Rheem Heat Pump: Insufficient cooling / pressure problems

Insufficient cooling / pressure problems on a Rheem heat pump: Unit runs but capacity is low; use pressures to narrow down.

Homeowner with a heat pump problem? Call (647) 657-2977 or book a service call — licensed technicians across Vaughan and the GTA.

Applies to: (-)PRL-JEC 2-stage 16 SEER heat pumps: RPRL/UPRL-024JEC, -036JEC, -048JEC, -060JEC

Common causes of insufficient cooling / pressure problems

• High head: dirty outdoor coil, outdoor fan out, overcharge, recirculation, non-condensables
• Low head: low charge, low ambient, bad compressor, closed check valve
• Low suction: dirty filter/coil, low indoor airflow, low charge, restricted metering device or drier
• Improper airflow (should be about 400 CFM per ton)

How to fix insufficient cooling / pressure problems: step by step

1. Verify indoor airflow (340-450 CFM per ton).
2. Clean filter and coils.
3. Check charge using the unit charging chart after 15-30 minutes of stable operation; subcooling normal 9-12°F.
4. Compare discharge/suction/superheat/subcooling/amps against the system problem indicator table (Table 9).
5. If air or moisture in system: recover, evacuate to 500 microns, add filter drier and recharge.

If the unit shows an error code, look it up: Rheem Heat Pump codes

Models

RPRL-024JECRPRL-036JECRPRL-048JECRPRL-060JEC