Gas and Oil Home Heating Furnaces - system wont come on unless I...

I have an electric heat pump- actually 2- one for upstairs and one for down. The downstairs system wont come on and a neighbor showed me on the outside unit behind a panel where theres a button that if its pushed the unit starts up. He said I have to clean the contact so the magnet keeps it pushed in so it will work. But when I took off the panel off the other unit (which works fine), it has the same button that stays out and when pushed it starts the unit up. This tells me my neighbor may be wrong. It seems like its not a breaker because when I push the button it comes on. Any advise??? thanks...

Are you pushing in on the contactor that's located in the outdoor control panel? Or a button? Sounds like your pushing in on the contactor. If so it is bad(binding). Replace it. If it is a button on a cylinder shaped device, it is a high pressure switch. You need to service the unit. Freon pressures are getting to high for some reason.

Check to make sure your filters are clean and that your indoor and outdoor fans are running. If its apressure switch that your pushing those could be causes. If its the contactor check to make sure your getting 24 volts across the contacter coil. If you are replace the contacter.