Heat Pump Repair

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John Holdman just got through saying that there are many lesons to learn in real estate. Well, I got a $300 lesson today. (ouch)

I had the heat repair guy out today because one the the heat pumps wasn't doing a good job. I can't afford to have tenants move out because the heat is weak when it's 20 degrees out.

The big problem was that the exchange coils inside the air handler were completely gummed up. Too many years of tenants running the furnace without changing the filters.

The stuff wouldn't vacuum off. The repair man used a long handled wire brush to scrub it off. Then he sprayed coil cleaner on the coils.

It more than doubled the air flow, and it was something I could have easily done myself, except that he pulled the unit out of the case in order to reach one side, and I probably wouldn't have risked doing that for fear of damaging duct work or plumbing.

The furnace needed a new sequencer and the outside unit got a diagnostic to make sure it was OK. I couldn't have done either of those, so the cost wasn't 100% loss.

But at any rate, I am now adding "clean coils inside the air handler" to my routine when I prepare a vacant unit.