Ice building up under outside unit

[Slednut]

My neighbor keeps going out with a weed burner and melting the ice that's built up under his outside heating unit. Is this something that happens and it won't be a problem or is there something wrong with the unit? See picture.

 

[mike93lx]

Guessing it is a heat pump running defrost cycle. How cold is it? At a point, heating performance degrades enough for it to not make sense to run the unit as a heat pump. Changes to the setpoint on the thermostat may be needed

 

[4x4Pete]

Usually they are mounted on a stand to prevent this and the possibility of it getting buried with snow. Well at least up here in the frozen north.

 

[Slednut]

Guessing it is a heat pump running defrost cycle. How cold is it? At a point, heating performance degrades enough for it to not make sense to run the unit as a heat pump. Changes to the setpoint on the thermostat may be needed

I thought heat pumps automatically go to electric heat (element) when they can't keep up in heat pump mode. Our temps have been in the low twenties/high teens until today our high is 5 degrees. This is a pretty new heating system. The ice is defiantly from it going into defrost mode.

Now that our temps are near zero degrees I'll watch it and see if there's anymore additional ice.

 

[Slednut]

Usually they are mounted on a stand to prevent this and the possibility of it getting buried with snow. Well at least up here in the frozen north.

The unit is sitting on mounts that are around 6 inches high.

 

[mike93lx]

I thought heat pumps automatically go to electric heat (element) when they can't keep up in heat pump mode. Our temps have been in the low twenties/high teens until today our high is 5 degrees. This is a pretty new heating system. The ice is defiantly from it going into defrost mode.

Now that our temps are near zero degrees I'll watch it and see if there's anymore additional ice.

You can change that switch point on your thermostat. Mine are set at 20.

 

[fitter30]

Trane wants 3 - 12" of the ground. If max snow height would be higher I'd want it above that. Page 4. Neighbor won't be happy till he melts some aluminum fins. Shame on the installer not to know better.

https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.trane.com/content/dam/Trane/Commercial/global/products-systems/equipment/unitary/split-systems/Small%2520Splits/Heat%2520Pumps/18-BC96D1-1A-EN.pdf&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwiW76Goq478AhU_FVkFHaPDCR8QFnoECAoQAg&usg=AOvVaw0aJ19z5mSMAPe2AjFtgC-3

 

[mike93lx]

Trane wants 3 - 12" of the ground. If max snow height would be higher I'd want it above that. Page 4. Neighbor won't be happy till he melts some aluminum fins. Shame on the installer not to know better.

https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.trane.com/content/dam/Trane/Commercial/global/products-systems/equipment/unitary/split-systems/Small%2520Splits/Heat%2520Pumps/18-BC96D1-1A-EN.pdf&sa=U&ved=2ahUKEwiW76Goq478AhU_FVkFHaPDCR8QFnoECAoQAg&usg=AOvVaw0aJ19z5mSMAPe2AjFtgC-3

It's on pump ups/snow legs and a pad. Sure it could be higher, but it meets the spec you quoted.

 

[Jackfre]

Heat pumps in cold climates usually use a base pan heater as well as elevation to allow the melted condensate to drain off. If it cannot drain off it freezes and builds up and….

 

[danski0224]

You can change that switch point on your thermostat. Mine are set at 20.

The switch point will change based upon utility costs.

It isn't really "set and forget".

 

[Phuckin' Jim]

Definitely should have been mounted way higher.
Heating with a heat pump is no fun if you have to continually tend to the outdoor unit.
Ours is mounted about 18" off the ground, and the mound of ice ends up being almost that high.

 

[Slednut]

Thanks everyone, I was hoping he was wasting his time but it looks like he'll need to continue to manage the ice buildup.

 

[Phuckin' Jim]

Once he gets tired of playing with the tiger torch, he'll likely have the outdoor unit raised up.

 

[Jim greengo]

It's on pump ups/snow legs and a pad. Sure it could be higher, but it meets the spec you quoted.

Looks more like its sitting on a tall pad than pump ups in the picture anyway.

 

[mike93lx]

Looks more like its sitting on a tall pad than pump ups in the picture anyway.

The round things look like feet to me. Maybe the OP can clarify

 

[Slednut]

The round things look like feet to me. Maybe the OP can clarify

Yes, round legs about 6-8 inches high, those are sitting on one of those faux cement pads.

 

[Youngandfree]

I thought heat pumps automatically go to electric heat (element) when they can't keep up in heat pump mode. Our temps have been in the low twenties/high teens until today our high is 5 degrees. This is a pretty new heating system. The ice is defiantly from it going into defrost mode.

Now that our temps are near zero degrees I'll watch it and see if there's anymore additional ice.

My heat pump didn't switch to emergency heat with outside temp at 6 degrees. Wife called me saying temp was going down inside with heat pump running. She turned it to emergency heat and it got back to the 69 set temp fairly quickly. Not sure how I'd set mine to automatically kick on. That was the coldest night in 3 winters since we've been here.

 

[mike93lx]

My heat pump didn't switch to emergency heat with outside temp at 6 degrees. Wife called me saying temp was going down inside with heat pump running. She turned it to emergency heat and it got back to the 69 set temp fairly quickly. Not sure how I'd set mine to automatically kick on. That was the coldest night in 3 winters since we've been here.

Should be a setting in your thermostat. You may have to go into an installer menu to access that