Voluntary Heat Pump Recalls and How They Work

Heat pump manufacturers know pretty quickly when they’ve got a widespread manufacturing defect on their hands. They are most common in new models or when some change in the manufacturing process has occurred. They are also often the result of a bad load of parts from a supplier.

Most widespread problems show up when the units are still under warranty. The manufacturer has a list of all consumers who bought the affected model or models of heat pump. The owners of the heat pump are contacted by mail, or in some cases by phone by the local dealer that installed the heat pump. The consumer then makes an appointment to have the heat pump fixed, in most cases at no cost for either parts or labor.

The Most Common Heat Pump Recall Issues

Once again, heat pump recalls occur only infrequently. However, when they do happen, these are the most common problems.

1. Capacitors posing a fire danger: Faulty capacitors can lead to overheating wires and a fire. This is a quick and easy fix for a certified heat pump technician.

2. Problems with a coil: The coils of a heat pump system are essential to the proper working of the refrigerant as well as to efficient heating and cooling.

3. Problems with the compressor: The compressor acts like a pump to circulate refrigerant through the system. When a compressor isn’t working properly, the system won’t effectively heat or cool.

4. Thermostat problems: Occasionally thermostats will be poorly calibrated or worse, be incapable of sensing the right temperature.

How to Find Out About a Heat Pump Recall

As we noted, you should be contacted by the manufacturer. If you are not contacted but have a repair problem, you can call the manufacturer to find out if a general recall has been issued. On rare occasions, a local area manager will authorize a recall that is not company-wide. For example, in coastal regions outdoor coils are treated with a finish that resists corrosion from the salt air. If the job isn’t done properly, units installed near the coast will have troubles while others will not.

You can always contact your local heat pump contractor too in order to find out if a recall has been issued.

If you are purchasing a new heat pump, make sure that you properly register your heat pump as soon as possible. Your registration is what the manufacturer will use to contact you if a recall for your heat pump is ever issued.

charging a Heat Pump with Refrigerant

A heat pump system relies on having the proper refrigerant charge or level. Handling heat pump refrigerant, known as R-410A, requires a license and certification. So, heat pump installation is not a DIY project for most of us. The right tools and gauges must be used to do the job correctly.

Getting the charge right is essential to the performance of the system. A heat pump that is undercharged will heat and cool inadequately. It won’t be able to carry as much heat as it should from one place to another – from inside to outside when cooling and the opposite when heating. Your home will be too hot or too cool, and the heat pump will work overtime to try to catch up. The result, besides an uncomfortable home will be mechanical failure, more repair bills and shorter longevity for the heat pump.

In addition, if the installer does not have expertise, the refrigerant lines might not be attached properly, and that often leads to leaks of refrigerant. When enough refrigerant leaks out, the unit won’t heat or cool at all. So, you can see that handling the refrigerant properly is vitally important to your heat pump working right.

Fine Tuning the Heat Pump System

A heat pump works in conjunction with the air handler (or gas furnace in a dual fuel system) to make your home comfortable. The functioning of the heat pump must be coordinated with the blower motor, especially if you choose a 2-stage or modular heat pump and a variable-speed air handler. When the system is properly tuned, it eliminates blasts of untreated air at the beginning of the cycle. It prevents the system from overheating or overcooling your home, producing temperature swings. Fine tuning a heat pump system takes training, skill and experience.

Don’t Forget Heat Pump Installation Safety

When a system isn’t wired properly, faulty wiring can be a fire hazard. That is reason enough to hire a qualified contractor with good experience to install your heat pump system!

Finding a Competent Heat Pump Installer

It is important to get multiple written estimates for your new heat pump system. This will allow you to find the lowest prices, but it will also give you a chance to interview contractors and find the one with the best skill and experience. When you choose a proven installer and he does the job correctly, your heat pump will run as efficiently as it should for as long as it should and as safely as it should, making your home as comfortable as it should. That’s important!

How Heat Pumps Work

As the name implies, heat pumps carry or pump heat from one location to another. In the summer, they air condition your home by collecting heat inside and carrying it outside. In winter they heat it by reversing the process.

