How to unstick a reversing valve

I show the symptoms of a stuck reversing valve. This one is stuck partway and is bypassing from high side to low side. This video is part of the heating and cooling series of training videos made. Heres a tip and I tried this on my air source heat pump at home and it worked and the reversing valve has never stuck since. Turn off the unit at the Tstat,leave the indoor fan on.

Heatpump: Reversing Valve will not energize in. Rheem heat pump with heating issues. The reversing valve should not get stuck in the middle of the valve during normal operation. This is one of the leading causes of compressor failure on heatpumps.

If the compressor was damaged while the system was running with the reversing valve stuck in the middle of the valve make sure that a new reversing valve is installed with the new compressor. Try pulling the wire on the reversing valve coil on and off a few times and that may force it to unstick. Troubleshooting the reversing valve.

At this point you might be able to hear a hissing noise from the source of the hot gas bypass. If you are still not sure which of the two components is leaking, place one hand on the compressor dome or the suction line (see Figure points A and B) as it enters the compressor,. This is a goodway to test a reversing valve in a heat pump. Grainger part number is 6YA13. They are in fact, an assembly of two valves : the main valve which actually directs the refrigerant flow in the system, and a pilot valve which controls the main valve.

Stuck valves could be the result of a pilot or main valve problem. In either case, while it is possible to unstick the valve , the fix is almost always, temporary. If it sticks a second time, replace the valve.

The last failure mode is the valve stuck somewhere between positions, which is usually difficult to diagnose. As the valve slides, the refrigerant also helps the valve to change states between relaxed and excite or vice versa. Once the valve has slid into the correct position, the mode has changed. One of the most common problems that can develop with a reversing valve is that is can get stuck. EBSCOhost serves thousands of libraries with premium essays, articles and other content including How you can fix a stuck heat pump reversing valve.

Get access to over million other articles! Angella, this problem sounds like a wiring or thermostat problem to me. That leaves the reversing valve itself as the only thing that could cause this behavior. Would anything else cause a heat pump to malfunction in the above way?

Is there anyway to unstick the reversing valve (even temporarily) without removing it or disconnecting any refrigerant lines? If power exists, then the reversing valve is stuck. There should be a strong magnetic field at the solenoid coil. If you can hear the reversing valve clicking (moving), check the T-stat and make sure it will switch modes.

I was quoted $5for a 4-hour job, but the part seems to be only a couple of hundred. To make scrambled eggs with a waffle maker simply crack eggs into a bowl, add milk and wisk. The unit brand name is airease packaged heat pump.

When in heat mode the valve will not move to let the 410a feron work the heat. A solenoid that receives no power or whose resistance is out of range should be replaced. If the solenoid is in good condition, your next step should be to knock the reversing valve free.

A heat pump which is low on refrigerant charge or has a stuck reversing valve can cause this problem. Please make sure that you are getting volts to your reversing valve coil and that your reversing valve coil is good. If your reversing valve is stuck I would suggest that you check or have your heat pump system refrigerant charge checked. Finally, if you are replacing the reversing valve on a system, it is best practice to replace the coil as well, especially if the replacement valve is manufactured by a different company.

Even if the old coil fits, there is the very real possibility that gaps between the coil and the valve can cause overheating and improper valve operation. The way reversing valve are two valves in one, the nose valve which switches the refrigerant flow in the system. A pilot valve which controls the nose valve position threw systems pressures. When a reversing valve leaks, it leaks from the high side to the low side.

To check for a leaking valve , measure the difference in temperature between the suction line from the evaporator and the permanent suction line on the reversing valve (usually the middle line on the bottom). Most of my experiences on older units is to change out the valve and solenoid. It reverses the flow of refrigerant in the system to make the condenser into an evaporator and the evaporator into a condenser. These valves use the system pressure difference between high side and low side to move the slide in the valve to the different positions.

Hot gas from the compressor enters the reversing valve through tube No. Because the slide is covering the left tube opening (No. 3) and the suction tube opening (No. 2), the hot gas passes around the slide and on to the outside heat exchanger through tube No. Stuck water valves usually occur when calcium and minerals from water build up over time and lock the valve into place.

Since water valves are only turned when performing plumbing work, it can sometimes be years before a valve is turned. The REVERSING VALVE does not work. K Ohms and the New one reads 2. The Unit Heats on both Cool and Heat settings.

Try checking voltage to the reversing valve. Reader follow-up: problem solve refrigerant had been over-charge TEV forced open Thank you for all of you help.