Goodman GSX Series Installation & Operation Instructions page 11

Common Causes of Unsatisfactory Operation of Heat
Pumps on the Heating Cycle.
A. Dirty Filters or inadequate air volume through indoor coil.
When the heat pump is on the heating cycle, the indoor
coil is functioning as a condenser; therefore, the filters
must always be clean, and sufficient air volume must
pass through the indoor coil to prevent excessive dis-
charge pressure and high pressure cut-out.
B. Outside Air into Return Duct: Cold outside air should
not be introduced in the return duct of a heat pump in-
stallation on the heating cycle close enough to the in-
door coil to reduce temperature of the air entering the
coil below 18.3°C. Air below this temperature will cause
low discharge pressure, thus low suction pressure and
excessive defrost cycling with resultant low heating out-
put. It may also cause false defrosting.
C. Undercharge: Undercharge on the heating cycle will
cause low discharge pressure resulting in low suction
pressure and frost accumulation on the lower part of
the outdoor coil.
D. Poor "Terminating" Defrost Thermostat contact. Defrost
thermostat must make good thermal contact on return
bend, otherwise it may not terminate the defrost cycle
quickly enough to prevent unit from cutting out on high
discharge pressure during the defrost cycle.
E. Malfunctioning Reversing Valve: This may be due to:
1. Solenoid not energized. In order to determine if the sole-
noid is energized, touch the nut that holds the solenoid
cover in place with a screwdriver. If the nut magnetically
holds the screwdriver in cooling, the solenoid is energized.
2. No voltage to solenoid: Check voltage. If no voltage, check
wiring circuit.
3. Valve will not shift :
a. Undercharged : (A) check for leaks;
b. Valve Body Damaged: Replace valve;
c. Unit Properly Charged: If it is on the heating cycle,
raise discharge pressure by restricting air flow through
the indoor coil. If the valve does not shift, tap it lightly
on both ends with screwdriver handle. Do Not Tap The
Valve Body. If unit is on the cooling cycle, raise dis-
charge pressure by restricting air flow through the out-
door coil. If the valve does not shift after the above at-
tempts, cut the unit off and wait until the discharge and
suction pressure equalize, and repeat above steps. If
the valve does not shift, replace it.
DEAR HOMEOWNER:
Your heat pump will provide you with years of year-round
comfort. The following paragraphs are our introduction to you
on the operation of your new heating and air conditioning
system. There are certain operational characteristics of a
heat pump with which the homeowner should become famil-
iar.
A heat pump operates by removing heat from the outdoor air
and actually "pumping" it indoors via a refrigerant circuit.
Obviously, the colder the outdoor air becomes, the more
difficult it is for the heat pump to remove heat from it, even
though it will remove heat from even the coldest of air. As it
becomes colder outdoors, the air from your registers will
gradually become less warm. Although this air may feel less
warm, it contains enough heat to warm your home except in
the most extreme weather.
When the outdoor temperature drops to a point where the
heat pump alone cannot supply enough heat for your home,
electric heaters are automatically brought on to supply the
needed additional heat. At this time, your unit will operate
continuously. This is normal. During a severe cold spell, your
heat pump may run continuously for several days.
To realize the economical operational benefits of your heat
pump, the amount of time the electric heaters are in opera-
tion should be kept to a minimum. These heaters are con-
trolled by the thermostat and come on at about two degrees
below thermostat setting. Therefore, each time the thermo-
stat setting is moved up two degrees, the heaters are
energized in addition to the heat pump. For economical
operation, the thermostat should be set to the desired
temperature and left there throughout the heating season.
The practice of setting the thermostat back a few degrees at
night is not recommended as the heat pump will have to work
harder in the morning and may take a relatively long time to
warm the house to the desired level. It is also uneconomical
as the electric heaters would be energized. A heat pump is
most economical when maintaining a desired temperature.
Under normal operation, the air delivered from your regis-
ters may feel less warm than that supplied from a gas or
oil fired furnace. This is also normal. The heat pump
supplies larger quantities of air at a lower temperature.
This results in more uniform room temperature since the
heated air is closer to room temperature, eliminating hot
areas near the registers. The heated air will generally
range in the area of 32.3° to 37.8°C, more than ample to
heat your home.
It is important that large quantities of this air be delivered.
Restricted air flow will result in high operating cost, poor
heating and possible equipment malfunctions or damage.
Closed registers and dirty filters are the primary cause of
restricted air flow. All registers, supply and return, should be
open and not blocked by carpet or furniture. Filters must be
inspected at least once each month and cleaned or changed
if necessary. We hope you have found this information
helpful. We also want to remind you that your closest and best
source of information is your installing dealer. Be sure to have
your installer go over your system with you and show you filter
and fuse locations and answer any questions you may have.
We strongly recommend a yearly inspection of your unit by
a qualified service technician. Most dealers offer a mainte-
nance or service contract which includes this service.
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