Disable aux heat?

[jxf011]

I have an Amana heat pump system for cooling and heating and I'd like to disable the aux heat. I frequently set the Honeywell TH8000 from 58 to 61 degrees at random times and to keep the aux heat from kicking in I have to setup the thermostat up 1 degree at a time. I'd like to just set it 3 degrees higher to 61 and let the heat pump raise the temp without the aux heat.

Looking in the TH8000 setup, 0170 "System type" is set to:
7 2 heat/1 cool heat pump (with aux. heat)

If I changed it to:
2 1 heat/1 cool heat pump (no aux. heat)

Would this be harmful to the system hardware? I know if it dropped to -10 (or some other cold number) the heat pump might not be able to heat that much but I could set the System type back to 7 in a pinch. I just don't want to hurt the heat pump, air handler, or thermostat by changing the system type.

Thanks in advance,
jxf011

[Southern Mech]

the proper way to do it would be have a pro come out and install a lock out stat, and lock it out below a certain temp, the way you are thinking everytime you need them you will have to go into stat program and change it back.

no you are not going to hurt anything to say, but it's not the right or even close to the right way.

[cobradb]

jfx
see the pict,, if you kn what you're doing you can add a sw in series with the aux wire,, assuming the control board controls the aux heat during defrost.. and you sw it to aux when it gets ... say below 15 deg.
sorry i cant attach the pict,, i put a small slide sw under my honeywell to turn the aux on and off because i move my temp down at night,, i can send you an email showing the sw.
how to attach a pict,,? i dont yet kn.

ugh,, fill in your profile and email

[SonicExplorer]

I have an Amana heat pump system for cooling and heating and I'd like to disable the aux heat. I frequently set the Honeywell TH8000 from 58 to 61 degrees at random times and to keep the aux heat from kicking in I have to setup the thermostat up 1 degree at a time. I'd like to just set it 3 degrees higher to 61 and let the heat pump raise the temp without the aux heat.

Looking in the TH8000 setup, 0170 "System type" is set to:
7 2 heat/1 cool heat pump (with aux. heat)

If I changed it to:
2 1 heat/1 cool heat pump (no aux. heat)

Would this be harmful to the system hardware? I know if it dropped to -10 (or some other cold number) the heat pump might not be able to heat that much but I could set the System type back to 7 in a pinch. I just don't want to hurt the heat pump, air handler, or thermostat by changing the system type.

Thanks in advance,
jxf011

It will work fine the way you suggest, I do the exact same thing for the exact same reasons. IMO the Honeywell stats are very poorly designed in this one regard as they should have had an adustable aux heat gap/droop option. Completely rediculous such an option was omitted. An aux-heat lockout is not a solution by any stretch because that is something that relies upon OUTDOOR temp relations, not indoor. And to change the level of the aux heat lockout still requires going into the programming mode of the stat, so you end up no further ahead than simply changing the system type as you suggest.

[kenney t]

get the propper stat for that application (ex. honeywells IAQ)

[VTP99]

Can you just kill the breaker to the heat strips ? Check your wiring diagram. Of course you will lose any staging.

[Southern Mech]

It will work fine the way you suggest, I do the exact same thing for the exact same reasons. IMO the Honeywell stats are very poorly designed in this one regard as they should have had an adustable aux heat gap/droop option. Completely rediculous such an option was omitted. An aux-heat lockout is not a solution by any stretch because that is something that relies upon OUTDOOR temp relations, not indoor. And to change the level of the aux heat lockout still requires going into the programming mode of the stat, so you end up no further ahead than simply changing the system type as you suggest.

that's a long clueless stab at things, od sensor lockout is to stop the use of strip heat when o.d temps allow the heatpump to put out enough BTU's to gain temp in house. It's called a balance point, if your heatpump is working out or under the balance point of the home you need aux heating no matter what you change your stat to. That there Sonic is why what you said is not an option there my friend.

[Southern Mech]

Can you just kill the breaker to the heat strips ? Check your wiring diagram. Of course you will lose any staging.

most units the same breaker kill all power to the A/H, that will surely stop heat output, give it a try

[VTP99]

most units the same breaker kill all power to the A/H, that will surely stop heat output, give it a try

Going from memory the last Trane all electric air handler i serviced had heat strips on separate breaker. OEM setup on unit.

[Southern Mech]

Going from memory the last Trane all electric air handler i serviced had heat strips on separate breaker. OEM setup on unit.

it's an option, but still most[/COLOR] do not.

[havdaddy]

We all need to remember that if you reprogram the t-stat to 1 heat/1 cool, you will not have any heat during defrost.

[beenthere]

We all need to remember that if you reprogram the t-stat to 1 heat/1 cool, you will not have any heat during defrost.

Thermostat doesn't control aux heat during defrost. The defrost board does.

[jxf011]

Great feedback all, thanks.

The key point is I'm not in a situation where I set the thermostat to 75 when it's 20 outside and the aux heat would be required to come on to reach 75.

I'm moving the temp up from 58 to 61 when it's 20 outside and with "2 heat/1 cool" I get the aux heat kicking on because the temp delta is over 1. The heat pump alone can reach 61 from 58 given enough time (like 7-10 minutes) but the thermostat sees a more than 1 degree difference and my electric bill gets whacked so I reach 61 quicker (maybe 4 minutes).

I don't mind waiting for the heat pump to less expensively move heat from the outside in instead of more expensively creating heat inside the house with the aux elements.

To bad the Honeywell doesn't have a setting like "kick aux heat on when thermostat temp to setting delta is 4 or greater" but it doesn't (does it?). Up to now to go 58 to 61, I set it to 59, wait, get up and set it to 60, wait, then get up and set it to 61. Now that I've set it to "1 heat/1 cool heat pump (no aux. heat)" I crank it to 61 when it's 58 and kick back and let the heat pump magic happen!

I just wanted to be sure that my new Amana asz14024 heat pump and Amana aspf1830 air handler unit wouldn't be damaged in some way by setting the Honeywell to 1 heat/1 cool/no aux. You guys think it won't hurt anything and the no aux heat setting sure is more convenient!