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Issue with Reversing valve?

zepfan
zepfan Member Posts: 421
in A-C, Heat Pumps & Refrigeration

Had a call on a Bryant heat pump model# 226CNA042000. It was installed by another contractor in 2019, and the complaint was a high electric bill, and low heat out put.I checked the pressures in the heating mode and they were 115 suction- 210 head pressure. According to the heating check chart on the unit with an outdoor temperature of 40 degrees the suction should be around 85-90, and the heat pressure should be around 340. The suction pressure was high, and the head pressure was low. I did a four temperature test around the RV valve and had a discharge temperature of 61 degrees, a temperature at the vapor valve of 65, after the accumulator before the compressor was 37, and and the suction line coming out of the outdoor coil before the reversing valve was 39. The only thing I can come up with is the reversing valve is not switching over completely, and therefore leaking hot gas into the low side of the system. this would be there reason for the high common suction pressure, and low discharge line temperature? I did switch the unit several times between heat and cool and the valave seemed to go into the cooling mode with no issue. It is strange that it will not go back completely to the heat mode. I also verified that the unit had the proper level of 410 a. Any suggestions, or further ideas would be much appreciated. Thanks to all.

Comments

  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 17,175

    A hung up reversing valve is possible. If it works in cooling ok and you have checked the charge that could be the issue.

    I am assuming both coils and the indoor air filter are clean

    Are the pressures correct in cooling?

    What about the TXV and the superheat?

  • Ironman
    Ironman Member Posts: 7,663

    A discharge temperature of 61 and 65*?

    Something’s wrong with those numbers on a discharge line.

    An inefficient compressor can give the same symptoms as a leaking reversing valve.

    Bob Boan
    You can choose to do what you want, but you cannot choose the consequences.
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 17,175

    Compressor may not be pumping as @Ironman mentioned put an amprobe on it.

    Thats why I asked if it ran in cooling ok

  • zepfan
    zepfan Member Posts: 421

    thanks to all that responded. It did seem to switch over to cooling, and actually went through a defrost cycle while I was there, and could feel the heat coming off the outdoor coil. I was able to verify the charge by recovering the existing charge and weighing in the new charge. I thought it maybe an inefficient compressor, the FLA is 20, and with 40 degree OAT and 70 IFB the compressor was drawing around 8 amps

  • zepfan
    zepfan Member Posts: 421

    correction 70 IDB.

  • zepfan
    zepfan Member Posts: 421

    Thanks to all that responded. The compressor turned out to be the issue. I replaced it yesterday and it is operating fine now. Take care all

  • JMWHVAC
    JMWHVAC Member Posts: 75

    Thanks for letting us know. I had one last year that WAS the RV valve not closing in heat mode and an RV replacement solved it.

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