Original message
| GA82832
 |  "Correct operation of a heat pump & elect heat"
, posted Mon 21 Jan 18:56  
I've heard several different ways people say they work. When the temps are below 15* should the heat pump be running? If so why do they have an outdoor thermostat. When should the aux heat vs. the emergency heat come on? Should the heat pump shut down when the temp set point is reached, I've heard people say it depends on how the thermostat is set up or deadban. If so how should it be set?
As you can tell, this field is new to me but I've had tech's tell me different stories. Not taking anything away from them but some company's do not require any training to work for them. Its all hard knock school, learn as you go. Which in my eyes sometimes that's the best training you can get. I've seen people book smart but didn't have any common sense.
Bud
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Replies:
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| bubbad
| "Re(1):Correct operation of a heat pump & elec" , posted Mon 21 Jan 19:19
You'll probably always get different stories, but at 15 degrees, a correctly operating heat pump can still make some heat. A lot of it depends on your home's insulation, and where it's balance point is - that's the temperature where the heat loss of the structure matches what the equipment is putting out.
As far as outdoor sensors, not every system has them. They can be used for locking out the backup heat until the outdoor temperature falls to a certain level, and for locking out the heat pump itself when the temperatures are very low.
Some thermostats will give you an option to configure at what point the auxilliary comes on, for example, 1 degree below set point, 2 degrees below set point, etc. Now if you have it set up for a 2 degree lag, and it's really cold out, then the heat pump will run until the temp falls 2 degrees in the house, and then the aux. will kick on, but it will shut off when it gets inside that 2 degree window again, and then the process repeats.
So basically you have to see what works best for your home, your comfort, and your wallet.
Hope this helps.
bubbad
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| | GA82832
| "Re(2):Correct operation of a heat pump & elec" , posted Tue 22 Jan 17:58
Thank you very much, this helps.
Bud
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