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  1. #1
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Grand Champion Andre Asagi's Avatar
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    Heat Pump Freezing Up

    I'm having problems with my heat pump freezing up. I was alerted to this one day by a strange knocking noise. Upon investigation, the fan was scraping against a thick build up of ice. I defrosted this manually using salt and warm water.

    The heatpump place suggested that there was a blockage stopping moisture getting out.

    This keeps happening. The exit hole for the moisture appears to be behind what i call the grill.

    I am thinking of drilling another hole in the bottom. Would this work?

    I took some photos last night and you can see the ice building up inside.

    Possibly a seperate issue....

    Going through the photos, i noticed what appears to be a worn wire. It's the photo with the arrow on it. Any thoughts?

    Annoying that my stuff always breaks. I have a 2kw electric heater that lasted a year before it broke. Now this. 20170206_010924.jpg20170206_010932.jpg20170206_010937.jpg20170206_010853l.jpg20170206_010905.jpg20170206_010900.jpg



  2. #2
    drilling a couple of extra exit holes in the bottom cant hurt anything and it should help.
    do you have a drip tray heater kit fitted ?
    never seen anything like that on mine tbh.
    David

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  4. #3
    Heat pumps have been used for heating swimming pools for donkey's years because they are so efficient in summer when pools are used. Naturally, they are now being promoted for koi ponds where they are also excellent in summer.

    However, we mainly need them in winter when they have reduced efficiency and a tendency to ice up if the air is cold and especially if it's damp. If you take heat out of cold, damp air you cause it to drop below freezing point so the moisture in it forms ice on the first cold surface it touches. There isn't anything you can do to reduce icing up in cold, damp weather apart from install an electric defrost device which is a small electric heater and which obviously adds to the running cost.
    Last edited by Manky Sanke; 06-02-2017 at 03:29 PM.

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  6. #4
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Mature Champion AdamKoi78's Avatar
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    I haven't seen anything like this on my heat pump. Can't you alter the defrost setting so it does more defrost cycles? There's quite a few settings on my Duratect. I'm not sure what make and model you have but here is my manual. The pencil values are for winter use
    2017-01-23 14.16.36.jpg2017-01-23 14.16.20.jpg
    Last edited by AdamKoi78; 06-02-2017 at 04:52 PM.

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  8. #5
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Sansai The fin's Avatar
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    My pump freezes up on the fins at the back the same as yours Andre then it goes into defrost mode that soon melts it.
    i don't seem to get the build up of ice in the bottom tray like you do, it seems to drain away ok,maybe the drain hole on yours could be blocked..

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  10. #6
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Kyusai Scamp's Avatar
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    Hi if it helps- I have around a 10mm drain hole in the bottom of mine, plus I retrofitted the defrost kit here:
    Heat Pump Drip Tray Heater Kit [Heat Pump Drip Tray Heater Kit] - £139.95 : HeatPumps4Pools
    mine is not a ASHP from above, but worked fine.simple to fit...it keeps the bottom completely clear of ice. But it draws around 70w when on (below 5 deg)

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  12. #7
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Grand Champion Andre Asagi's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by familyman View Post
    drilling a couple of extra exit holes in the bottom cant hurt anything and it should help.
    do you have a drip tray heater kit fitted ?
    never seen anything like that on mine tbh.
    David
    I don't have a drip tray. It just drips out onto the area underneath. To be honest i had never noticed any moisture underneath.

    However, the first time it froze, when i heard the clunking noise, there was like a glacier underneath it. In fact i'm sure it left behind some roche moutonee after it melted.

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  14. #8
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Grand Champion Andre Asagi's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Manky Sanke View Post
    Heat pumps have been used for heating swimming pools for donkey's years because they are so efficient in summer when pools are used. Naturally, they are now being promoted for koi ponds where they are also excellent in summer.

    However, we mainly need them in winter when they have reduced efficiency and a tendency to ice up if the air is cold and especially if it's damp. If you take heat out of cold, damp air you cause it to drop below freezing point so the moisture in it forms ice on the first cold surface it touches. There isn't anything you can do to reduce icing up in cold, damp weather apart from install an electric defrost device which is a small electric heater and which obviously adds to the running cost.
    There is a defrost option on there and i had a play with the settings after the first freeze over. I think i might have made it worse though.

    If i wrote down the different options, perhaps one of you could tell me which level to set it at?