A heat pump is made up of an outside unit known as the condensing unit. It contains a compressor, an outdoor coil, a fan and supporting parts. Inside your home, in the air handler or gas furnace, is the indoor coil for the heat pump. Two refrigerant lines connect the indoor coil to the condensing unit. They are used to circulate refrigerant.

When heating, refrigerant is pumped into the outdoor coil by the compressor. There, it evaporates into a gas and collects heat in the process. Think of water evaporating off of your skin, carrying heat with it and cooling your skin. The refrigerant evaporates into a gas and gets very hot. It’s hard to believe, but there is sufficient heat outside even in winter to collect enough to heat your home, at least when the temperature is not freezing cold. The hot gas refrigerant is pumped into your home through the first refrigerant line. It enters the indoor coil, passes through a valve and condenses back into a liquid. The heat is forced out of it by this process. The indoor coil gets very hot. The blower fan of the air handler circulates air over the coil to heat it before pushing it into your home via the duct work.

The cooled refrigerant then circulates back outside through the second refrigerant line to collect more heat. This process is continuous until enough heat has been brought inside to raise the temperature to the desired level.

The Problem with Heat Pumps on Very Cold Weather

As the temperature outside drops, the refrigerant is able to capture less and less heat. Once the temperatures fall into the mid-30s to about freezing, today’s heat pumps cannot effectively gather enough heat to do the job. When temperatures are very cold, a different heat source must be used. For this reason, heat pumps were not used in cold climates until recently.

Dual Fuel Heat Pumps are the Solution in Cold Climates

Many heat pump brands now make dual fuel heat pumps. They contain a few extra parts that allow them to alternate heat with a gas furnace. The system is set to automatically switch to the gas furnace when the outdoor temperature drops to a programmed number; it switches back to the heat pump when the outdoor temperature rises. The advantage of such a system is two-fold. First, your home is adequately heated. Secondly, the heat pump is used as much as possible. Since heat pumps are much more efficient than even high-efficiency gas furnaces, this gives you the lowest possible heating bills.

If winter temperatures regularly fall into the mid-30s or below where you live, take a few minutes to learn about the advantages of dual fuel heat pumps. You’ll find quite a few in our heat pump ratings. You can read more about them in many of the general articles on this site too.

The Top 5 Heat Pumps

Here are the best heat pumps on the market according to consumer ratings and independent studies done by HVAC professionals.

1. Carrier Infinity Greenspeed 25VNA0 Heat Pump

This modulating heat pump delivers 20 SEER cooling and a phenomenal 13 HSPF heating. This will help you slash heating and cooling costs throughout the year. The modulating compressor delivers variable capacity from 25% to 100%, running at lower levels most of the time. The longer cycles heat and cool more gently, more efficiently and far more quietly. They produce much better temperature balance, more complete air filtration, and when cooling, better dehumidification. All modulating models do this, but this one does it the best of all. The only shortcoming this model has is that it is not a dual fuel heat pump like the last 3 on this list.

2. Maytag Model PSH4BI iQ Drive Heat Pump

This is another energy miser, and Energy Star rated of course with industry-best 22 SEER cooling to go with 10.0 HSPF heating. This Maytag modulating heat pump adjusts heating and cooling in 1% increments to perfectly balance temperatures in your home. Maytag has a very good service record and it annually places several HVAC components on industry top-10 lists. This is a high-performance heat pump that should offer excellent durability too.

3. Dave Lennox Signature Series XP21 Heat Pump

This 19 SEER, 9.5 HSPF heat pump isn’t quite as efficient. Its 2-stage compressor isn’t quite as comfortable, though it does a superior job to a single-stage model, especially when paired with a variable-speed blower. This unit excels in a couple of ways. First, it is a dual fuel heat pump that can alternate heating with a gas furnace. This solves the problem of heat pumps not being effective in cold climates when the temperature drops below freezing.

