Dometic thermostat setup in 34QS

gordonsick · 05-14-2015, 04:37 PM

I can't figure out the Dometic CCC2 thermostat on our 34QS. I didn't like the heat pump coming on all the time last night. I just wanted the furnace.
Basically, I don't understand what is on zone 1 versus zone 2. I have a furnace with floor vents and two A/C units with vents in the ceiling. The front AC is also a heat pump.

Zone 1 has a heat pump, furnace and cool modes. Does this mean that they bundle the front ac with the furnace? Unfortunately, I can't set different temps for the heat pump and the furnace. Is there a way to split them?

Zone 2 only has cool. Does this mean that it is only the rear ac?

tmmar · 05-14-2015, 05:48 PM

gordonsick,
First of all, congrats on your new 34qs and welcome to the Forums!!
Zone 1 is for the front area of the coach(approximately the middle of the coach forward) and zone 2 is for the rear area of the coach (approximately the middle of the coach back). I'm not sure if your coach has 1 or 2 furnaces. If you want the furnace on for heat, go to zone 1 on the thermostat and scroll through until it reads furnace. Set the temperature to the desired setting and make sure that the fan is set to Auto. Also, make sure that the time is set on the thermostat. If you want to cool the coach, scroll through until it reads cool. You can set either zone 1 (front area) to cool, zone 2 (rear area) to cool or you can set both areas to cool (this will turn both AC's on) . You will can only run either the heat pump or furnace. You can't run both at the same time. And yes, the rear will only AC if your coach has only 1 furnace. You could also try and reset the thermostat in the event it was not done by the dealer. To do this:
Make sure the thermostat is in the OFF mode.
• Simultaneously press the MODE and ZONE buttons. The LCD will display
“IniT” and all available zones.
• Release the MODE and ZONE buttons.
• Press the ON/OFF button to exit system set up
This will cause the thermostat to recognize all the installed appliances (AC's and furnaces).
Hope this helps.
Tom

gordonsick · 05-14-2015, 07:46 PM

Tmmar,
Thanks for this help. I did do an IniT reset, and it helped. But, I'm still worried that I can't seem to set the heat pump to off and the furnace to on in Zone 1. If I adjust the temperature on the Furnace, it automatically gives me the same temperature for the heat pump. I think I was having both run last night (the heat pump is so noisy that it is hard to hear the furnace with it on). Now, today, using Program 2, it is working properly, with just the furnace running. But, I'm worried that the noisy problem will recur tonight while we try to sleep.

dan-nickie · 05-14-2015, 09:27 PM

Gordon, so you are trying to use the 'Program' feature?

tmmar · 05-15-2015, 08:54 AM

Gordon,
As I said in my first post, make sure that the fan is set to auto. If it is not, both the AC fan and the furnace fan will come on when it is heating.
Tom

gordonsick · 05-16-2015, 05:55 PM

Tamar and Dan Nickel,
Thanks for your continuing help.

I am using the Program 1 and Program 2 feature, because I don't know of any way of using the thermostat without the Programs. It might be that my dipswitches aren't set correctly, so I have a reduced set of operating modes.

And, I do have the Fan set to Auto on all of these modes and programs.

But, I've just made an interesting discovery. I was going through the program modes and zones and left the Thermosat showing the Heat Pump mode before I let the thermostat go to sleep. Lo and behold, the heat pump comes on instead of the furnace. That's OK, because it is daytime.

Somehow, I had managed to get the thermostat so that it brought the furnace on and not the heat pump, which is what I wanted at night. And today, I got it to do the heat pump during the day.

Next, I'll wave my magic wand over the thermostat to see if I can get the furnace at night and the heat pump during the day. In other words, I'll let it go to sleep with the night program pointing to the furnace.

dan-nickie · 05-16-2015, 09:55 PM

Now you're getting it. Just set the mode to what you want, set the temp and leave it there. Don't mess with the program features it makes it too complicated.

gordonsick · 05-18-2015, 09:03 PM

Dan,
Somehow, I can only work the Dometic thermostat in a Program 1 and 2 setup. I can't set a direct configuration, like my home thermostat. I assume that this is because of the Forest River factory configuration of the DIP switches.

The big thing that makes it work for me is the understanding that each Program and Zone combination will only work one Mode. And, that Mode is the last one showing when you vacated the programming.

I'll reread the documentation, but I didn't get that concept from the Dometic docs.

Other Berkshires may work differently if they have different DIP switch settings.

dan-nickie · 05-18-2015, 10:10 PM

Okay then, I guess yours works different than mine. I just leave the programming off. the only Buttons I use are the zone and mode.

Sorry I couldn't help.

tmmar · 05-19-2015, 08:52 AM

Gordon,
I would contact Dometic and see if they can tell you how to delete the programs that are set up. Once you do that, I do the same as Dan and only use the zone and mode functions to change to the zone I want and the function I want for that zone. Makes it very easy to control everything that way.
Tom

gordonsick · 05-19-2015, 10:50 AM

Tom,
Well, now that I've got it working in the Program modes, I'd rather not mess with that by trying to learn dip-switch changes. Otherwise, I could have another uncomfortable cold night while I try to wake up enough to debug a complicated thermostat!

Dan,
The only times that I've successfully gotten the thermostat to change what it is doing the by having the words "Program" flashing. In particular, I've never been able to simply push the up or down arrows to increase or lower the temperature, which I can easily do on my home thermostat.

I think that the problems seem to stem from the Dometic being a very powerful thermostat that can be made to function in many different ways. As a result, their documentation doesn't do a good job of explaining how to make the thermostat work, because the operation seems to depend so much on the dipswitch settings.

Thanks to everyone for their advice and help.

seeg · 05-21-2015, 12:54 AM

I suppose you know you can clear the program mode from either zone 1 or 2 by pushing the program button and holding it for 3 seconds. Now I get to tell the thermostat what to do rather than it telling me. Someone set the program mode at the dealership and I prefer to operate the heat and air w/o it. With out the program mode on the up and down arrows function like your home thermostat.

gordonsick · 05-21-2015, 08:10 PM

Seeg,
I did the clear routine and I still have the programs. Maybe I didn't do it correctly, I suppose. But, my inability to clear the programs and other settings suggest that the answer is in the dipswitches, which would not be cleared.

Now that I understand the programs, I think I'll live with them and modify them.

I've got to explain it all to the rest of the family, though.

seeg · 05-21-2015, 08:44 PM

Probably more info than anyone needs:

http://primetimerv.com/download/Comp...structions.pdf

gordonsick · 05-21-2015, 09:47 PM

Seeg,
Thanks for the link to the online manual. I like to have electronic versions of manuals, so this is good. The information in the online manual is almost identical to the pamphlet manual that came with the RV. The pamphlet is dated October 2011, and the online manual is older (July 2010).

Both talk about DIP switches being set at the motorhome manufacturer.

The online manual has an outside temperature button and mine does not (neither the hard copy manual or the thermostat itself).

I don't use the Auto mode, but I see on Page 7 of the pamphlet that it gives heating priority to the heat pump, then the furnace and then a heat strip. That might carry over to my settings, because the heat pump comes on at night when I don't want it to come on.

You may also like: