2 years Lennox heat pump, compressor fail !

[tostaky]

Hi !

I'll try to make myself as much clear as possible (given that english is not my first language !). I live in Montreal (Canada) 2 years ago i've buy a Lennox heatpump (xp14). Everything was fine until 2 months ago. Here the winter can be hard, but most of the time it's ok. So my heatpump was set to let the auxiliary heat (a forced air furnace) make the heat when it's less than -9 celsius outside.

One day, the outside temps was something like 0 celsius) I noticed that there's cold air getting out of the vent instead of heat as usual. I've check the heatpump, it was not on defrost. When they install my heatpump and the Thermostat ( honeywell prestige hd) they told me the code to go in installation mode. So that day i've check all the setting using the code they told me. I've try to change some things and I noticed that O/B valve setting was on O (Cooling). So i've changed to B (heating). That doesn't work. So i've decided to let that go and put my thermostat on emergency heat, this way the heatpump was kind of desactivated.

Todays a give the guy who install my heatpump a call to check that. He open the wire panel and notices that my heatpump was stuck on ''cooling''. I've told him what i've done 2 months ago. I looked at me and told me ''You have blown your compressor by doing that. There's no way i can change that under warranty. It gonna cost you someting like 2000 $ to change that''.

I'm kind of shocked, is there a possibility that there's something less bad than the compressor who gone wrong ?

If i wasn't authorize to ''play'' with my Thermostat why does it give me the code ?

Do you have any advice from now ?

Thanks for reading my long, and maybe confusing, post !

[tostaky]

theduke03 -
> Unfortunately we can't confirm or deny his diagnosis but it should be
> covered under warranty. If you ran it like that for a short time then there
> should not be damage, for example the unit is running in cool mode every
> time it defrosts and that doesn't hurt the compressor. Reguardless that's
> no way to treat a customer. My guess is that there are not many good heat
> pump techs in Montreal so good luck getting a second opinion. Did he say
> what was wrong with the compressor? Did he use a meter?

Thanks for your answer.

For 2 months (from the time i've messed with the thermostat to today) the Heatpump was not running at all because on my thermostat I've chose ''emergency heat'' which trigger only the electric furnace for 2 months.

He doesn't tell me exactly what was the problem with the compressor , i know that he check some wiring withe a fluke meter but that's about it.

Is giving a cal to another contractor, and tell them the truth, so he can come check is a good idea now ?

ANd about changing to O is done but what does it change now ?

[tostaky]

Thanks. Now is to 0 but it's too late, he saw it on B. My fear is that his report (blaming me) will now be at Lennox and if someone comes here and write a different story the first report wiil still put the blame on me.

[heatseeker]

He's blowin smoke. Go thru another dealer and see if your compressor is even "blown" whatever that means. Lennox where I am at does not even ask questions on warranty parts. However there is a labor charge that you would have to pay for unless you have a specific warranty which you probably don't.

[tostaky]

Just a quick follow up of my situation.

I've made someone else come to check the system. He noticed that the compressor won't turn on, he turn off the fan and we can clearly hear the compressing huming (i don't exactly know how to desctibe it). The guy told me that the compressor is ''mecanically stuck'' and have to be change. I ask him what can i have cause this and he said ''many things, we'll have a better idea when the compresor is changed''. He doesn't question the warranty or anything.

From now what can Happen ? If they put the new compressor and found the (reversing ?) valve is stuck on B are they gonna charge me the compressor plus the new valve ? My fear is that i have to pay 700-800 for the new compressor to be install and that will have to pay at least the same amount to have the reversing valve change after that.

whats your thoughts about it ?

[heatseeker]

Just go with the flow and don't open your mouth. Everything will be alright. Chances are your compressor failed because of a bad installer, he will not admit that however.

[tostaky]

This thing is becoming ridiculous, now the last guy that came told me that when he enter my serial number to claim my compressor the system tell him that my ''warranty isn't valid anymore and that he doesn't know why, it's the first time that he saw that ''. So i've call Lennox Canada and Dallas costumer service and they told me that there's nothing on my files that show that but they can't do anything more.

From now...?

[how]

If Lennox has no record of a reason why your compresser wouldn't be covered under warranty, just who is your tech calling to be told that it isn't under warranty. This would be the question to ask him? This would be the time for him to make that call again on a speaker phone in your presense. Hopefully he just mis entered your serial number.

[Chillerman]

Who would install a heatpump in Canada? Compressor, mechanical, they fail. But it still should be under warranty.