A dual fuel system gives you the best of both worlds; the more fuel-efficient heat pump provides heat in chilly weather and the furnace takes over when the heat pump loses effectiveness. Secondly, this unit is equipped to accept the Lennox SunSource solar energy modules that, in sunny climates, can generate enough power to run the entire HVAC system. This is a very ecofriendly heat pump.

4. Trane XL20i Heat Pump

Trane has one of the top service records in the HVAC industry and this 2-stage heat pump is a workhorse. The fact that it is dual fuel capable makes it an outstanding choice in any climate. It runs on dual compressors too, to deliver the heating and cooling power you want in extreme weather. The cooling efficiency is 19 SEER; the heating efficiency is 9.0 HSPF.

5. Goodman DSZC18 Heat Pump

With 18 SEER, 9.5 HSPF efficiency, this unit will help you lower energy bills in all seasons. In addition, this 2-stage heat pump has the lowest price and the best warranty of any unit on this list. The compressor is covered with a lifetime warranty, and if it fails in the first 10 years, Goodman will replace the entire heat pump. All other parts are covered for 10 years.

These are the best of the best. There are many other good heat pumps on the market from Carrier, Trane, Lennox, Goodman, Maytag, Rheem, Ruud, Heil, Armstrong and other manufacturers. Our heat pump ratings will help you find the best one for your needs.

Carrier Heat Pump Quality

Carrier gets very high marks from consumers for reliability and longevity. Those factors are a direct result of Carrier heat pump quality. It has one of the top 3 service records in the HVAC industry and that certainly applies to its heat pumps. Quality components are used in every model from the top of the line Carrier Infinity heat pumps to the so-called entry level Carrier Base Series heat pumps.

Every Carrier heat pump carries essentially the same warranty. The compressor and all other parts are backed for 10 years.

Carrier Heat Pump Efficiency

Today’s homeowners want energy-efficient heating and cooling equipment and Carrier delivers. Carrier currently makes the most efficient heat pump in the industry, the Carrier Infinity Greenspeed 25VNA0 heat pump. It offers an outstanding 20 SEER cooling coupled with an off-the-charts 13 HSPF heating, by far the highest available. This heat pump will slash energy use and costs by more than 50% in many homes.

Every Carrier heat pump is Energy Star rated. While not every homeowners needs the Carrier Infinity Greenspeed 25VNA0, the entire lineup is designed to help homeowners in every climate lower their energy bills.

Several of the Carrier Infinity heat pumps are dual fuel models. This means that they can be used in a split HVAC system with a gas furnace. The energy-efficient heat pump supplies heat when outside temperatures are above freezing; when temperatures dip lower and a heat pump isn’t effective, the system automatically switches to the gas furnace for heat.

Carrier Heat Pump Options

Carrier heat pumps offer options for efficiency levels and performance. The 4 series are the top of the line Carrier Infinity followed by the Carrier Performance, Carrier Comfort and Carrier Base Series. For ultimate indoor comfort, you can select the modulating Carrier Greenspeed heat pump. It runs at variable-capacity to deliver just the right amount of heating or cooling to keep your home very comfortable. There are many 2-stage heat pumps that run on low capacity most of time and kick to high only when a boost in heating or cooling is needed. Running on low capacity offers gentler heating and cooling with better temperature balance. The single-stage Carrier heat pumps are more affordable yet still do a very adequate job heating and cooling your home.

Carrier Heat Pump Price

Carrier heat pumps cost more than most, and that is due to the factors that make Carrier the top-rated heat pump brand. They do have a great service record, so you will likely have fewer repairs and your heat pump might last longer than most as well.

See our Carrier heat pump ratings for information on specific models. We also compare Carrier heat pumps with other leading brands to give you the opportunity to review brands and models head to head.

Many of the top heat pump manufacturers make a several lines in a good/better/best approach.  How do Carrier Infinity heat pumps compare with Dave Lennox Signature?  Are those better Trane XLi?  What about the more affordable, lower-level lines?  These include the Lennox Merit, Carrier Base, and Trane XB. How to these series stack up against one another?

