Checking a Heat Pump in Heat Mode - Short #178

HVAC School - For Techs, By Techs

Bryan Orr

Training, Careers, Airconditioning, Self-improvement, Hvac, Business, Education, Refrigeration, Heating, Ac, Apprenticeship

4.8 • 985 Ratings

🗓️ 7 November 2023

⏱️ 15 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this short podcast, Bryan talks about checking the charge of a heat pump in heat mode. This skill will become more critical as ambient temperatures get cooler.

The most reliable way to check and set the charge regardless of operating mode and season is to weigh the charge. This method is most practical during installation and commissioning, and proper commissioning can prevent issues with charge levels later. Weighing the charge is recommended for big repairs, like major component replacements.

But in many cases, we don't need to check the charge by hooking up gauges; we can check for proper operation by taking a few line temperature readings. Before carrying out any tests or taking readings, make sure the heat pump is defrosted and that you've carried out a full visual inspection. You can carry out a full delivered capacity test in either cooling or heating mode (without the electric heat strips energized) to determine how many BTUs the system is moving. Some simpler tests will require you to compare the discharge vapor line and suction line temperatures to the outdoor temperature and the liquid line temperature to the indoor temperature.

Manufacturers will give specific instructions for their units, including covering the condenser, and they may have charts to help you calculate system pressures based on indoor and outdoor temperatures. If you want to check suction pressure on the low side, you'll always use the common suction port, but you can take either discharge pressure or liquid pressure on the high side.

Bryan also covers:

Critical charge
Ductless system charging practices
Some manufacturer-specific practices
Indoor temperatures and system pressures
R-22 rules of thumb
Total discharge superheat
Staging and capacity considerations
Weighing out when in doubt

Read the tech tip about this topic at https://hvacrschool.com/checking-charge-heat-pump-winter/.

Learn more about the 5th Annual HVACR Training Symposium at https://hvacrschool.com/Symposium24.

If you have an iPhone, subscribe to the podcast HERE, and if you have an Android phone, subscribe HERE.

Subscribe to our YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@HVACS.

Check out our handy calculators HERE or on the HVAC School Mobile App (Google Play Store or App Store).

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Hello Hello. This is the HVAC School Podcast. I'm Brian. This is a short episode and this
0:09.2	episode is about setting the charge in heating mode. I say setting the charge really it's more about
0:14.4	checking the charge and we'll talk more about why that matters once we hear from
0:18.8	and about our great sponsors. Refrigeration Technologies and specifically Viper Wipes,
0:26.3	the all-purpose wipe that is really amazing what it can cut through.
0:31.3	Everything from Mastick to oil-grease
0:33.7	grime and it's nice on the hands. Makes some nice and soft when you're done. So that
0:38.7	way you can go home and head out a dancin when you get back to the house.
0:45.0	Find out more at Refrigateech.com slash Viper-Wipes.
0:49.5	Refrigetech.com slash Viper-Wipes. dot com slash viper dash wipes
0:54.5	navak global dot com and the break free power flaring tool
1:00.5	model n e f six l m carrier and carrier dot Model NEPF 6LM.
1:03.4	Carrier and Carrier.com
1:06.0	Santa Fe, dehumidifiers at Santa-Fay
1:09.7	products.
1:12.1	Every technician and contractor is looking to enhance their customers, indoor air quality and comfort, right?
1:17.0	Santa Fe's whole house, ventilating dehumidifiers are the perfect solutions for HVAC professionals.
1:23.0	These systems filter and dehumidify indoor as well as outdoor air.
1:28.0	Offering Santa Fe products is an excellent way to improve your customer's living environments
1:31.6	while providing tangible benefits.
1:33.7	Visit Santa-Fay-products.com to learn more about the advantages of ventilating dehumidification
1:39.8	and how do you
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Bryan Orr, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Bryan Orr and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.