Routine Heat Pump Maintenance

I had a new Trane heat pump installed late last Summer.  I had gotten tired of basic brands failing to the point of needing replacement every 5-8 years.  Somewhat painfully expensive, but it was about the best available (quiet, efficient and should last 12-15 years).

I am a bit slack on maintenance.  

So, funny story!  The installer called me and said it was due for "Fall" maintenance.  They said they sent a post card and I hadn't responded.  And that it had to be scheduled by the following week or I would miss out on this year.

Well, statements like that immediately raise red flags in my mind.  Sounded like spam.  So I checked my files and found the company that called was the installer (I had forgotten their name) and the phone number did match the one on the installation record.  

So I called, expecting they wanted to schedule a maintenance visit for next October.  I could understand that they wanted to make sure the heat pump kept running during the 5 year warranty.  So, OK, I can write a visit for next October on my calendar..

Turns out that they have a different definition of "Fall" than I do.  So a confusing conversation ensued.  I'll repeat it as best I can...

Company:  We need to schedule a Fall maintenance visit.  It's included in your purchase.

Me:  OK, when?  (I'll accept a free maintenance visit)

Company:  Monday.

Me:  Monday when?

Company:  Next week.

Me:  For "Fall" maintenance?

Company:  Yes.

Me: But Fall is 8 months away!

Company:  Yes, but if we don't schedule it now, we close the books next week!

   --------

OK, to shorten the confusion, I'll mention that they live with Fall/Winter and Spring/Summer maintenance schedules.  So in company lingo, they just say Fall and Spring.  I finally figured out they were talking about Last Fall and This Winter!  LOL!

So of course I scheduled a visit.  The guy who came did a good job (so far as I can tell).  Blew out some dust, tightened some screws, hooked up some equipment that (as I asked him to explain for future understanding) tested air-flow, temperature input/output, and internal electrical connections, etc.

Everything was working fine.  😍

But there was a slight problem left over from the installation.  The installer disconnected my self-installed humidifier.  I don't know why, but it was deliberate because he installed a sheet metal patch over the hole where the control was and left the wires hanging.  

I'll be kind, and assume he meant to reinstall it after he had the basic system instaalled and test.  But the fact remains that he didn't.  And I had been struggling to understand the circuit diagrams in order to reconnect the wires and replace the control dial.  And failed.  A picture is worth a 1,000 words but a circuit diagram is useless to me.  

So since I had a guy here, I asked if he could just connect the wires easily.   I mean, it was their company that disconnected them.  And I apologized in advance if humidifiers weren't his problem.  He said he knew all about them and looked at the wires and parts.  Took the cover back off the inside air blower.  Looked for where the humidity-detector should attach.  

Couldn't reattach it with what he had.  System is 240 volts, and the humidity-detector is 120, so it needs an adapter.  Plus "spade-joints" (a kind of wire terminator plug on - yeah I don't know those either).  Well, his maintenance kit doesn't come with those.  

I am scheduled for Spring/Summer maintenance in June.  He said to remind the Company then, that I need those.  OK.

The good news is that this has been a damp Winter and the humidifier wasn't needed much (in past pre-humidifier years, my lips cracked, the cat were static-shocked during petting, and I could turn on my bedside fluorescent light by just touching the metal base).  And I had an old single room humidifier in the bedroom set up again.  So an easy Winter.

So I got through Winter anyway, even with the central air one not working.  But I sure intend to make sure they get it rewired properly at the Spring/Summer maintenance visit!

I am still cracking up over the confusing phone call scheduling yesterday's visit...  You have to accept the strange conversations in life sometimes.

The Non-Joy Of Repairs

The heat pump has been making a lot of noise and the A/C is working poorly.  I contacted the company that installed it originally and repaired it once.  They sent out a technician.  It was very difficult to understand what he was saying (language issues).  Everytime I thought I understood what he was saying the problem was,  he then said something that made me realize I had not understood him.  

And in fairness to me, he said some conflicting things.  I can't repair a heat pump (very specialized equipment), but I have enough science and engineering to understand how they work.  And a few of the things he said didn't make much sense.  It was basically like he didn't really know what the problem was, but he offerred some suggestions that were contradictory.  It's like he knows what he is trained to do according to readings he gets from diagnostic equipment but doesn't really know why that fixes anything.  

And he said things like "the compressor is working fine" and then a few minutes later "there is a part in the compressor that isn't working".  Well, it can't be both, can it?  He also said the bad part in the compressor can't be replaced itself.  

And "it's 2-3 pounds low on freon (the coolant) and that's $130 per pound".  When I asked what would happen if the compressor had to be replaced (me knowing the answer), he said it would all be lost and I would need even more pounds.  At least he got that right.

