Furnace vs Heat pump ???

[Frank & Eve]

I am a bit confused about the heat pump. You have a furnace why a heat pump? Not sure when to use it or why. Yes I'm a newbie....appreciate any feed back.

[jtstromsburg]

Heat pump uses only electricity. I have one at home and it saves money. I hear the RV heat pumps are good to about 40 or so °f. Below that, you'll likely need to switch to furnace and/or portable heaters.

Sent by me

[bend302]

Residential heat pumps have an electric coil internal to the air handler and will supplement the heat pump at low temps.

RV heat pumps installed on the roof generally have no supplemental electric heat and are designed to shut off somewhere south of 40 degrees. Then you need the gas furnace.

Also, for those systems that heat the basement storages and plumbing bays, only the gas does that. Because the heat pumps are on the roof, they cannot duct warm air to the storage bays.

Bill

[Witch Doctor]

Originally Posted by jtstromsburg

Heat pump uses only electricity. I have one at home and it saves money. I hear the RV heat pumps are good to about 40 or so °f. Below that, you'll likely need to switch to furnace and/or portable heaters.

Sent by me

X's 2 Consider yourself lucky to have both. I think all units should come with heat pumps..............

[bubbles]

Just curious. Is your AC a heat pump or does it just have a heat strip?

[Frank & Eve]

Originally Posted by bubbles

Just curious. Is your AC a heat pump or does it just have a heat strip?

I wouldn't know...all I know is that on the thermostat there is a setting for Heat Pump and when that is on, heat comes out of the same ducts that the AC does. When the thermostat is set on furnace, heat comes out of the ducts at the bottom of the cabinets near the floor

[Witch Doctor]

Originally Posted by bubbles

Just curious. Is your AC a heat pump or does it just have a heat strip?

I checked into adding just a strip heat 5 kw. They make a kit to do it pretty easy except you have to add another stat wire. Then only thing I think a person can do is either tie on to one end and pull new wire or use the either the high or low wire from the a/c so you don't have to pull new wire could be a big problem if stapled trying to pull new. I never use the high blower setting it's to noisy but still have it on my list to do so I could use that. Just a Thought........

[bgilly]

Originally Posted by gljurczyk

I checked into adding just a strip heat 5 kw. They make a kit to do it pretty easy except you have to add another stat wire. Then only thing I think a person can do is either tie on to one end and pull new wire or use the either the high or low wire from the a/c so you don't have to pull new wire could be a big problem if stapled trying to pull new. I never use the high blower setting it's to noisy but still have it on my list to do so I could use that. Just a Thought........

5kw? How much amp draw? A true 5 kw will draw 41 amps at 120 volts - well above the typical 30 amps service before you even account for the heat pump compressor running. You obviously meant 5000 btu which will draw about 13 amps. Add the amps of the compressor (14+) and you are at borderline of 30 amp service without room for the power converter to maintain the 12 volt stuff.

With power it's all about volts and amps. At 120 volt you have roughly 22 - 24 amps of reserve (you have the fixed draw range of the converter).
Run the electric element on the water heater (12 amps), electric for the refrigerator (5-5 amps), microwave (9 amps) you have to trade-off electric loads to keep from tripping the 30 amp breaker.

As for the question on the heat pump operation; don't think of it as heat like from your furnace. It is sufficient for heating when temps are 50 - 60 degrees with moderate humidity range. If humidity is higher the heat pump won't heat enough for creature comfort although it will raise the temperature.
Experiment with it - maybe even try supplementing with a space heater (although it too adds to the electrical load).

Bobby

[Witch Doctor]

Bobby, you are right I meant 5000 btu, but the compressor will not kick on, the new control board that comes with it locks it out. So really you are only pulling 13 amps plus the blower motor amps. It's just a way to take the chill off noway that would give enough heat off for the unit. In the morning I turn on the fireplace, The intake is above that. Heat rises so it would add to the whole unit and not just the rear lounge area. I really do not camp in cold areas, but even in Goshen we needed it in the early AM. Thanks for the correction.

[bgilly]

Originally Posted by gljurczyk

Bobby, you are right I meant 5000 btu, but the compressor will not kick on, the new control board that comes with it locks it out. So really you are only pulling 13 amps plus the blower motor amps. It's just a way to take the chill off noway that would give enough heat off for the unit..

That's interesting. I haven't researched adding a heat strip much although I have considered it. Typically in heat pumps, the heat strip runs with the compressor and that is how I thought it worked on RV heat pumps. In my head I was adding the 15000 btu of the heat pump and the 5000 btu of the heat strip for a total of 20000 btu - a considerable amount of heat.
A conversion for 5000 btu is about 1500 watts which is around 13 amps. This conversion is whether you use the strip heater or an electric space heater.

