Auxiliary lockout temperature

[ambergems]

I'm trying to learn how to adjust our heat pump's auxiliary lockout temperature. Please, any assistance would be fabulous because it seems to be set pretty high...



thanks!


amber

[beenthere]

Then you would need to post the brand and model number of your hemostat and heat pump.

[martyinlincoln]

Also post if the back up heat is gas,oil or electric and what your utility rates are.

[ambergems]

its a goodman heat pump, i do not know the model (i was poking around the box outisde and in the basement)

we have a Honeywell thermostat TH6320U1000

our backup heat is electric. its all electric...

[ambergems]

7.544 cents per kilowatt is our electric rate

[cjpwalker]

That thermostat is not capable of locking out auxiliary heat on its own. Depending on how your system is wired there may be an outdoor thermostat installed at, near, or inside of the heat pump.

Keep in mind that sometimes people will disconnect auxiliary heat altogether to save money.

[ambergems]

how can i disconnect the auxiliary heat? will it damage the system? I live in Pennsylvania and our winter is checking in at 14 degrees f... what do i need to look for when looking for an outdoor thermostat?

[beenthere]

You don't want to disconnect your aux heat. unless you want your house temp to drop.

[ambergems]

okay then. how do I lower the lockout temperature?

[second opinion]

okay then. how do I lower the lockout temperature?

First determine that you have a lockout available




First determine that your sy

[duckman06]

I would not disconnect the aux. heat either. With the temps you have in your area you will need it when the heat pump goes into defrost to keep up with the heating demand.

As others have said you first need to know if your t-stat is capable of locking out the heat pump! If not you would need to have it replaced with one that does. In my area (which does not have the cold weather) like yours we never lockout heat pump their is no need as we have very mild winters.

To be honest on my system I have only seen aux. heat come on twice this year and it has gotten to 27 here in Lousiana which is cold for us! Why are you trying to adjust it? Is it current set up bothering your comfort?

[beenthere]

okay then. how do I lower the lockout temperature?

The TH6220 does not have lock out ability. So either an outdoor stat must be added. Or you need to get a thermostat that has lock out ability.

Do you use its set back feature? If so, don't, your costing yourself money if you do.

[kangaroogod]

You will always want aux heat and never want to lock it out. It should be set up so that when you desire more than 1-2 degrees more than set point your thermostat, aux heat will run simultaneously with the heat pump. Your aux heat should also come on when the outdoor unit goes into its defrost cycle. If you lock out your aux heat al low temps your house will not stay warm. It comes on because your heat pump cannot keep up with the load.

[duckman06]

The TH6220 does not have lock out ability. So either an outdoor stat must be added. Or you need to get a thermostat that has lock out ability.

Do you use its set back feature? If so, don't, your costing yourself money if you do.

There you go Beenthere found out that it was not able to do this so as he stated you have 2 options. New t-stat or outdoor sensor....

I would go for the new t-stat personally but that's me. The question now is why do you feel that the lockout is set to high. Since the t-stat does not have the ability then something else might be going on with the system? Please post back!!!

[cjpwalker]

how can i disconnect the auxiliary heat? will it damage the system? I live in Pennsylvania and our winter is checking in at 14 degrees f... what do i need to look for when looking for an outdoor thermostat?

Sorry to confuse... I would never suggest eliminating aux heat, just suggesting that someone ahead of you may have done that if your system is not keeping up.

[duckman06]

Sorry to confuse... I would never suggest eliminating aux heat, just suggesting that someone ahead of you may have done that if your system is not keeping up.

Very good point. While I don't see often in my area anything is possible. To the OP how old is your system and have you always had a problem?

[ambergems]

The aux heat costs much more than the regular heat, and I personally would rather be a little more cold than spend exorbitant amounts of money for heat, which I am anyway because the aux heat was switching on when the thermostat was set at 60 degrees!

Yes, we use the setback features in my house, I am very familiar with them.

The major reason for my concern was that last year the heat was switched to EM heat for the entire month and we wound up paying $600 for that month. Last year was our first year with the heat pump, and nobody had the education to understand it fully. We rent and were given no manual or run down of instructions of do's, don'ts and how to's with the new unit. I understand oil and gas much better than this (crap). Plus my landlord had his cousin instal it - they are Vietnamese and don't speak much English and are often irritated when you don't understand them immediately.

So you can understand why I didn't just get on the phone to ask them!


So, as far as what everybody is saying,
1.)I understand that my thermostat is not able to lock it out its self.
2.)I need to have an outdoor thermometer on the pump its self to determine the lockout temperature.


So my big question is this;
how do I know what it is set at in the first place? How does the pump KNOW what the outdoor temperature is?

I am sorry but most of the answers here are vague at best. I would like to know physically what I need to be seeing on the heat pump when I go outside to look at it. can anybody give me any ideas?

[beenthere]

Currently you have no lock out on your aux heaters. Set back should not be used on heat pumps with electric aux heat. Better to set it and forget it.

Since its not your heat pump. You nee to have your landlord install a thermostat with out door sensor.