Battery debacle makes me wonder what else to check on my heat pump…

[Kentuckienne]

So the heat pump compressor wasn’t shutting off, even though it’s not that cold today. Let’s call the repair company! No wait, let’s look online first. Here’s something about weak batteries not being able to “call the compressor”… I don’t know nothing about calling no compressor but I know what a battery is. Pried off the thermostat faceplate. Haven’t checked it since the system was installed 13 years ago. Holy cow! The AAA batteries are totally corroded, as are the metal clips that connect them in series, and there’s a bit of corrosion on the metal strip connections the batteries to the motherboard. Ok. Cleaned that off. Ok. Broke the plastic thing holding the metal clip. Ok. Fixed it with superglue, Bondiq and gorilla tape. It all went back together with new batteries. And seems to work. But it makes me ask so many questions.

How do I replace the round button battery without losing the programming? The system was programmed years ago and I don’t really want to figure it out wrong.

Is there anything else I can check, just as a homeowner? I can’t measure refrigerant pressure, but is there a good DIY guide to Stuff You Should Be Keeping An Eye On? So far all I’ve done is shove big rocks under the compressor pad when it tilts and squint at it through the sides. Looks like a compressor. Or is this one of those things I am not supposed to mess with? It’s really hard for me not to mess with things. I found out I can fix a dishwasher, and a washing machine, but a heat pump with propane backup is much bigger and scarier than a dishwasher.

 

[John Gayewski]

So the heat pump compressor wasn’t shutting off, even though it’s not that cold today. Let’s call the repair company! No wait, let’s look online first. Here’s something about weak batteries not being able to “call the compressor”… I don’t know nothing about calling no compressor but I know what a battery is. Pried off the thermostat faceplate. Haven’t checked it since the system was installed 13 years ago. Holy cow! The AAA batteries are totally corroded, as are the metal clips that connect them in series, and there’s a bit of corrosion on the metal strip connections the batteries to the motherboard. Ok. Cleaned that off. Ok. Broke the plastic thing holding the metal clip. Ok. Fixed it with superglue, Bondiq and gorilla tape. It all went back together with new batteries. And seems to work. But it makes me ask so many questions.

How do I replace the round button battery without losing the programming? The system was programmed years ago and I don’t really want to figure it out wrong.

Is there anything else I can check, just as a homeowner? I can’t measure refrigerant pressure, but is there a good DIY guide to Stuff You Should Be Keeping An Eye On? So far all I’ve done is shove big rocks under the compressor pad when it tilts and squint at it through the sides. Looks like a compressor. Or is this one of those things I am not supposed to mess with? It’s really hard for me not to mess with things. I found out I can fix a dishwasher, and a washing machine, but a heat pump with propane backup is much bigger and scarier than a dishwasher.

There's likley nothing you can do other than carefully clean coils to keep your system maintained. Maybe search how to clean air conditioning coils.

Air cooling (and heating in this case) relys on refrigerant flowing from one coil to another and air flowing over the coils. This converts the refrigerant into different states. Without good air flow this makes your system work harder. Keep the air flowing and your system will run better.

 

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[Fitter30]

Turning the thermostat to the off position should shut it unit off unless the thermostat is bad or the unit has a stuck contactor or a signal from something. Haven't seen a stat with two types batteries for 3 0+ years. Newer stats hold the program batteries just used to keep time sometime power the stat if there isn't a common wire.