Dead compressor in the heat pump and question for the HVAC experts

[MillCreek]

We have a two-stage heat pump/air handler (electric auxiliary heat) heating system.  Kelvinator is the name on the heat pump, and the system was installed as part of the new house construction three years ago this June.  The heat pump went Tango Uniform on Thursday afternoon after working just fine on Thursday morning.  The panel breaker flipped, and upon resetting the breaker, the heat pump started up and the breaker flipped again in approximately one second.  I thought to myself it was a bad capacitator, motor or compressor and called the HVAC company.

They just left.  The compressor is dead, and they are not exactly sure why, but think the cause will be evident when it is replaced.  They wondered if the purge and refrigerant install at the initial install was done correctly and was the unit working correctly as a two-stage system.  The tech bled some refrigerant off a valve and noted that it smelled normal and not burned.  The exterior coils were clean and intact.  It looks as though the compressor will be covered under the five-year warranty. 

It will be a 4-5 hour job for $ 2100 if the compressor is warrantied and $ 4100 if the compressor is not.  They were able to find the necessary 2.5-3 ton compressor in Seattle and it will be shipped up to the HVAC company in a couple of days.  By signing up for a one year service plan, I was able to reduce certain of the charges by 15% plus getting the annual check out and service call.

So for the HVAC gurus here, any ideas as to the dead compressor?  And more importantly, is there anything I should be doing to prevent future problems? The tech did say that the builder installed relatively low-end systems, and they will probably have a 10-12 year service life before needing replacement.

[Nick1911]

99% of it is making sure you have a good install.  Evacuation to the appropriate level, a filter-dryer, and a correct system charge by the appropriate method.

A grounded compressor isn't something that is caused by the end user.

[Brad Johnson]

Damn well better be covered under the five year warranty. In fact, I'd be after the manufacturer to cover at least some of the labor, too.

Also, being new construction you may have gotten some type of builder's warranty or they may have thrown in some kind of third-party warranty. Check your documentation.

Brad

[slingshot]

The labor should be covered with the warranty as I recall on mine that I had a compressor replaced on.

[MillCreek]

The tech replaced the compressor and some related parts today. He could find no reason for the failure of the first compressor. The amount of refrigerant in the system was a bit lower than he uses, but the refrigerant loops were dry and purged and the lubricating oil were in good shape. The electrical switches, capacitators and control components were working within spec with no signs of electrical arcing consistent with the compressor drawing more current that could lead to premature failure. He installed a larger dryer/filter and expansion valve. He does not think the compressor failure would have been detected in advance and is not something that could have been prevented by the end user. This is in the category of 'stuff happens'. He was here working away for almost five hours, including a detailed checkout of the air handler. Total cost including a three year service contract for annual service calls was $ 2004. I learned that a heat pump system has a lot of complex parts and is going to require more frequent service than the natural gas furnaces that we had prior to this house.

[Nick1911]

That sucks.

You could try sending a nasty-gram to the compressor manufacturer (Copeland/Bristol/Tecumseh/etc), but good luck getting them to admit fault and compensate you for labor.