Heat Pumps and Electric Heating - New Install - Ruud problems

I have just had a new installation put in and it doesn't seem to be working correctly. The Heat pump is a UPPB-042JAZ Condenser paired up with a UBHK-24j14SFD Air Handler/coil. The first night it got cold (22) outside and the electric heat strips struggled to maintain 70 inside although was calling for 75. Come to find out the High Pressure protection on the compressor had tripped out. The installer brought the correct thermostat today and I told him. He changed it out and said that the other thermostat was not programmed correctly for the heat pump type system. (Honeywell programable) He reset the high pressure trip on the compressor and before he even got out of the driveway I think it had tripped again. I call him back tonight and he hooked up the guages and sounded like he may have released some coolant, told me the new thermostat hadn't correctly been programmed but he had everything taken care of and had cycled it a couple of times. The first time it came on, I discovered the high pressure trip on the compressor had been tripped again. I reset it and it ran for several minutes and I beleive tripped again. The system now indicates it is calling for heat pump, but won't do anything till the temperature differential drops enough to bring in the heat strips and then won't bring the house up on its own. This is getting frustrating. What do I need to be telling him or doing? There is something not right but I don't know a whole lot about systems other than I don't think this is right. Is the unit overcharged with coolant or what? need some advise desparately.

Roger,

First of all, you need a different tech familiar with the Rudd heat pump. While the charge may be incorrect, the 5KW heat strip may not be large enough to provide aux heat on those cold days. Was a load calculation performed? The tripping out problem should be easily corrected by an experienced tech. Post back when you can.

Good LucK!
:(

Just like TD said, sounds like they are sending the installer out to troubleshoot his install. Call the company and request a seasoned tech that knows what he's doing. Don't mess with it yourself.

Roger,

the 5KW heat strip may not be large enough to provide aux heat on those cold days.

The UBHK-24j14SFD has 14KW of aux heat in it, but depending on how it is wired only one of them may be coming on in normal heating operation.

As mentions, get a service person out there to get it fixed, until the turn in on Emergency heat and you should get heat, and it should raise the temp to set point, granted it is not as cheap as running the heat pump, but if the heat pump in tripping the reset it is not working anyway. no since in letting it pop the reset over and over.

Is this unit larger than what it replaced?

Sounds like it may be an airflow problem.

Are all the vents open? Returns free from obstruction?

I measured the current flow at the breaker of the Air Handler and it is only using approx 28-29amp which would indicated that only one of the 2 heat stipes is operating....I'm not sure what would tell the other one to kick in. The thermostat is bringing in the "Auxilary Heat" which just barely keeps the house warm to the set point right now although it ran all night trying to make it to 72 and never got above 70 (which bothers me a little). The tech IS the installer, with about 20 years experience, although I am slightly worried about his shown ability so far, hence the reason for the post. There is not big company that can send various levels of techs...this is rural TN and to some degree most all of the companies are one man with employees to help...this is the owner of the company and he says he has sold heat pumps for years. (about 75% over gas furnaces, which was my gut instinct to put in). I am getting enough to stay warm, although my main concern is the installation as a whole right now. It is a new system with a 16 inch supply and return and all vents except two are open all the way. He states, when asked that he did the Manual J calculations on a computer program and offered a print out although I didn't take it (may go back and ask for it though), I just wanted to make sure that he made the calculations. There are 11 vents throughout the house. He is scheduled to come back out Monday and work on it again after being here twice on Friday. He says he cycled through its paces 2 or 3 times the last time and it was working fine, although I reset the trip on the compressor, withing 10 or 20 minutes after he left. I have never seen the compressor run more than 10 minutes before tripping the compressor "over preasure protection" reset.

There should be 4 heat strips in this unit (3.3KW each) 28 amps is for two of them. If you are running it in normal mode then you are only getting half of the heat strips on, and it they are not functioning as the first stage. this is why it runs all night, and doesn't reach temp.

If you turn it on Emergency heat the other two heat strips will act as the first stage heat and it should reach set point temp.

The way these units are designed in normal operation you will never get all the heat strips to come on if it is wired correctly anyway.

Like I said. turn it on Em HT and let him fix it. don't pay him till it is fixed.