heatpump doesn't work properly! (attorney, house, crawl space)

[lucyDodzian]

I need help, I had a heat pump installed by someone that I thought that I could trust, he said he is a license contractor and he is also a pastor, it was installed last may, the air part worked find but when it came to heating for the winter all it put out was cold air, so he fixed it for auxiliary heat to come which has run my heat bill out of the frame. the heat pump that he replace didn't need auxiliary heat for me to get heat, it work with the regular on, and when I tried to discuss this with him and told him that I needed him to fix it so the auxiliary heat wouldn't come, he said he had done all he could do, so I told him he needed to replace the heat pump, then he told me that he would have to go through the manufactory, that they would have to strip it done and that would take a while and I told him I didn't have a contract with the manufactory, that the contract was between him and I. what I want to know is how do I or what do I need too do get him to correct it?? please him, I'm on a limited income, retired and I need to know what this unit cost and how I can get him to replace it. this is the model and serial# that's on the unit. model#TZPA-336-2A757,the serial#8490W211109954, I ask for the warranty and he hasn't sent it. I need help please, I live in Hollister nc 27844, how do I go about getting help to make him replace it.

[tucler]

I don't think you need a new heat pump, it has either been miswired or a circuit board was shorted out. A quick check says you have a Thermal Zone Heat pump. Find an HVAC dealer in your area that works on them and do not....and I stress do not have a Pastor/contractor or a Masseuse /contractor work on anything in your house, there are many people that will try to take advantage. I hope it works out for you.

[QuilterChick]

Originally Posted by lucyDodzian

I need help, I had a heat pump installed by someone that I thought that I could trust, he said he is a license contractor and he is also a pastor, it was installed last may, the air part worked find but when it came to heating for the winter all it put out was cold air, so he fixed it for auxiliary heat to come which has run my heat bill out of the frame. the heat pump that he replace didn't need auxiliary heat for me to get heat, it work with the regular on, and when I tried to discuss this with him and told him that I needed him to fix it so the auxiliary heat wouldn't come, he said he had done all he could do, so I told him he needed to replace the heat pump, then he told me that he would have to go through the manufactory, that they would have to strip it done and that would take a while and I told him I didn't have a contract with the manufactory, that the contract was between him and I. what I want to know is how do I or what do I need too do get him to correct it?? please him, I'm on a limited income, retired and I need to know what this unit cost and how I can get him to replace it. this is the model and serial# that's on the unit. model#TZPA-336-2A757,the serial#8490W211109954, I ask for the warranty and he hasn't sent it. I need help please, I live in Hollister nc 27844, how do I go about getting help to make him replace it.

Lucy, you are in the Western NC forum. Hollister is much further east, you need to be in the forum that serves your location to get truly local advice. But that is ok, we are here to help answer your question for now.

Please call or go to your county building inspector's office, with your contract, to make sure this man IS a licensed heating/cooling contractor. You can call first if it is too far from your house. You can also call or go to your local legal aid office, or whatever social services office in your county is specifically for helping the elderly. Here, we have what is call "Council on Aging", "Seniors Helping Seniors", and so forth. Please find help at an organization such as those; and your County Building Inspector's office can advise you where to find help as well.

In most counties, the Inspector has to come to your house and inspect the new system, and make sure it is running properly and has been connected to your electrical box (circuit breakers etc.) properly and they give you a certificate which they sign. In the meantime, have someone check the electric service box in your house to make sure a circuit breaker did not shut off automatically after a power failure. An electrician or the heating contractor should have also installed a surge protector and a separate circuit breaker just for the heating system.

Running a heat pump on the heating strips (auxiliary heat) for a new heat pump is very odd. You do need professional help. You may even need an attorney once all the facts are sorted out. Best of luck to you.

[eiafjam]

Also remember that a heat pump when set to 72* will push about 90* air. This will feel cold to the body cause we are at 98*. Air temperature from heat pumps are much lower than the temperatures from fossil fuel (gas or oil) fired systems. Air temperatures of fossil fuel fired systems range from 130-140 degrees whereas heat pump air temperatures range from 85-92 degrees. If indeed the air is actually cold than the following in blue can be corrected by the homeowner. In red by a contractor (not a preacher unless you need it prayed over).

• Snow drift/leaves against outdoor unit.
• Outdoor unit iced up-weather related.
• Return duct leakage.
• Cold return temperatures I.e., air handler in attic/crawl space
  disconnected from unit, pulling in cold air.
• Thermostat set below 65 degrees.
• Low refrigerant charge
• Refrigerant flow related problem
• Restriction/defective metering device.
• Poor efficiency-needs cleaning & servicing.
• Defective reversing valve.
• Defective compressor valves.
• Compressor not running
• Running in A/C mode.
• Outdoor unit iced up because of a malfunction.

[Asheville Native]

Contact the BBB, and the county building permit and planning department. Sounds like this crook needs to be shut down.

One should also be very wary when a contractor play the "pastor" card, and many a crook hides behind the cloak of religion to bilk the gullible.

[BigJon3475]

Since you only gave one model number I suspect the "contractor" replaced just the outdoor unit. If that's the case not only has he screwed you royally you will never get the efficiency of the least efficient section of the system. Say he installed a 13 SEER heat pump on a previous air handler that was designed for a 10 SEER heat pump (yes, I know HSPF is used for heating preformance but this is just an example) you're likely to only get about an efficiency rating of 9-9.5 SEER. To top it off because the coils down match it could be charged correctly for cooling and be undercharged for heating. When charged correctly for heating it will be overcharged for cooling.

Anyways, the advice given to you by the other posters is good advice. Sorry you find yourself in this situation.