HVAC Help Needed.

[J.J.]

Had to flip the heater onlast night for the first time all year and haing some issues.  Since I am suing the mfg. of the house  due to a bad foundation it will take a while for them to send anyone out and so I come to y'all for help.  

The System is a Lennox cbx26uh-042-230-1 air handler (in attic)
and a Lennox 14hpx-042-230-10 heatpump (outside)
with a honeywell zoning system.

The A/C works great.  The heater isn't keeping up at all.  The Thermostats say Aux. Heat instead of heat and the outside fan is not turning on.  The house just cant get above 70.

I checked both thermostats removed covers and everything is wired ok. (well truth be told Every wire is hooked up, first time i have seen that on a thermosat where all wires are used instead of 6 or 7)   I flipped the breaker to the unit to no avail.

What can I check or look at until Lennar decides to send someone over.  The house is about a year and half old.

 

[Hawkmoon]

A heat pump system tries to make heat by running the a/c in reverse, and extracting whatever heat it can grab from the outdoor air. That typically only works when the outdoor air is "cool," not when it's "cold." Once the heat pump can't keep up, the system kicks on an auxiliary electric heating coil to make up the difference. If your thermostat is telling you "Aux," then you are in that mode. If the system isn't getting the house up to temperature, it could mean that the electric heat coil isn't activating when called upon ... or it could mean that the builder shorted you on insulation and the house is losing heat faster than the heating system can replace it. Were you in the house last winter? If so, did the heat keep up?

[geronimotwo]

there should be at least two breakers.  one for the heat pump/ac, and one for the air handler.  some have an auxilary heating element inside the air handler as well, so maybe a third for that.

is the heat pump running?  does the fan blow?  is everything working in a/c mode?  is there a seperate air handler for each zone?

[J.J.]

Everything worked last year...well upstairs was not as efficent but I think that is postion of the Thermostat.

I already flipped the breakers for the Handler and Compressor. A/C works just fine. 
The air handler fan is pushing air just fine.  The heatpump outside is not running though.

[280plus]

Everything worked last year...well upstairs was not as efficent but I think that is postion of the Thermostat.

I already flipped the breakers for the Handler and Compressor. A/C works just fine. 
The air handler fan is pushing air just fine.  The heatpump outside is not running though.

What's the outdoor temp? If it's above 30* the HP should be running and should keep up. If it's below 30* the heat pump MAY shut off and then you go to electric strip heat in the air handler instead. Some HP will running all the time and call in heaters as necessary below 30*. First thing I'd check is there should be breakers and/or disconnects for the strip heaters. If it says "Aux heat" it means that the strip heaters are being used. If you're getting no heat it means they aren't working even thought the system wants them to. So make sure they have power. Then, if it's above 30* and the HP is not running there is something wrong with the HP itself. IIRC you live in a fairly mild area so me thinks HP is acting up. Have you tried putting it on "emergency heat"?

[J.J.]

Above 35. It's central Texas so not cold in the grand scheme of things. Yesterday was mid 80's. A.c. Had no issues.  Didnt think of intentionally turning on emergency heat.. Will try that when I get back home...

[Harold Tuttle]

hard to judge ac efficiency when its 40 degrees outside

I suspect a leak of the "freon"

When my HP was a year old i did not see Emergency heat on when it was 27 degrees outside

[280plus]

hard to judge ac efficiency when its 40 degrees outside

I suspect a leak of the "freon"

When my HP was a year old i did not see Emergency heat on when it was 27 degrees outside

A lot f times that's what it is. Then the unsuspecting homeowner is running electric heat instead of HP all winter and blames the HP for the ridiculous electric bill when it was just a simple service issue.

[J.J.]

Finally here.  Now to see what's broken.

[J.J.]

Claims it's a defrost board on the heat pump.  He was able to bypass it to make the a.c. come on that did not work for the heater.  So part will be ordered and a supervisor comes Monday.  Hopefully it's not gonna deviate from forecast (tonight low 46 tmw 60 then 50 then 40s wendsday).

I just wonder why he couldn't bypass the heat.

[J.J.]

I'll be damned. I'm told hvac warranty was only 1 year.  Looks like I will be paying labor minimum. 

[230RN]

So you've only got one full cycle of seasons to make sure it's all working right?

Crap.

I'd raise bloody blue hell over that.

[280plus]

No electric strip heaters for emergency heat??  Ohhh, maybe not in Texas I guess. Up here it's a necessity.

[Jim147]

Lennox Merit® Series products
5-year parts
5-year compressor
20-year heat exchanger

Yep, the installer is the one that has to stand behind the labor.

I don't see many heatpumps to know what he might have jumped or tried to jump on the board.

Those little oil filled heaters do a pretty good job for one room. And they have wheels and they are light enough to move to another room.

jim