Is my Pentair Ultra Temp heat pump toast?

[markw]

We lost flow to the heat pump while it was running. It of course sensed this and shut down automatically. We've never lost flow to it before, so this is a first.
We restarted the heat pump, and when the compressor kicked in after the usual 5 minute startup countdown, it was much louder than normal and almost like a grinding sound, so we shut it down. It was left turned off overnight.
I reset the breaker on the electric panel, started the unit again today, and after the 5 minute normal startup countdown, no loud noise, but I can tell it's not kicking in and running as usual. Instead, I can hear a slight hum as the compressor tries to fire up and do something.
I'm wondering if there's some other safety related part that tripped or fried to spare the overall system, or what the likelihood of one component being toast vs the whole unit being junk now could be. Any repair pros or other members who have faced a similar situation? I'm fairly handy with just about anything so getting into the unit and swapping things does not bother me, but unsure how to diagnose the underlying failure and what might need to be reset or replaced on the unit.

 

[markw]

Found another person's youtube clip. This is what mine sounded like when we started it back up the first time after the auto shutdown from losing water flow.

 

[ajw22]

Check the contactor in the heater. We have seen a few that have melted a wire.

Pentair UltraTemp Heat Pump - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

 

[markw]

Check the contactor in the heater. We have seen a few that have melted a wire.

Pentair UltraTemp Heat Pump - Further Reading

www.troublefreepool.com

Thanks - will do! When they have melted like that, the unit still tries to run? In any case, were you just able to strip and reconnect or was there an underlying issue that caused the wire to melt which also needs attention?

 

[ajw22]

Thanks - will do! When they have melted like that, the unit still tries to run? In any case, were you just able to strip and reconnect or was there an underlying issue that caused the wire to melt which also needs attention?

Fan runs but compressor will not run to generate heat. Your wire may not have melted yet but may be going causing the compressor to create the noises.

Pentair has replaced the contactor and wiring under warranty.

 

[markw]

I checked the wiring after removing the exterior and electrical panels. Everything looks brand new - no visible issues of melting, etc.

 

[ajw22]

Does the fan run?

Does the compressor run?

Does the HP generate heat?

 

[markw]

Does the fan run?

Does the compressor run?

Does the HP generate heat?

Fan runs. It does the normal start delay for 5 minutes, then I can hear the compressor humming or slightly buzzing for just a short bit, then nothing, then it tries again moments later. Would the compressor overall be the most likely failure if we had a water flow failure to the unit? I'm trying to determine whether the sensing capabilities in the unit that cause and auto shutdown trip something, fry some lesser part, or if the whole compressor is toast when that happens.

 

[ajw22]

Could be a blown capacitor that starts the compressor.

Things like a low or high refrigerant trip should display a code on the panel.

 

[markw]

Could be a blown capacitor that starts the compressor.

Things like a low or high refrigerant trip should display a code on the panel.

Thanks. I'll look into the capacitor angle. So far, no codes, and the service light is not on either. I need to do some searching to see if Pentair repair/service tech manuals are somewhere on the web too, beyond just the owner's manual I have on hand.

 

[ajw22]

See the Service Menu on page 21. Input Status and Output Status

https://www.pentair.com/content/dam/extranet/pentair-pool/residential/manuals/heaters/ultratemp/ultratemp-heat-pump-installation-and-users-guide-en-fr-sp.pdf

 

[markw]

See the Service Menu on page 21. Input Status and Output Status

https://www.pentair.com/content/dam/extranet/pentair-pool/residential/manuals/heaters/ultratemp/ultratemp-heat-pump-installation-and-users-guide-en-fr-sp.pdf

This is awesome! Thank you so much for taking the time to point me in the right direction. I really appreciate it