Time to replace older heat pump?

[wand]

We purchased a 30-year-old mobile home last spring and have been fixing it up ever since. I've done a little repair to the furnace (a failed relay) but now my heat pump unit (Coleman Model 3424A901) seems to be acting up. A week ago the coils were frozen up (covered with ice). I immediately turned off the heat pump and turned on the emergency heat. I turned the heat pump back on yesterday and heard some weird clicking on and off (outside but couldn't hear it inside).

I suspect the heat pump unit was added at least 15 years ago (maybe you can tell by the model number). The furnace seems to be in reasonable shape although it appears that whoever did the addition of the heat pump didn't change out all the parts with new parts or heat pump assemblies. From what I can tell he added the relay (that failed last spring) and all the necessary piping and A-frame coils to the unit but not anything else.

Would I be better off buying a new (more efficient???) heat pump unit to replace the current unit or repair this old unit. I was also looking at including the hot water heater accessory to recover heat during the summer and save on the electric bill. We are home full-time and have a large electric bill right now.

If I replace the heat pump, do I need to also replace the coil unit? Does the coil unit have much to do with efficiency or is it all of the efficiency gain in the heat pump?

Thanks,

Walt

PS I could find wiring diagrams for the heat pump unit when I ordered furnace wiring diagrams earlier. Are their separate wiring diagrams avaible for the heat pump add-on as I've had a devil of a time following the wiring as it is wired now?

[Robert]

Hi Walt,

At that age, yes, I would recommend replacing the heat pump if feasible. You will need to replace the A-coil as well.


You can call Mark toll free at 1-877-263-7860 and see if he has a wiring diagram for the heat pump.

Probably not, but worth a try.


If not replacing, then I would advise a good hvac tech with heat pump experience to diagnose and repair the unit.


Thanks,
Robert