Bobby

[Witch Doctor]

Originally Posted by bgilly

That's interesting. I haven't researched adding a heat strip much although I have considered it. Typically in heat pumps, the heat strip runs with the compressor and that is how I thought it worked on RV heat pumps. In my head I was adding the 15000 btu of the heat pump and the 5000 btu of the heat strip for a total of 20000 btu - a considerable amount of heat.
A conversion for 5000 btu is about 1500 watts which is around 13 amps. This conversion is whether you use the strip heater or an electric space heater.

Bobby

This is correct, but why not use it to temper the whole camper instead of just one area this will come out all your ceiling vents. You can find the info at the axcel site who is the distributor and supplies for your a/c and suburban products. If you can't find it let me know I will send you a link. I have a suburban A/C. Pretty simple installation. And by the Merry Christmas to you and your family.......

[bgilly]

Originally Posted by gljurczyk

This is correct, but why not use it to temper the whole camper instead of just one area this will come out all your ceiling vents. You can find the info at the axcel site who is the distributor and supplies for your a/c and suburban products. If you can't find it let me know I will send you a link. I have a suburban A/C. Pretty simple installation. And by the Merry Christmas to you and your family.......

Oh, I agree on "distributing" the heat aspect of using the central air. Actually that is why you can operate the air conditioner fan when the furnace comes on; heat rises so you have the ability to move the air around through the RV using the air conditioner fan.
Our coach lacks furnace diffusers in the front 1/4 area and rear 1/4 but the air conditioner has diffusers throughout.

Merry Christmas to you and yours!

Bobby

[RvBill3]

Originally Posted by blevinseve

I am a bit confused about the heat pump. You have a furnace why a heat pump? Not sure when to use it or why. Yes I'm a newbie....appreciate any feed back.

Heat pump--(yes heat pump, not just electric coil in AC). Advantages, runs on electric so (at a camp site) it costs you nothing. Air distributed through ceiling ducts. Disadvantage--only effective down to about 35 degrees. Warm air is not circulated into air under floor or compartments to keep holding tanks and pipes warm.

Furnace--Runs on 12 volt (for fan and controls) and propane for heat. Advantages--heats with much warmer air than heat pump, through ducts generally at floor level. Can be used when no electric is available (although uses up battery power rather quickly). Heats space where pipes and tanks are under floor to help prevent freezing. Disadvantage--uses your propane.

If I have electric available and outside temperature is 40 or above, I use heat pump. Switch to furnace in lower temperatures or when no electric (of course you could run generator for electric).

[Frank & Eve]

Originally Posted by RvBill3

Heat pump--(yes heat pump, not just electric coil in AC). Advantages, runs on electric so (at a camp site) it costs you nothing. Air distributed through ceiling ducts. Disadvantage--only effective down to about 35 degrees. Warm air is not circulated into air under floor or compartments to keep holding tanks and pipes warm.

Furnace--Runs on 12 volt (for fan and controls) and propane for heat. Advantages--heats with much warmer air than heat pump, through ducts generally at floor level. Can be used when no electric is available (although uses up battery power rather quickly). Heats space where pipes and tanks are under floor to help prevent freezing. Disadvantage--uses your propane.

If I have electric available and outside temperature is 40 or above, I use heat pump. Switch to furnace in lower temperatures or when no electric (of course you could run generator for electric).

Thank you RVBill

[BigJohnD]

After 2 motor homes with heat pumps, we decided they really weren't worth the money for how we camp. We've always preferred the heat strips since they don't care what the temp is. An alternative we've used on other units is 2 tower heaters. Put one under each AC intake, or reasonably close since heat rises, run the AC fan only on low and you get the same or similar result as the heat strip. Doing this we've always had success keeping everything warm. However in addition to that set up, we always did set the furnace around 50 degrees, just in case.

[Witch Doctor]

I agree with all, but it is proven fact that if you temper your air in the return it will come out alot warmer. The point is that you can run a 1500 watt heater and the heat strip together being they are on different circuit. Try plugging in 2 stand alone heaters it will trip a breaker every time. If you do not temper the air coming out of the registers all you are going to do is get a cold blast of air about 10 degrees cooler then the units temp inside. It's the product of air movement. The air is moving to fast to hold any real BTU's. In the 80's people use to try and install a return air above the firer place in there homes, I don't even remember how many my company installed even through we recommended against it. But the customer was always right and we explained it but they still wanted done. So we did it and not one person thought that it helped that I know of. You just lose that btu by the movement of air speed (cfm). That's why a heat strip is better. If you are going to do that set up. it will help temper the air before it hits the duct work