He seemed to be suggesting I should just live with the noise.  Admittedly, the mechanical racket only occurred briefly while he was here.  It is irregular, and (of course) didn't happen very long while he was here).  There is an old joke definition of weird car noises.  "Something that won't happen in the presence of a mechanic".  😢

The heat pump is over 10 years old.  It is about time it began to fail.  After some repeated (and rather circular conversations, I concluded the best choice was to have the compressor replaced and asked him to arrange that.  He said he couldn't and that I needed to call the company.  I now think they sent out a local independent (barely-qualified) guy and I'm kind of ticked off about that.

But I called the repair company later Monday to arrange for a compressor replacement.  The scheduler said they had to get one from the supplier and would call me when they had a delivery date.  No estimate of when that would be.  

Then I thought I found the cause of the mechanical racket.  When I moved my ears around the outside unit, I discovered the side of the unit where there are ventilation slots was vibrating.  I also discovered that if I shook the unit, the fan wobbled loosely.  

I pressed a piece of tree branch against the side panel and anchored it with a cinder block.  That suddenly lowered the noise level.  I also shook the casing around the unit and discovered the fan wobbled loosely.  The screws that held the fan and motor were rusted tight, but some Liquid Wrench (a lubricant-penetrant) allowed me to loosen them.  Some were actually already loose (when I broke the rust loose.  So I tighten them.  The fan stopped wobbling and the heat pump operated quietly.  I thought I had solved the problem.

I called the company to tell them not to order a new compressor just yet.  The scheduler had other people on line and said he would call me right back.  An hour later, I called back (assuming he had forgotten).  Well, of course not.  He simply decided not to call me.

Why?  He said he had described the problem to his Boss and Boss said he was familiar with the sound I was describing and would call me himself.  So of course the scheduler guy didn't see any reason to call me back...  AARRRGGGHH!

The Boss hasn't called yet.  Meanwhile, the heat pump has started making the same noises again.  My temporary fixes didn't last long.  Well, I didn't really expect my little fixes would last long, but I did have some hopes...

But I did get one possibly helpful thing done.  Yesterday afternoon, I was clearing weeds where I plan to plant tomatoes.  Which is near the heat pump.  Which turned on and made the same mechanical racket and it continued.  

So I got a bright idea.  I made a video of it with my camera!  The picture means nothing, but the audio is documentation.   If the Boss knows about "bad sounds", I can play it for him over the phone or in person.  Now all I have to do is get in touch with him later today.

If you read all this to the end, thank you...

Car Maintenance

I was reminded last week by receiving a registration renewal form from Motor Vehicles that it had been 13 months since I bought the new Subaru Forester and so it was time to have routine maintance done.  Never mind the car has only 700 miles on it, oils gets old etc  and I am planning to drive at highway speed 200 miles roundtrip in 4 weeks (pick up new kitten).  

I mentioned that previously, but I actually scheduled it for Friday.  I am a Class A procrastinator, so actually scheduling it was a Big Deal.  And why I scheduled it for 8:30 am is beyond me, but I suppose at the time I wasn't sure how long it would take.

All my life before I retired, I was a morning person.  Up early for school and job and even on days off, I got up early.  Then I became a real "night owl".  So 8:30 am was an unaccustomed time of day.  I managed it though.  Dropped off the car, reviewed what they would do, gave some warnings (I have a battery-charger device wire sticking out of the grill and I didn't want them to mess with it).

They have shuttle service, so they drove me home (I love shuttle service as I go nuts sitting around and doing nothing).  The van driver almost made me scream.  You might expect that it was because he drove too fast, but it was the opposite.  He was maddeningly slow and didn't understand directions very well.  

I haven't been the passenger in a car very often since my carpool days 15 years ago.  I kept thinking "go" when regular traffic allowed for it safely, but he just sat.  Let's just say it took me 5 minutes to drive to the dealership and 10 minutes to get returned, LOL!

And he seemed confused about directions.  I would say "next right turn", and he would hesitate at every house we passed.  And "next left turn" and he would ask if I meant each house we passed.  One street ends at a wetland.  I told him about that and to turn left, but I was 1/2 certain he was going to drive straight into it!

We got near my house and I said 3rd house on the left - the green one (only green house on the street.  He almost drove past.  I said "stop, this one".  *sigh*

So back in the house, I went straight back to bed, assuming I would hear a telephone call to let me know the car was ready and they could pick me up.  I must have been REALLY tired!  Apparently, I slept through 3 calls.  I got up at 2 pm and sure enough, there were those call on voice mail.  The car had been ready at 10 am!

Well, no great loss.   I called back and they said the shuttle guy would be there in 10 minutes.  30 minutes later, I called them again.  They said he had left 20 minutes before but not to worry "he doesn't get lost".  Sure enough, he showed up soon after.  He had gotten lost.  Said his GPS was charging.  He had my phone number...

But he arrived and got me to the dealership.   The good news was that they found nothing wrong, but did the usual tire rotation, oil and filter change, checked fluids etc and even washed the car (nice touch). And at no charge!  

Well, when I bought the car, the details of the costs were very specific.  I had negotiated for a month after all.  But they had charged $200 to fill the tires with nitrogen.  Hey "air" is 78% nitrogen already!  Tired of fussing about the final cost, I got a "free" oil and filter change at the first annual maintenance in exchange.

