Need a really dumb, basic dual fuel setup

[CircusEnvy]

I need the dumbest simplest thermostat for my father in law who has a dual fuel system. Ever since I replaced his heat pump a few years ago and put in a 3-wire Aprilaire (only 5-wires to thermostat), this man aggravates me to no end. Every season it’s a 15 minute teeth-pulling phone call trying to get this old man to switch it over from heat to cool or vice versa. I’ve even set it on auto and yet somehow he manages to get it back into single-mode and acts like he doesn’t know how to use it. I do not want to resort to running a new wire if all possible.

I was thinking of just getting a 1H/1C mechanical thermostat, but I don’t know what dual fuel kit will read the OAT and automatically switch between heat pump and oil. All the ones I’ve seen operate with a heat pump thermostat, but without a common, I don’t even want this man to worry about batteries. Are there any mechanical heat pump thermostats out there? What’s the simplest, cheapest way I can set this up?

[beenthere]

Th5320U 1001. Its not mechanical. But it is push button. Has a larger screen than the older 5220s did.

[Snapperhead]

You might as well keep talking him through it every season

Otherwise you might be replacing the T stat to a simpler one , plus adding Relays ran by a Mechanical T-stat .... to swap over to back up heat

[CircusEnvy]

Th5320U 1001. Its not mechanical. But it is push button. Has a larger screen than the older 5220s did.

Yeah I was thinking of that because I do have a salvaged one on the truck, then I figure I would just order a Goodman electronic dual fuel kit.

[RLJN]

I had an 85 year old man with a heat pump.
He would end up with the fan "on" and then stuck on emg heat.

His was a mechanical with levers on the top.
I drove nails into the paneling so the fan switch had to stay on auto and another to keep him from going all the way over to emg heat.
The little nails out of wire staples work good.

But don't know about dual fuel control application.
There was a simple board that went on the furnace for switch over to dual fuel.
Worked for awhile...was cheap...was not very reliable. It was named after the inventor IIRC.

[Adlerberts-Protege]

Set it and lockbox it.

[Adlerberts-Protege]

Or better yet, get him a WIFI thermostat and lock the screen. Control it from your phone.

[ga-hvac-tech]

Bill Porter DF kits

https://www.ecmdi.com/dual-fuel-control-30343

Get the board AND the outdoor temp sensor...
Then use a standard HP t-stat... so you can switch to E heat (furnace) if you want to...

[Restaurant Mech]

Why not just use an a19 mechanical stat with the bulb outside?
Figure out where you want the heat pump cut out set at.
Run the heat pump off normally closed terminal. And furnace off the normally open terminal.
Probably the simplest and most reliable analog way to do the switchover.
I do this on heat pumps for customers that I fear may not understand digital multi stage thermostats.

[JayMan7]

Just use a relay that's literally the easiest and cheapest thing you can do.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

[HAWK71]

We have started using the ecobee thermostats and they come with a wire saver module. Seem to be working nicely.

[Poodle Head Mikey]

I would have to sketch it out to be sure - but can't you wire W to power the fuel-unit directly - although through a N/C contact?

But power the relay coil through a remote-bulb stat so that when the outdoor ambient temperature is above the change-over point - W powers Y and O and G via N/O contacts?

Use a snap-action H/C wall stat. <g>

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I need the dumbest simplest thermostat for my father in law who has a dual fuel system. Ever since I replaced his heat pump a few years ago and put in a 3-wire Aprilaire (only 5-wires to thermostat), this man aggravates me to no end. Every season it’s a 15 minute teeth-pulling phone call trying to get this old man to switch it over from heat to cool or vice versa. I’ve even set it on auto and yet somehow he manages to get it back into single-mode and acts like he doesn’t know how to use it. I do not want to resort to running a new wire if all possible.

I was thinking of just getting a 1H/1C mechanical thermostat, but I don’t know what dual fuel kit will read the OAT and automatically switch between heat pump and oil. All the ones I’ve seen operate with a heat pump thermostat, but without a common, I don’t even want this man to worry about batteries. Are there any mechanical heat pump thermostats out there? What’s the simplest, cheapest way I can set this up?

[Restaurant Mech]

After lot's of thought and research on which dual fuel stat to set up for less tech savvy customers I've decided on and been installing the t6 pro 6320u with the outdoor sensor.
Completely automatic for the customer, only really mode and fan buttons, they work really well on auto.
Nice staging with the electric backup when they want more heat quickly.
Drawback is that to set it up properly you are basically pulling a 10 strand stat wire.
But the positive is that once properly set up the customer doesn't have to do anything but adjust set point.

[hvacvegas]

Why not just use an a19 mechanical stat with the bulb outside?
Figure out where you want the heat pump cut out set at.
Run the heat pump off normally closed terminal. And furnace off the normally open terminal.
Probably the simplest and most reliable analog way to do the switchover.
I do this on heat pumps for customers that I fear may not understand digital multi stage thermostats.

Exactly how we used to do it, and Goodman even had a kit for it, before all the fancy stuff.
Tell it that it's gas.
Y brings on o and y outside.
W goes through bulb, above temp hits contactor, opens a relay for O.

Below temp goes back to furnace.

[actech2]

Yes on the Goodman outdoor thermostat. We are a Trane dealer but use those. Cheap easy reliable Kinda like me.

[kklobas]

Honeywell 8000 and od sensor is all automatic