you enough info to help advise me. First, if the tstat needs to be replaced, are replacements still available? I’ve checked the Amana web site. No authorized Amana repair here. Looks like they don’t make these types of heat pump units anymore.

I guess the answer to my second question would be to get three bids at least...if that’s possible with an intermittent problem and if I can find three businesses who will work on this kind of unit. (Hmmm..maybe I need to find a business that repairs hotel units like mine?) :thinker:

Suggestions, observations, comments welcome as to what steps I might take in what order.

Signed,
Cold in Sacramento

Safe to say it’s around 30 years old.

Id say get a new unit for sure. 30 years on a heatpump is to much.


ED ;)

I hate too say it but call an appliance repair company or SEARS there I said it.
Don't ask me to say that s word again. Please.

If you are renting why are you haveing to handle this problem?? If it's just a PTAC like in a hotel you should be able to get parts.

If you are renting why are you haveing to handle this problem?? If it's just a PTAC like in a hotel you should be able to get parts.

At this point, it doesn't matter who is taking care of it. It just needs to get fixed and my landlord will pay for it.

I already found out that a similar GE unit in the apartment next door ran about $2,500 to replace a couple of years back -- so my neighbor didn't replace his.

Any suggestions about where I could call either for repairs or for parts if I can find instructions somewhere about how I could check it out and try to isolate whatever is broken?

And thank you very much for the replies. Sorry it took me a while to get back to you. I can appreciate how hard it was for you to type those five little letters: SEARS! :D

The unit should just slide into a sleeve. Get the measurments and we can go from there.

Also get us the model and serial number of the one that's in there.