Aux heat turning on and off???

[TwoSnakes]

Hello,
I have a Bryant heat pump with aux heat. This is a new house for us and I don't know its history. Our thermostat has been set on 68 all the time this winter. However, when I get up in the morning the thermostat reads 65. I checked the air coming out of the vents and it was 100+. Then few minutes later I felt a cold draft. It was coming from the vent. I checked the temp and it was pushing 63 degree air.

My thoughts are either the aux heat strips are malfunctioning or there is some sort of cycle setting that is wrong. Either way I'm still worried that the air it's pushing when the aux heat is off is so low. This leads me to believe there is outside air getting in. Another possibility could be the air handler is located in the basement which is over a crawl space and is not heated. The basement is insulated on all sides but it does get cold down there.

Outside temp this morning was 20 degrees.

[Kevin Weaver]

Sounds like the heat pump isn't working. You should be able to go outside and see the fan turning and the large copper pipe should be hot and the little pipe should be warm. You could actually feel those pipes in the basement also. Make sure that the thermostat is calling for heat and/or aux heat.

[TwoSnakes]

I know the fan was running but I'll see about the pipes when I get home today. Other than looking at the thermostat and seeing the temp is set at 68 and the actual is reading 65 i'm not sure how I could tell if the signal is getting to the unit (don't own a meter). So I assume it is calling for heat.

If the thermostat says it's calling for aux heat and the air handler is running should the temp coming out of the vents always stay hot? Or will the heat strips turn on and off.

Thanks

[beenthere]

If the air filter is dirty they will cycle off and on hen the stat says aux heat is on.

[TwoSnakes]

Home now. I looked at filter and it's clean. The temperature inside is fine right now because we get a lot of sun in the afternoon that heats through the windows so the unit is not running. Both copper lines are cool i'm assuming because it has not been running. Getting dark now so the heat should kick in soon and I'll wait for the aux to start. In the mean time I got some model numbers.

Heat Pump = Bryant model # 264ANA042-B
Air Handler = Carrier model number FV4BNF003

Some other threads say different units can cause problems. Might this be the case here?

[BaldLoonie]

No. Bryant and Carrier air handlers are identical.

[TwoSnakes]

I believe I have a bit of inconsistency. The outside temp has dropped to 18. The inside temp is remaining constant and the unit is cycling normally. No fluctuations in the heat. This is like taking your car in to be worked on. As soon as you bring it to the pros everything is ok. Thanks for all your comments. I'll just continue to monitor and see what happens.

[firecontrol]

Sounds like possibly a control issue with the defrost cycle. Being a new place/system for you this could be a good time to find yourself an HVAC contractor for routine maintenance and emergencies. Schedule their visit so you can be there so the technician can explain your particular system, it's setup and functions. This information gathered once can go a long way towards helping you understand any future quirks.

[beenthere]

or you happen to catch it right after it came out of defrost before the indoor coil got hot again.