Compressor start delayed.


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Old 03-02-20, 06:28 AM
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Compressor start delayed.

Compressor delays coming on. Heat pump has been off for 30 minutes. Thermostat calls for heat. Inside blower comes on. Compressor does not come on for 4 minutes. When it does come on it works as normal. Does it regardless of outside temp. What would make it delay like that?
 
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Old 03-02-20, 10:12 AM
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Welcome to the forums.

Most thermostats and some condenser units have delays built in so that the compressor can't short cycle. The delay time can be 3-5 minutes.
 
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Old 03-02-20, 02:02 PM
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Thanks Pjmax. Well thats what I thought however occasionally it starts up right away. The thermostat is an old mercury thermostat and I don't think that thing has any delay built in. The heat pump is 18 years old, maybe time for a new one but it seems to work good when running. 90 +/-5 degrees out the register depending on the outside temp.
 
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Old 03-02-20, 06:20 PM
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An old mercury type thermostat wouldn't have delay which means the condenser may have a delay module in it. That module could be going bad. Sometimes they get waterlogged and don't time correctly. In most units it's just a $25 module.
 
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Old 03-03-20, 05:30 AM
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Thanks for the info Pjmax. This morning when I got up the compressor came on right away. Then next time it called for heat the compressor again came on right away. Hard to trouble shoot that. It has turned warm here and the outside temp is 50 degrees. Maybe the delay module dried out. Thanks again.
 
 

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