The following table will help you compare these series at a glance, giving you information you can use to decide which models might be right for you.  We evaluate these series based on reliability, durability, features, overall quality and price.  The length of the warranty is one of the factors we considered when rating overall quality.

We rate each category 1-10, with 10 being the highest.  In terms of price, we offer a series of “$” signs, with “$” being the least expensive and “$$$$”being the most expensive.  We also give the price a 1-10 rating to indicate whether the series is worth the money – indicating value.

This post provides an overview of the Latitude Series.  Posts on other entry-level series include the Lennox Merit, American Standard Silver, Carrier Base and Rheem Value.  They give you the opportunity to compare series head to head.

Our York heat pump ratings posts give you details that will help you evaluate each model and decide if it might be a good choice for your home.

Overview of the York Latitude Series Heat Pumps

Models: The two models in this series are the Latitude THGF (14.5 SEER/9.0 HSPF) and the Latitude THGD (13 SEER, 7.7 HSPF).

Energy Efficiency: The THGF just meets Energy Star qualifications. The THGD does not.  Both of these models are a good choice in moderate climates.  In warm regions, a heat pump with higher efficiency will be more cost effective.  You’ll spend more for a 16-20 SEER heat pump, but the lower energy bills it produces will pay you back in just a few years. In cold climates, consider one of the dual fuel York Affinity heat pumps for the lowest possible energy bills throughout the year.

Performance: These are single-stage heat pumps that offer on/off operation.  With them, you may experience slight temperature fluctuations. They won’t reduce humidity as effectively in the summer either.  For better climate control, you’ll have to upgrade to a 2-stage heat pump.

Price: These are some of the most affordable heat pumps in their class.  Backed by an excellent warranty, they can be a good value.

Pros and Cons of the York Latitude Series Heat Pumps

The strengths of these units are their lower price and the 10-year compressor and parts warranty that is better than most heat pumps in this price range.

The main drawback of these models is their single-stage operation.  Many homeowners will prefer a 2-stage heat pump that delivers better indoor climate control. In addition, there are some concerns about the quality of the York Latitude Series models, despite their very good warranty.  Keep in mind that most heat pump warranties throughout the industry, including these, only cover labor for one year.  After 12 months, the homeowner pays the labor to have a new part installed, even if the part is under warranty.

Summary

If you want an affordable, single-stage heat pump for your home or cottage, and don’t need high efficiency, the York Latitude Series heat pumps should be considered.

This overview of the LX Series will help you decide if these models are a good choice for your home. For comparable models, see our posts on the Lennox Elite, Goodman SSZ, Trane XR, American Standard Gold, and other mid-level series. You’ll also find York heat pump ratings posts that will give you more details about specific models.

Overview of the York LX Series Heat Pumps

Models: The 3 models in this series are the York LX YHJF (14.5 SEER, 8.5 HSPF), York LX YHJR (13 SEER, 8.75 HSPF), and the York LX YHJD (13 SEER, 7.7 HSPF).

Energy Efficiency: These are standard-efficiency heat pumps.  Only the YHJF is Energy Star qualified.  Heat pumps with this level of efficiency are best for areas with moderate climates – those with both mild winters and summers that don’t get very hot.  Because of their lower price, they are also popular in cottages and vacation homes where part-time use makes the low cost more attractive than high efficiency would be.

Performance: These are single-stage heat pumps.  They offer basic on/off operation that is not as quiet as 2-stage operation and does not heat or cool as gently.

Price: These heat pumps are priced very competitively.  York is working to grow market share and overcome concerns about quality by offering some of the best pricing in the industry.

Pros and Cons of the York LX Series Heat Pumps

The low price of these heat pumps is their biggest plus.  They cost 5%-20% less than comparable units.  The second benefit is the solid 10-year warranty that covers the compressor and the parts.

There are 2 primary drawbacks to these units.  The first is their single-stage operation.  If you’d prefer better climate control, fewer temperature fluctuations and enhanced humidity control, consider a 2-stage model.  Secondly, there are concerns about the quality of the York LX heat pumps.  Their service record is below average.