Salespeople are amazing.  Turned out that the first annual maintenance was free anyway!  No matter what you do, they always find "some" little trick to get a last dollar.  But, in the long-term, the $200 trick and the meaningless "free" oil and filter change doesn't really matter.  

Unless I suddenly decide to by an all-electric car in a few years due to some battery-tech breakthough, I the Subaru Forester may be my last car.  Each car of my life has been built better and lasted longer.  The Toyota Highlander lasted 15 years and I drive the Subaru less than the Toyota anyway.  It should last 20 and I probably won'tbe safe to frive at 90+.

Sunday Snow Aftermath

I have lived in various parts of Maryland since 1963.  In the NE part til 1968, at Univ of MD  til 1973, and around Washington DC since then.

The worst single snowstorm I experienced in Maryland was in 1966 where is snowed for 4 days.  The accumulation was only 20", but the winds whipped up snowdrifts covering the ground floor windows.  And Mom was about to have a baby!  The neighborhood roads were not plowed.  Dad and I shoveled 20" of snow a car width wide for 150' to the main road behind the house.

And off Dad and Mom went by car seeking the local hospital (which had a maternity wing of course).  At 15 (I keep thinking 16 because it was 1966, but I wasn't really 16 until May), I was left behind to take care of my 2 younger siblings.  For 2 days.  It was quite an adventure...  It's a good thing I could cook.  And apparently, I would have made a good parent (if I do say so myself); peace and calm abounded!

7 Mothers delivered babies in Harford County that day.  The other 6 Mothers were brought to the county hospital by helicoptor.  Dad drove...  Determination and self-reliance (to a point) is a family habit.  And school was closed for a WEEK!

So that was a really serious snowstorm.  And there have been some bad storms since then, but mostly several close-together storms with recovery time between.

But this one was BAD.  I think it is now considered 2nd or 3rd worst in the Washington DC area (that 1966 one mentioned above slid north of DC so they don't count it here).

So here are some more pictures of THIS one...

The wind collected a lot of snow near the house on the deck.  It was 3' deep in the drift Saturday afternoon.

 And it got worse as the day went along.

The sunflower seed birdfeeder was standing tall.  I had cardinals, sparrows, juncos, titmice,  nuthatches, chicadees, purple finches, and goldfinches there at various times.  I could have done without the sparrows (they get i seeds and kick backwards, shoveling seeds out of the tray.  It is their successful "scratching the ground" habit, so I can't exactly blame them.  But they sure are unwelcome at a seed tray.

But then the outside unit of the heat pump failed overnight.  Probably because the sides got covered by snow preventing air from getting in.  I assume it shut itself down because of the lack of air flow.  I'm on "Heat2" right now.   That's less efficient than the usual heat pump process, but I don't know exactly what it is doing.  All I can tell (from the manual) is that it is not "emergency" heating (which would be like turning on an electric oven with the door open).  It will probably be more expensive, but not like I have much choice.  The repair company is busy with true failures and at least mine is keeping the house at normal temperatures (operating constantly).  There ARE priorities of repairs.

So the first thing I did Saturday morning was to dress up warm* and shovel the snow from around the sides of the heat pump.  That didn't get it started again.  When I looked inside, it was all full of snow.  I know it is SUPPOSED to "de-ice" itself when that happens.  So I tried some simple repairs.  I loosened the grid on the top to scoop out the accumulated snow inside.  NO GO!   I couldn't remove the grid because there is a heavy duty electrical cable stuck to it.

But I WAS able to lift up the opposite side and scoop most of the inside snow out.  That didn't get it going either.  So I poured bucket after bucket of VERY HOT water into it to melt the remaining snow. and ice around the working parts.  Well, those parts are exposed to rain all the time (water drains out the bottom), what harm can water do?  But that didn't get it started either.   I removed and replaced the outside unit circuit breaker.  No success there either.  I suppose some part has failed at the worst possible time (like there is ever a BEST possible time?) and I will have to call for service.

But I am still getting heat from the inside part of the equipment, so it is not an emergency.  I keep hoping to hear the outside unit suddenly come on though...

The snowdrift on the deck is probably about its highest. 

And the snow on the roof is slowly sliding off.  It should start to fall on the deck soon.  I have a specialty tool for pulling snow off the roof, but I have to get out on the deck to use it and that snow drift is too deep for me to even push through wearing my trout-fishing hip-high waders.

So I am just going to wait things out.  Which could get awkward.  The Weather Channel says it will get down to 8F tonight!  There isn't going to be any melting for a few days at least...

Did get to use the snowblower though.  More on that next post!

* Warm meant thermal underwear under heavy jeans, extra thick socks in the 16" rubber boots, thick flannel shirt, ski mask, insulated rubber gloves, AND a hat with ear flaps!  And of course a long insulated jacket you could explore the Arctic in...  I don't play around with cold windy weather.