  15. #9
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Grand Champion Andre Asagi's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by AdamKoi78 View Post
    I haven't seen anything like this on my heat pump. Can't you alter the defrost setting so it does more defrost cycles? There's quite a few settings on my Duratect. I'm not sure what make and model you have but here is my manual. The pencil values are for winter use
    2017-01-23 14.16.36.jpg2017-01-23 14.16.20.jpg
    Thanks for this. I have a CrystalClear heat pump. The interface looks similar. I'll do as i suggested in the post above....being lazy and less chance of me misinterpreting yours.

  16. #10
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Grand Champion Andre Asagi's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Scamp View Post
    Hi if it helps- I have around a 10mm drain hole in the bottom of mine, plus I retrofitted the defrost kit here:
    Heat Pump Drip Tray Heater Kit [Heat Pump Drip Tray Heater Kit] - £139.95 : HeatPumps4Pools
    mine is not a ASHP from above, but worked fine.simple to fit...it keeps the bottom completely clear of ice. But it draws around 70w when on (below 5 deg)
    Is that because yours didn't have a defrost option? Or is it to beef up the existing defrost system? Or is it to just defrost thr drip tray so it doesn't ice up?

  17. #11
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Grand Champion Andre Asagi's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by The fin View Post
    My pump freezes up on the fins at the back the same as yours Andre then it goes into defrost mode that soon melts it.
    i don't seem to get the build up of ice in the bottom tray like you do, it seems to drain away ok,maybe the drain hole on yours could be blocked..
    I think it must be. Thats what Mr. CrystalClear suggested. However, i can't actually get at it to see or make sure it's unblocked.

    To be honest, mine is poorly positioned but that's currently the only space i have for it.

    I think a new, easily accessible hole might help. Or maybe even 2 holes.

  18. #12
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Grand Champion Andre Asagi's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Andre Asagi View Post
    Is that because yours didn't have a defrost option? Or is it to beef up the existing defrost system? Or is it to just defrost thr drip tray so it doesn't ice up?
    Ignore that question. I have just clicked the link so i understand now.

    Interestingly, the bottom picture in the link, shows a wire very similar to the one i was concerned about in my images.

    I wonder if there is already such a device in mine? But that the wire has "gone"?

    Hmmmm.

    Might have to dig that manual out !

  19. #13
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Grand Champion Andre Asagi's Avatar
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  20. #14
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Grand Champion Andre Asagi's Avatar
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    I took some more photos of that thing on the back too and other bits.You can see where it's situated too. It IS the reccommendex 30cm from the fence with the ivy on.

  21. #15
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Grand Champion Andre Asagi's Avatar
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  22. #16
    Quote Originally Posted by AdamKoi78 View Post
    I haven't seen anything like this on my heat pump. Can't you alter the defrost setting so it does more defrost cycles? There's quite a few settings on my Duratect. I'm not sure what make and model you have but here is my manual. The pencil values are for winter use
    2017-01-23 14.16.36.jpg2017-01-23 14.16.20.jpg
    Hi Adam, please can you explain what effect changing the settings have on the Duratech ASHP. I'm guessing it goes into defrost mode more frequently and for longer?

    Thanks Rich
    Last edited by Stickleback; 06-01-2019 at 09:47 AM. Reason: grammer

  23. #17
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Gosai sammy66's Avatar
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    hi guys sorry to here this , things always goes wrong when you need them the most , this is why i went gas in the filter house . i had my break down a few weeks back .boiler parts are easy to get . good luck

  24. #18
    First thing is clear the ice, then check the drainage hole/holes.
    Drip tray heater, worthwhile having.

    I suspect it is de-icing ok, that’s why you have the build up of ice, it is thawing out and not clearing the ASHP.

  25. #19
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Hassai davec's Avatar
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    set Perameter 4 to -5 and extend the cleaning time to 4 minutes if you have it wired into a correct electrical feed it’s just when I had mine it started blowing fuses in Euro plug adaptor if cleaning time set any longer until I got a sparky to change the feed to sockets supplying the heat pump socket with a different breaker and he put me an outside Euro socket on wall so ididnt need adaptor

  26. #20
    Extreme Koi Member Rank = Hassai davec's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by davec View Post
    set Perameter 4 to -5 and extend the cleaning time to 4 minutes if you have it wired into a correct electrical feed it’s just when I had mine it started blowing fuses in Euro plug adaptor if cleaning time set any longer until I got a sparky to change the feed to sockets supplying the heat pump socket with a different breaker and he put me an outside Euro socket on wall so ididnt need adaptor
    Sorry that should be perameter 1 to - 5 and perameter 4 is the length of cleaning change this so it clears grill completely


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