We live in Jacksonville Florida. In August 2009 I purchased a new Goodman 4 ton heat pump system, R410 with a Variable speed air handler. GSZ2130481 & AEPF4260616

(Note, I purchased this unit from a wholesale company new in box with warranty, I installed the condenser and air handler / attaching the ductwork myself. I hired a licensed AC company to hookup the wiring and do the initial start up.)

During the summer months it worked great and cooled fine, my electric bill came down by at least $50.00 a month. The problem is now that we're using the heat, were hearing swooshing sounds and a water running sound. It starts sounding OK, but then after about 5 minutes or so, a loud swooshing or air rushing sound starts, the noise last just a few seconds and then it sounds like the system is working a little harder, then in another 5 or 10 minutes it will make another swooshing sound and then it sounds like it is running a little smoother. Somewhere in between the swooshing sounds there is also a water running sound. My last unit was a Rheem heat pump system and it never made any noises like this.

Shortly after the original install the PVC drain line fell off the elbow coming out of the air handler and soaked my living room. He forgot to glue the lines together. During the install the AC representative said he was wiring the air handler up as a 5 ton rather than a 4 ton which is what I have, saying it would give me a higher seer rating and work better. I also just discovered that the AC representative forgot to install the 60 amp breaker, I just switched the 50 amp that was installed and replaced it with the 60 amp but I don’t see any improvements.

The sounds this unit is making is way to loud to be normal, I need to have it inspected to see if it’s been hooked up properly but I hate to call the same AC company back because of all the little things that were forgotten the first time.

I know this was a lengthy post and I apologize, but if anyone could share some light on what’s going on, I would appreciate hearing from you. I would like to know a little more than I do now before having someone else come out to look the system over.

Thanks in advance, Marchal

I think it would pay you to get someone out to check it out, I would say the guy that wired it up and started it up did his job. It ran OK with no problems. The installer is responsible for the other things that was done wrong. If you the installer are not a qualified Goodman contractor in most cases you wont have a warranty

Although I don`t understand how someone wired the furnace up as a 5 ton unit if it is a 4 ton piece of equipment,, maybe he changed the blower speeds, I have had no experience in variable speed blowers as I have talked my customers out of them,, when it comes time to replace it (and the time will come) the motors cost somewhere around or above $600.00, and that's just for the part,, labor is extra
again I think I would have it checked by a service tech

Have the HVAC guy remove the flow rater from the system and install an expansion valve instead. Your noise will probably go away. You might also have them install a hard start kit if needed.

This sounds similar to a problem I had with my Trane Air Handler. I purchased mine 5 ton Trane from a Trane certified dealer. On mine, the pan drain was partially, then fully stopped up, allowing water to build up in the air handler pan. The Blower Wheel was picking up water and sloshing it into the unit creating a swooshing and running water sound. My Air Handler is in my attic. The Trane contractor improperly constructed the drain line trap causing frequent stoppages and installed the AH 3 inches out of level. The excess water ran to the lowest place of the air handler then into the emergency sheet metal drain pan that had no hole for a overflo drain line beneath the unit where it then overflowed into the ceiling because the contractor hadn't hooked the overflo drain line back up. Finally, I got a competent Trane contractor to rebuild the drain system correctly. I learned one thing from this experience. Check out the references of any dealer you use yourself beforehand or you will regret it to the day you buy another unit. This Trane dealer came highly recommended by Trane. He couldn't have been worse. I was constantly on the phone with Trane within 2 months after mine was installed. They were ABSOLUTELY no help whatsoever in getting my problem solved. They thought the sun rose and set with this dealer. All Trane did was pass the buck. The installation couldn't have been worse. The owner used to be on the local Air Conditioning Board. When the City AC Inspector came out he never looked at anything and stuck his approval sticker right on the compressor and walked off. He never looked at the Air Handler as he didn't go into the attic. Be sure to get any installation inspected if you have to pay extra for it. This dealer doesn't handle Trane anymore but does American Standard. Proper installation means ABSOLUTELY everything.