Return air not enough?
10/18/2012 at 11:11:45 PM
Hi,
I have a heat pump that freezes in the summer, it never cools the house. The thermostat will never reach the temperature required.
Problem is that I have brought many techs to inspect and told me something with the duct work and not enough return air. They told me to open the furnace door when the weather is hot to circulate.
Need some info please.
10/27/2012 at 11:22:22 PM
A heat pump is exactly like an air conditioner in the summer. If you don't have enough air flow over the coils, it will freeze. Usually caused by a plugged furnace filter. Either way the techs are right in that you have an airflow problem. It might be a bad design of the duct work itself. Many older (75 years) homes have the same problem when they install central air. The duct work was never designed for, especially if they originally had a gravity type heating system.
You need to find a professional company that knows what they are doing. Explain the situation, and if they can't find and fix the problem, then don't pay them. Why should you be constantly be paying for someone to come in and not fix the problem. Telling you to leave the door open is bull.
10/28/2012 at 9:44:48 AM
This St. Catharines Home Inspector sees lots of similar problems.
Rooms can be come pressurized, like a balloon when there is no where for the air to go. They can become depressurized when an appliance is starved for air. To prevent this all rooms need an adequate air supply and air return.
Leaving doors open, or undercutting them by an inch can often present a solution. Give it a try, evaluate your results.
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