Atwood A/C with heatpump operation question
Just had one installed and it is much quieter than old unit. In the Auto heat mode the unit will run the fan for six seconds and stop. This action may repeat several times with about forty seconds...
Forum Discussion
The fan might be sampling the room air temperature?
That is my only guess.
I have always thought it beneficial to run the fan constantly (outdoor fan really) on a heat pump to thaw out any frost that might be on the outside coil while the compressor is off, and not heating.
Say it is 45F outside, the heat pump is running, and the outside coil can reach say 30F or 27F to collect heat. Ice or frost can develop on the outside coil. It will quickly thaw out and turn to water once the compressor is off, IF you keep blowing the outside air at 45F across the outside coil.
Also on the heat pump (PTAC through the wall heat pumps at my work) units, I have seen ice build up on the outside coil, to the point that the outside fan is brushing against the ice and causing it to sound like it is going to explode! I take out the units, and replace them with a clean one, and let them thaw out in the maintenance shop. Once thawed out, they are ready to go back into another room. Just leaving the fan run (before the ice got thick) would have thawed it out, and prevented that problem.
However it seems like in your case, turning on the thermostat to 'fan on' will only turn on the inside fan, and not both, so you are out of luck, unless Atwood made a provision to leave the outside fan running while in the heat pump mode, and it is over 40F outside, and the coil sensor is between 20F and 35F. So if you hear just the outside fan running, the Atwood engineers are thinking! like me!
Have fun camping!
Fred.
That is my only guess.
I have always thought it beneficial to run the fan constantly (outdoor fan really) on a heat pump to thaw out any frost that might be on the outside coil while the compressor is off, and not heating.
Say it is 45F outside, the heat pump is running, and the outside coil can reach say 30F or 27F to collect heat. Ice or frost can develop on the outside coil. It will quickly thaw out and turn to water once the compressor is off, IF you keep blowing the outside air at 45F across the outside coil.
Also on the heat pump (PTAC through the wall heat pumps at my work) units, I have seen ice build up on the outside coil, to the point that the outside fan is brushing against the ice and causing it to sound like it is going to explode! I take out the units, and replace them with a clean one, and let them thaw out in the maintenance shop. Once thawed out, they are ready to go back into another room. Just leaving the fan run (before the ice got thick) would have thawed it out, and prevented that problem.
However it seems like in your case, turning on the thermostat to 'fan on' will only turn on the inside fan, and not both, so you are out of luck, unless Atwood made a provision to leave the outside fan running while in the heat pump mode, and it is over 40F outside, and the coil sensor is between 20F and 35F. So if you hear just the outside fan running, the Atwood engineers are thinking! like me!
Have fun camping!
Fred.
