TechGromit
Advanced Member
Posts:634
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| 09 Oct 2013 07:44 PM |
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I turned on my Waterfurnance heating system today, I haven't been running it very much because the weather been pretty warm, and I noticed a strong burning smell coming from the vents. I opened the system up, but nothing is obvious to me what is making the smell. The backup heating coils weren't on, replaced the air filter, I do so every 3 months, It was due in a week anyway. Is this a sign something is going on it? The compressor was pretty hot when I touched it, but I think is would be hot to heat the air. Or is this just dust in the system that has to burn off and after a few days the smell will go any?
- Thanks.
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joe.ami
Veteran Member
Posts:4377
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| 10 Oct 2013 10:43 AM |
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I wouldn't worry unless it persists. |
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Joe Hardin
www.amicontracting.com
We Dig Comfort!
www.doityourselfgeothermal.com
Dig Your Own Comfort! |
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Alton
Veteran Member
Posts:2164
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| 11 Oct 2013 02:49 PM |
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If the compressor gets too hot, the paint will peel. Sometimes the top of the compressor will actually deform in some systems. |
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Residential Designer &
Construction Technology Consultant -- E-mail: Alton at Auburn dot Edu Use email format with @ and period .
334 826-3979 |
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joe.ami
Veteran Member
Posts:4377
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| 12 Oct 2013 09:46 AM |
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"If the compressor gets too hot, the paint will peel. Sometimes the top of the compressor will actually deform in some systems."
???where have you seen this? |
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Joe Hardin
www.amicontracting.com
We Dig Comfort!
www.doityourselfgeothermal.com
Dig Your Own Comfort! |
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Bill Neukranz
Veteran Member
Posts:1103
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| 13 Oct 2013 06:10 PM |
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Posted By Alton on 11 Oct 2013 02:49 PM
If the compressor gets too hot, the paint will peel. Sometimes the top of the compressor will actually deform in some systems. That is interesting. Something I didn't know. Here's a 13 month history of the temperature of a compressor's hot gas discharge line, measured directly at the point of juncture with the compressor housing: http://www.welserver.com/perl/plot/...gerant.png , for 2 normally operating WaterFurnace Envision 2 stage variable speed geo units. These are R410a units. Nowhere does the data suggest paint peeling or housing deforming high temperatures. Highest temps are in heating mode at around 165°F. Best regards, Bill |
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Energy reduction & monitoring</br>
American Energy Efficiencies, Inc - Dallas, TX <A
href="http://www.americaneei.com">
(www.americaneei.com)</A></br>
Example monitoring system: <A href="http://www.welserver.com/WEL0043"> www.welserver.com/WEL0043</A>
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Alton
Veteran Member
Posts:2164
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| 13 Oct 2013 07:46 PM |
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I should have said that the unit that got too hot was a RUUD air-to-air heat pump. Two identical units, sitting side by side, and one that got too hot lasted only seven years.
The company that replaced the unit said this can happen when the unit is too low on refrigerant. I was there when the HVAC repairman opened the unit so I know no one did a switcheroo. The identical unit is still working without any problems. |
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Residential Designer &
Construction Technology Consultant -- E-mail: Alton at Auburn dot Edu Use email format with @ and period .
334 826-3979 |
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Bill Neukranz
Veteran Member
Posts:1103
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| 13 Oct 2013 11:31 PM |
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Here's an example of what happens to the compressor's temp when refrigerant is leaking. This is an illustration for a WaterFurnace Envision 3 ton two stage variable speed unit, that runs with R405a refrigerant, and runs almost exclusively in in 1st stage.
In Nov. '08 refrigerant started leaking from the evap coil about a year after installation, due to a screw having been drilled into the evap coil, and then patched, all at installation time.
In heating mode normal compressor temp is around 165 degrees. Hear we see the compressor getting upwards of 190 degrees, due to continuing refrigerant leakage.
So yep, a compressor running for years on low refrigerant is going to run hot, with certainly a reduced lifetime.
The same phenomena can be observed below in 2010. In this case the replaced evap coil developed a refrig leak and had to be replaced. The steady and continuous compressor temp rise beyond 135 degress was the alarm signal to the WEL unit that something's again wrong. The evap coil was again replaced.
(BTW, this is an example where the WEL unit, providing energy monitoring, and specifically monitoring compressor temp, issued alarms such that the evap coil units were replaced before damage could occur to the compressor.)
Best regards,
Bill |
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Energy reduction & monitoring</br>
American Energy Efficiencies, Inc - Dallas, TX <A
href="http://www.americaneei.com">
(www.americaneei.com)</A></br>
Example monitoring system: <A href="http://www.welserver.com/WEL0043"> www.welserver.com/WEL0043</A>
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engineer
Veteran Member
Posts:2749
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| 20 Oct 2013 09:06 AM |
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If paint peels off a compressor case owing to high temperature, the compressor is not long for this world. At elevated temperatures, the lube oil thins and then decomposes. Winding insulation decomposes, acids form. 200*F is probably OK, much above that, not so good.
Burning smell upon first use of heat is nearly always dusty aux strips. OP may not have been aware they were running. Sometimes all it takes is a 2-3 degree delta between thermostat setpoint and room temperature to bring them on. The filaments run very hot, and a summer's worth of fine dust burns off in seconds. It takes very little dust to render a horrible smell, but it passes quickly.
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Curt Kinder <br><br>
The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is - Winston Churchill <br><br><a href="http://www.greenersolutionsair.com">www.greenersolutionsair.com</a>
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