Unnecessary Emergency Heat!!

[Blister]

http://energy.maryland.gov/Residential/heatPump.html

Agreed on most points, however there is not a linear supplemental heat to heat pump ratio. I am not an engineer designing heat pump systems. There are hundreds if not thousands of people working for Trane, Lennox, York, and the Dept. of Energy much smarter than I am working the calculations on the most energy efficient operation of a home heat pump.

I think I will take the easy way out and follow their instructions on the most economical operation of my heat pump. I see no reason to do the math they have already done(if I could). I can drive an automobile reasonably efficiently, watch TV enjoyably, and use a computer without knowing how to design, and build them from scratch.

Sometimes it's just better to let the smart guys figure it out and enjoy the fruits of their labor.

 

[PeoplesElbow]

Isnt it possible that using the EH for a short period to get the house up to temp is MORE efficient than using the heatpump for a much longer time?
I dont know, i am just asking, but it seems there would be a break even point and it just might be 2 degrees.......

Nope, furnaces that burn stuff are actually more efficient the longer they run. Nobody wants an "undersized" unit they want one that gets the house warm faster. The same holds true with AC/heatpumps.

 

[PeoplesElbow]

Last year I bought programmable thermostats for upstairs and downstairs.. this year I'm setting my heat pump to 72 and leaving it alone.

I think looking back that I cost myself a LOT of money playing with the programmable thermostat, and I'm POSITIVE I didn't buy the "heat pump specific" or one that was compatible with my heat pump..

Same here, I found out just leaving it set to 68 is best for me. Most of us are gone during the day so the logic is to let the house cool down then but during the day when the outside temp is the highest is the best time to use a heat pump because they are more efficient the warmer it is outside.

 

[Gilligan]

Agreed on most points, however there is not a linear supplemental heat to heat pump ratio..

LOL..speaking as a controls engineer with a lot of thermo background, I can certainly relate that! Non-linear system behavior has always been the bane of our existence. I can easily imagine the complexity of the model that is required to determine an optimum control strategy for a combined system like a heat pump with electric or other form of auxiliary heat source.

 

[getbent]

My house was at 64 when I got home around 5:30. I manually turned it up to 66, no Emergency heat kicked on. I tried to do the programmable thing but it didn't work. It seemed pretty self explanatory but I guess I should look for the manual.

 

[BOP]

We have a Nexia "smart" thermostat with our Trane unit, and the backup heat is hydronic (propane-heated). The EH only comes on when it gets below a certain ambient temp. or if we manually command it from the t-stat. Mrs. BOP is home nearly all the time, and most of the time, we keep it between 67 and 69 degrees. Rarely move it more than a couple of degrees, and so far, it's worked out fine. I'll have to track it to see if our bills go down. I hope to shout they will. We'll still probably be using more electricity than our neighbors, though.

 

[1stGenSMIB]

Exactly. Then you have to consider "thermal mass". After the air temp. reaches 70, your sheet rock walls, floors, furniture, and all other items in your home have a mass that must be raised to 70 or they will cool the air, and require the heat pump to cycle on again.

This is exactly why I have stopped programming my heat pump t-stat. We just set it at 66 upstairs and 67 downstairs 24/7, and I installed a pellet stove this fall for when I want to feel warm.

 

[Blister]

Personally my t-stat is set to 75 and will stay there for the heating season, 3 people in the house on 3 totally different work/sleep schedules. When it gets cold I will burn usually about 2 cords of wood in the wood stove. I likes it warm.

 

[terbear1225]

Personally my t-stat is set to 75 and will stay there for the heating season, 3 people in the house on 3 totally different work/sleep schedules. When it gets cold I will burn usually about 2 cords of wood in the wood stove. I likes it warm.

holy cow! stupid t-stat at work is set to 65 but it's still 75 in here. that's way too stinking hot!

 

[Blister]

Then turn it down a couple of degrees. The numbers are just numbers, adjust it to where you are comfortable.