Everything under the milky way sure has a substance that gives it the vigor to carry out daily tasks. For humans, it is the blood that runs through our veins; in automobiles, it is the gas we have to replace now and then. In the case of heating and cooling appliances, it is the refrigerant. The evaporator coil of a heat pump relies on the refrigerant to absorb heat to prevent moisture on the evaporator coil from freezing.
With so much already invested in the purchase and installation of heating devices, it will be upsetting to start spending on part replacement or repairs. This is why it is important to know pronto whether or not the heat pump comes precharged. This article is dedicated mainly to this purpose; continue reading to find out the details.
Do heat pumps come precharged?
Yes, heat pumps come precharged. Most heat pumps are precharged with refrigerants from the factory, so you don’t have to expend extra hundreds of dollars on recharging your newly installed device. If you do not want to take any chances, you will find details on how to know if your newly acquired heat pump needs to be recharged in the latter sections of this article.
How much does it cost to recharge the heat pump?
To recharge your heat pump, you may be required to pay between 90$ to 200$ depending on the system and how much refrigerant you need.
How long does it take for a heat pump to pay for itself?
One advantage that comes with using a heat pump, even though they are more expensive than other alternatives in terms of upfront payment, is that they pay for themselves through savings due to a high-efficiency level. However, this may not materialize fully until you have used your unit for up to 8 to 10 years.
How often does a heat pump need to be recharged?
One thing you need to know is that refrigerants don’t work like the gas in your car that gets consumed as you drive around in them. Heat pumps don’t use up refrigerant when they run, so recharging is not something that needs to be done quite often except if there are leakages. However, as a normal maintenance routine, you can check for possible refrigerant replacement twice a year.
How to check the charge on a heat pump
You can easily check the charge of your heat pump by measuring the hot gas discharge from the compressor. Check below for details.
- Leave the heating system to work for about 20 minutes.
- Connect the vapor line and the electronic thermometer probe at the base valve.
- Allow the system to operate for 10 minutes.
- Measure the outdoor ambient temperature and the discharged gas from the probe with an electronic thermometer.
- The measured temperature of the vapor service valve line must be the same as the measured outdoor ambient temperature Plus 110°F.
For instance, assuming the outdoor ambient temperature equals 45°F, the temperature of the vapor service valve line measured by the thermometer probe should be 115°F. However, it can be concluded that the system is fully charged.
However, in a case whereby the outdoor ambient plus 110° is lesser than the temperature measured using the thermometer probe, then you will need to charge your system by adding refrigerant to the temperature.
Also, if the outdoor ambient plus 110° is higher than the measured temperature, recover the charge so that the temperature can be raised.
Do you have to charge a heat pump?
Yes, you have to charge your heat pump if you want you to want it to keep working at its peak. However, you may not have to charge your heat pump unless there are leakages along the refrigerant line causing the refrigerant to leak out of the system. In this situation, you will have to recharge the system so that the lost refrigerant can be restored.
What is the discharge temperature of heat pumps?
If your unit is properly charged, the normal discharge line should be around 100° – 110° above the outdoor temperature.
How do I know if my heat pump is low on refrigerant?
To know if your heat pump is low on refrigerant, watch out for the telltale signs that will be discussed below.
Hissing sounds
For refrigerants to be transferred from one component within the system to another, a lot of pressure is required. When you have leakages, this pressure can cause your heat pump to start to produce hissing sounds. Just know you are running low on refrigerant whenever you notice this.
Frozen evaporator coil
Your evaporator coil can also show you signs that your heat pump needs to be recharged. Just as said earlier, an evaporator coil is meant to absorb heat, but without enough refrigerant, this can it be possible. This may make your evaporator coil freeze.
You notice water leakages from the heat pump
When you observe that water is leaking out of your heat pump, you may be wondering where it is coming from. Well, it is because your frozen evaporator coil is unfreezing, and you already know what that means: your heat pump refrigerant is low.
You rely more on auxiliary heating for your indoor warm
Another sure way that you need to recharge your heat pump is that most times, you will need your auxiliary heating system to keep your building warm because the efficiency of your heat pump has been so reduced that it can no longer supply the required heat for warmth. Although several other factors may be responsible, lack of sufficient refrigerant is one of the possible causes.
Increased humidity
If a heat pump is properly functioning, it only takes a minimum of 10 minutes to get rid of humidity from indoor spaces, so if you notice a heavy presence of humidity in your room after running the heat pump for several minutes, that can also be an indicates that your heat pump needs to be recharged.
