On Thu, 27 Jan 2005 20:41:02 -0500, "Fr@nk"
wrote:

Hello. I have a 12 year old Bryant heat pump (3 ton 661A model) that gets
covered with ice a few times during the winter. It's done it twice so far
this winter. It obviously has something to do with the unit not defrosting
properly, but the HVAC guy I've had out to check it out (several times)
always shows up just after I've defrosted it (by just letting it thaw out).
Since it's not iced up while he's there, he says he can't check out the
defrost control board(?) or other things that could be bad and causing the
problem.

I've read a couple of web posts describing this same model heat pump, and
the person said he replaced the defrost control board, which fixed his
problem. He also mentioned the reversing valve, but ended up not needing to
replace that. Are these parts things a tech should be able to swap in and
out easily? Or are they expensive?

I do notice this unit making a clicking sound (rhythmically, every second or
two) every once in a while. But usually it sounds pretty normal. Could the
clicking be related to the defrosting/reversing thing?

Since the heat pump is 12 years old, could it be close to the end of its
useful life? It'd be a shame, since it seems to do a good job of heating 95%
of the time; it's just the iced-up times that make me need the aux heat for
a day or two to defrost it. Any advice? Thanks.


F

Stop defrosting the thing manually and let the guy see it for himself.
Then he can tell you, "Hey, I cant work on this. Its full of ice".
Id rather it not have ice on it when I come. Otherwise, I have to
charge you $75 per 1/2hr to thaw it out. I let my customers know that
BEFORE I show up. The board CAN be checked out. So can the defrost
sensor which Id recommend changing if you change the board.
Yes other things can cause it.
Bad board
Bad sensor
Stuck/Sticking reversing valve
Incorrect refrigerant charge
Outdoor fan not running.
Outdoor fan running backwards
Bad capacitor
Blah, Blah, Blah and on and on.
Is it expensive? Thats relative. Whats expensive to you? Are you
getting the part at wholesale and fixing it yourself or are you
calling a professional out to fix it?
I dont know about the clicking. Maybe you could hum a few tunes for
me.
12 yrs is not young for a heat pump. Especially that Bryant 661.
8-12 yrs is a general age for heat pumps but Ive certainly seen some
GE's out there that are over 25 yrs old. Ive also seen some Bryant
crap barely make the 5-6 yr mark before crapping out.
Get and estimate and fix it or replace it.
Bubba