The outdoor unit of the air heat pump must not freeze, but ice accumulating under it only indicates a good thing.
In Päijät-Hämee to live Tattoo from Upper a surprising sight awaited him when he visited his cabin in Hollola at the end of last week to check the winter situation.
Ylhäinen heats his cabin in winter with an air source heat pump, which has worked well. It was still in operation now, but the heat pump’s outdoor unit had received a sturdy ice coating.
“The outdoor unit was covered in ice at the time. The ice had gotten so bad that the blower fan caught on the ice and made a terrible noise. After all, Ropeli had made room for himself to run around,” says Ylhäinen.
Air heat pump has been at the cottage for seven years. In previous winters, nothing similar has happened.
“Even now, it did make the cabin warm, but not quite as efficiently as usual,” says Tatu Ylhäinen.
Ílhäinen heated water in the sauna cauldron and melted the ice with hot water. The air source heat pump started immediately. It started producing heat more efficiently and has been working well since then.
However, Ylhäinen ordered maintenance on his air source heat pump just to be sure. The guardian will only come there in the spring, if the heat pump works well and no ice forms anymore.
“It is the right thing to do,” says the executive director of Lämpöpumpiyhdistys Sulpu ry Jussi Hirvonen.
According to him, the Air Heat Pump should be defrosted with warm water. You should not try to remove the ice mechanically with a tool, as it may break the cell of the outdoor unit.
“Hot water in a watering can, and it takes a few minutes. Before that, you should remember to turn off the pump, otherwise you will get hot water in your eyes,” says Hirvonen.
According to him, the air source heat pumps suitable for northern conditions work perfectly even in winter conditions and in severe frost.
Sometimes however, ice can accumulate in the outdoor unit, although the phenomenon is rare according to Hirvonen. According to him, ice can form for three reasons.
The most common reason is particularly challenging weather conditions.
When the air heat pump is operating, water condenses in the cell of the pump’s outdoor unit, which drains from the cell under the pump.
In frost, frost forms on the surface of the outdoor unit, but the defrosting system works in the pump. The pump melts the frost at regular intervals.
However, sometimes the weather conditions are such that the outdoor unit is not even able to melt all the ice. According to Hirvonen, rapid weather changes or snow flurries combined with temperatures close to zero can be especially challenging.
“The phenomenon of ice accumulation is created. In cabin conditions, it can be a process of several weeks, so that there is a lot of ice in the end. I have three 16-year-old pumps at the cabin, one of which has had this kind of freezing phenomenon for a few years. That’s why you should take a look at the outdoor unit every now and then,” says Hirvonen.
“This is very rare with current pumps. It was not uncommon ten years ago. In particular, there were problems of this type when using the cabin. Now the pumps and defrosting programs have improved.”
Hirvosen according to, sometimes the reason for the formation of ice can also be that the refrigerant in the air heat pump has reduced.
The refrigerant circulates between the indoor and outdoor units and enables the operation of the air heat pump. If there is a leak in the refrigerant circuit, it can also appear as freezing.
“The leak is very rare. Usually it’s because there is a slowly leaking joint left in the installation. Usually, the refrigerant stays there unchanged for tens of years. There have been no leaks in our own 16-year-old pumps, and they work perfectly,” says Hirvonen.
He points out that the refrigerant situation can only be checked and repaired by an air heat pump operator who is also qualified in the field of refrigeration.
The third reason for the pump’s outdoor unit to freeze can be a breakdown of the pump’s automation or an exceptional state of the automation. However, according to Hirvonen, it is rarer than weather conditions and refrigerant leakage.
A heat pump the outdoor unit does not have to freeze, but instead the accumulation of ice under the outdoor unit is part of the problem. The water draining from the outdoor unit often freezes.
“The bigger the ice underneath, the better. It means that a lot of energy has been taken from the outside air, there has been a lot of need to remove ice, and it can be seen there under the pump. The bigger the drum, the better the pump and the better the end result,” says Hirvonen.
According to him, however, it must be observed that the ice does not grow so large that it damages the outdoor unit.
Some people collect the running water in a container. According to Hirvonen, buckets, sticks, concrete blocks, and children’s tubs are used as collection containers.
In his opinion, the water does not accumulate so much that the building’s structures would be in danger. However, the plinth can be protected with a plate.
“And if you direct the water to the drainage system, you have to use an escort cable in the drainage system, which keeps it melted,” he says.
Indoor unit settings Jussi Hirvonen patistas to turn southeast in winter. According to him, you should use the strongest fan power if the sound does not disturb you. Then the heat pump efficiently moves air from one room to another.
According to Hirvonen, the temperature should also be adjusted higher than desired, because the air blown by the pump spreads into the room and mixes with the room air. So if the goal is a room temperature of 20 degrees, the heat pump should be adjusted to, for example, 23.
“It’s worth whipping the pump. The more water comes from the outdoor unit, the more electricity has probably been saved, and the more power has been obtained from the pump,” says Hirvonen.
“You have to demand a lot from the pump. It is designed to last.”
#Heating #Winter #put #air #heat #pump #hard #Tatu #Ylhäinen #melted #pump #frozen #ice
