AUX Heat Question

I have a Goodman 3 Ton Heat Pump with backup electric heat and my thermostat is a Honeywell TH6000. The problem is the electric AUX heat kicks on every time I go over 2 degrees, which can be confusing since the thermostat will show 70 when it's really 69.x - which to the thermostat means 2 degrees from "70" is actually 71.

I tried to reduce the CPH for auxiliary heat, but that didn't do anything. I finally set my thermostat mode to 1 Cool/1 Heat (Heat Pump w/o AUX).

Is there a way to change the temperature swings for AUX heat?

Or is it best energy-wise to let it use electric heat if I want to climb more than 2 degrees?

I don't have that option for comfort/economy - only see Furnace Type and different CPH settings in my installation manual. The other 2 points won't work for me without a new thermostat. Different outside weather conditions (temp/humidity) make it feel colder/hotter, so I adjust it.

Set it and forget it.

Any electronic t-stat is going to upstage the heat when it's 2°F or more below set-point. If you've got a 1-stage HP, then when the room temp is 1°F below set-point, the HP alone runs. When it reaches 2°F below set-point, the aux heaters come on. If you've got a 2-stage HP, then 1st stage fires at about .5°F below set-point, 2nd stage fires at 1°F below set-point and 3rd stage (aux heaters) fire at 2°F below set point.

The reason the aux heaters kick on so quickly is because the HP alone doesn't have the Btu's available to raise the room temp 2°F in a respectable period of time. So the addition of electric heat gets the room temp to set-point a lot faster. It's just standard HP operation. If you don't want the aux heaters on, then don't set the t-stat 2°F below any set-point or don't turn it up more than 1°F at a time to raise the temperature.

According to Honeywell tech data, the TH6000 series relies less on temperature difference and more on cycles per hour to determine staging. I usually use 3 CPH for the compressor, and 9 CPH for aux and emergency heat.

As mentioned earlier, set it and forget it is the best approach. Another thing to consider is WITH-IN REASON, worry more about comfort than efficiency. If you are not comfortable, it really doesn't matter how many pennies you save not being comfortable.

Heat pumps are great for saving money, as long as you have the time to save it.

Thanks. That is one of the lines I am trying to cross - efficiency and comfort. This is the first winter in this house and luckily it has been pretty mild, but my electric bill was not comforting. I stopped turning the thermostat down at night and up in the morning (on schedule) - which I am sure increased the bill a few dollars since it used electric heat to warm back up.

When I purchased the house they had baseboard heat and central a/c. I was told my round vents (that blow around instead of down) may not heat as well - which is very true and probably why I need to turn the heat up since it's colder at my level. I have 2 returns in the ceiling and one of them can easily be brought to ground level - do you think that moving at least 1 of the returns down to ground level would help pull the hot air down and provide a better mix of efficiency and comfort? Or would it be a waste of time and money?