Summary

The York LX heat pumps, with single-stage operation and standard efficiency, are a low-cost alternative to more efficient 2-stage models.  If you’re goal is to save money on your next heat pump purchase, a York LX Series heat pump might be a good choice.

This post offers an overview of this diverse series.  See posts on other top of the line series such as the Rheem Prestige, Carrier Infinity, Trane XL or Goodman DSCZ in order to compare models. You’ll also find York heat pump ratings posts on the York category page.

Overview of the York Affinity Series Heat Pumps

Models: The models in this series are the Affinity YZH (18 SEER, 10.0 HSPF), Affinity YZF (16 SEER, 10.0 HSPF) and the Affinity YZB (13 SEER, 8.6 HSPF).

Energy Efficiency: The YZH and YZF offer excellent heating to go along with high-efficiency cooling.  They are Energy Star products geared toward climates with temperature extremes.  The YZB is a standard-efficiency model that should not be used where summers are warm – or it will lead to very high utility bills.

Performance: The YZH is a 2-stage model that will produce better temperature balance with few fluctuations between or during cycles.  The other two models are affordable single-stage heat pumps.  All of the York Affinity heat pumps are dual fuel compatible.  That means they can be installed in a split system with a gas furnace.  Heat pumps are heat more cost-effectively in cool weather, but become ineffective when temperature drop below freezing.  That’s when the gas furnace can take over.  Dual fuel heating systems are becoming increasingly popular in cold climates.

Price: York seeks to keep their prices very competitive, so you’ll find pretty good deals on all of these models.

Pros and Cons of the York Affinity Series Heat Pumps

On the plus side, two of these models are Energy Star qualified and may be eligible for utility rebates in your state.  They will certainly help you keep energy costs under control.  The dual fuel capability is also a benefit that will lead to lower utility bills.

The concerns about this series involve the quality of the products.  York does not have a very good service record.  They come with a lower price, but the risk is that you may have more repairs in the years ahead.  The units are covered by a 10-year parts and compressor warranty, but as is common in the industry, labor is only covered for one year – and the labor charge on replacing parts can be expensive.

Summary

York heat pumps are some of the most affordable on the market.  If you’re willing to take the risk on the lower quality, or want an inexpensive dual fuel model, York Affinity Series heat pumps might be worth a closer look.

This overview will give you a summary of what these heat pumps offer.  If you want to see how they stack up against the competition, see our posts on the Carrier Base, Lennox Merit, American Standard Silver, Trane XB or York Latitude models. Or check out our heat pump ratings posts for more details on a variety of models from all the leading brands.

Overview of the Goodman GSZ Series Heat Pumps

Models: The 2 models in the series are the Goodman GSZ14 (15 SEER/9.0 HSPF) and Goodman GSZ13 (13 SEER/8.0 HSPF).

Energy Efficiency: The GSZ14 is an Energy Star rated heat pump and may qualify for utility rebates in your state. At 15 SEER, it’s a good choice in moderate and warm climates.  In very warm regions, you may find a more efficient heat pump to be more cost-effective.  The extra you spend on the unit will be paid back quickly through lower utility bills.  The GSZ13 is a standard-efficiency model that is best suited to very moderate climates or for installation where a low-cost heat pump is more important than high efficiency.  They are popular in vacation homes and other part-time use locations.

Performance: These are single-stage models that run at full capacity all the time they are on.  With a single-stage heat pump, you may notice some temperature imbalance in your home.  If precise climate control is important to you, see 2-stage heat pumps from Goodman and other brands.

Price: The GSZ heat pumps are very affordable.  Goodman offers some of the most competitive prices in the industry.

Pros and Cons of the Goodman GSZ Series Heat Pumps

Price and quality stand out with these heat pumps.  That translates to good value.  The excellent warranty is a plus too. Expect 15+ years of service from these heat pumps.

The downside of the GSZ Series is the single-stage operation that doesn’t offer the indoor comfort that staged heating and cooling does.

Summary

If you’re in the market for an affordable, high-quality heat pump that provides basic heating and air conditioning, the Goodman GSZ Series models are worth a closer look.