Help with maximizing efficiency of new heat pump system

[chill67]

Just moved into new home with York heat pump md#YHJR30S41S3A, air handler md#AHE30B3XH21A, 2 stage heat strip kit #HK16501506A. Stat is a Braeburn 3200 series, 1 cool, 2 heat. Both stages of strip heat are wired together, should I replace stat with Vision Pro and seperate stages of strip heat?? Should I energize one or both stages of heat during defrost cycle??
Thanks for the input!

[buzhall]

if i was gonna replace a stat id use a honeywell,its like a chainsaw,if it aint a sthil its junk

[jtrammel]

Yea I would stage it with 15kw bc you will likely never need 15kw, even in an emergency situation 10kw is more heat than your heat pump will produce at 100% capacity. 5kw would probably be enough for defrost and auxillary and it would save some pretty big $$$$ on utility usage. 15kw = ~50k btu/hr, 10kw = ~34k btu/hr and 5kw = ~17k btu/hr and your 2.5 ton hp at full capacity is 30k btu/hr

[barbar]

Turn off the fan and heaters during defrost. Just not required!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Install a proportional controller and a solid state drive for the elements.

[54regcab]

I'd "split" the heat strips. Hook the AUX from the stat to the 10KW element. Hook the 5KW element to the defrost wire from the condenser. The 5KW heat would be enough to temper the defrost action. It's an easy wiring change and you could keep your existing stat.

[chill67]

Spoke to honeywell this week and they advised me that do not have thermostat capable of staging my 5kw and 10 kw seperately. Although 54regcab suggestion is a simple wiring change, I would still like to bring on 5 kw as 2nd stage and 10 kw as 3rd stage. Guess Ill have to install outdoor stat or time delay for 10 kw. Unless someone has more input???
Thanks

[54regcab]

The higher end White Rodgers thermostats have multistage capability built in for the AUX heat strips. 5KW for stage 1, 10KW for stage 2. Hook the defrost wire to the 5KW or 10KW heat depending on how warm you want the air during defrost cycle. Pick up an outdoor sensor also to control operation of heat strip/compressor above/below certain outdoor temperatures.

Look for the stats marked 4 heat/2 cool on heat pump. I think the 1f95-1291 offers the best value, it even has humidity control capabilities.
http://www.emersonclimate.com/en-us/...ermostats.aspx

[chill67]

Thanks, I knew there was a thermostat manufacture that had something that would do what I wanted.

[54regcab]

I think the ecobee may be able to control 2 stages of AUX heat also.

[behappy]

Spoke to honeywell this week and they advised me that do not have thermostat capable of staging my 5kw and 10 kw seperately. Although 54regcab suggestion is a simple wiring change, I would still like to bring on 5 kw as 2nd stage and 10 kw as 3rd stage. Guess Ill have to install outdoor stat or time delay for 10 kw. Unless someone has more input???
Thanks

I have no clue who you spoke to with HW... But BULL####!
The YJ is a heat pump no?

Three stage heat stat, you are talking IAQ or Vision Pro.
I would really use an outside stat for the last stage W2

[chill67]

Yes, 13 seer heat pump. Vision Pro TH8320u1008 (For example), programmed for 2 cool \ 3 heat heat pump works as follows as I understand it. 1st call for heat makes Y, 2nd call for heat makes Y2, 3rd call for heat makes aux. Although this could work, I would also have the potential to have 5 kw of heat on in the summer if y2 were to make a call for cooling and I had my 5 kw heater wired to Y2.

[garyed]

To make it simple why not just disconnect 5kw if you've got 15kw on a 2 1/2 ton HP. I doubt you'd ever notice much of a difference in power consumption. If the AH is easily accessible you could put a simple manual switch you could flip on if you ever needed the full 15kw. If you really want to stage it I would suggest an adjustable outdoor t-stat & you could use the same t-stat you have.

[junkhound]

To make it simple why not just disconnect

Amen. +1, etc.

In own home, totally removed the resistance heat, thus obviously does not come on during defrost either.

We seldom get under 20F here, so maybe you do need to keep some resistance heat capability in KY?

[BaldLoonie]

Vision Pro IAQ and Prestige IAQ both will stage 15kw backup in 10 and 5 increments. So will Aprilaire 8910 which is similar and less money. But regular Vision Pro stats and most others will not.

[beenthere]

Spoke to honeywell this week and they advised me that do not have thermostat capable of staging my 5kw and 10 kw seperately. Although 54regcab suggestion is a simple wiring change, I would still like to bring on 5 kw as 2nd stage and 10 kw as 3rd stage. Guess Ill have to install outdoor stat or time delay for 10 kw. Unless someone has more input???
Thanks

Don't know who you talked to at Honeywell, but the TH8300 series, the IAQ, the HD all can control your aux heat staging. They have W2 and W3 terminals.

Download their install manuals and you'll see.

[beenthere]

Yes, 13 seer heat pump. Vision Pro TH8320u1008 (For example), programmed for 2 cool \ 3 heat heat pump works as follows as I understand it. 1st call for heat makes Y, 2nd call for heat makes Y2, 3rd call for heat makes aux. Although this could work, I would also have the potential to have 5 kw of heat on in the summer if y2 were to make a call for cooling and I had my 5 kw heater wired to Y2.

The IAQ can control 2 stages of heat pump, and 2 stages of aux heat.