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question about heat pumps in va (newbie question)

1K views 2 replies 3 participants last post by  biggles 
#1 ·
This is probably a dump question. But I have a heat pump air to air, it sits in the attic. I feel it gets to cold up there in the winter time; it can easily get low 30s. Is it normal for a heat pump to be in an unconditioned attic?
 
#2 ·
where else can it go if the house is built that way? the ducts should be insulated and the blower unit itself has insulation inside. that combined causes very little heat loss. U want to make sure there are no air leaks from the ducts and their joints and that they are sealed and insulated properly. post some good pics here and your location and someone here may help you if it looks substandard.
 
#3 ·
it's a split HP with attic air handler piped to the condenser outside,not a package unit ducted to the outside just to define what you have.if split as most residential are....the return ducted from the conditioned space should be tight and insualted and then the supply ducts and take offs should definitly insulated and sealed.you want the hottest air off the air handler in the winter.and with a 30F attic it will pull heat out of the supply on raw metal ducts and any way it can.quick test on the charge for a home owner to check...with the HP in heating mode just touch that insulated line it should be super hot 120F 140F going into the air handler..that's your compressor super heated freon entering the air handler in the heating mode if it is ice cold during the heating cycle that is your defrost cycle running which is normal on a HP...how are your register temps and check that return for house return but you sure don't want any of that attic air going to the air handler....normal returns are 65F-70F
 
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