Question on heat pump

dpkelly3 · 12-26-2012, 10:32 AM

I have looked through the literature and didn't find the answer.

Does the Dometric heat pump not work in temps below freezing?

That is what I have surmised, can anyone confirm?

Thanks.

NO3putt · 12-26-2012, 11:30 AM

Heat pumps usually work at 40 degrees or better

Witch Doctor · 12-26-2012, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dpkelly3

I have looked through the literature and didn't find the answer.

Does the Dometric heat pump not work in temps below freezing?

That is what I have surmised, can anyone confirm?

Thanks.

The heat pump will still work but at a very low register temp. It would then have to depend on the strip heat to kick on. Depending on what BTU your heat strips are to supplement the HP. will determent the temp at the register with the out door temp below 40. If you only have a 1500 watt heat strip, you would be better off adding an using a separate space heater in combination being they would be on separate circuits. About every 45 mins. it will go into the defrost cycle to get the ice build up off the condenser coil automatically.

RamblerGuy · 12-27-2012, 05:46 AM

The heat pump in our Sunseeker 3100 (Class C) does not have heat strips. It works fine down to about 40 F. At any temperature, it spends more time defrosting when the humidity is higher. One time the temperature unexpectedly dropped to the mid-30’s with light rain. At this temperature and 100% humidity it was defrosting as much as it was heating. For that reason, I switch to the LP gas furnace when it drops below 40 F. I sometimes supplement it with an electric space heater, running on low (I don’t know the wattage at that setting). I use it as much to warm the floor as for heat.
Our Sunseeker has a 30 amp service. The heat pump takes about 12 amps when running, and more when starting. A space heater on high (1500 watts) takes 12 amps. These two plus other odds and ends max out the service. If the water heater (also 12 amps) happens to come on with the heat pump running and a space heater on high, either the breaker at the service post or my main breaker will kick out.

MillerTime · 12-27-2012, 11:23 PM

I have been told that heat pumps are not efficient when around 32°. I want to add one when we install a second unit on our 5er to help on cooler mornings w/o kicking on the furnace.
Our house has 2 heat pumps and we usually switch them over to emergency( heat strips- all electric) when it gets in lower 30°s at night. Seems that they run all the time and makes you a little stuffy if you leave heat pumps on when it gets colder then say 30-34° outside at night.

Witch Doctor · 12-28-2012, 04:33 AM

MillerTime, You are correct, I would make sure you get the strip package included when you switch over and add a hp.

Witch Doctor · 12-28-2012, 05:18 AM

MillerTime, Also you can check a older thread that was called CHEAP HEAT WARNING, you will find the cost to add just a strip heat of 5600 btu's to your exiting ac unit without changing to a HP system. The only problem I found was that you need to add an extra stat wirier. I do not ever run my ac fan on high it makes to much noise and really will not produce that many more CFM. You would in that case use that wire for the strip heat installation and not have to pull new stat wirier....

cfsoistman · 12-28-2012, 08:23 AM

I've been installing Heat Pumps in homes since 1976. Heat Pumps get their source of heat from the outside air. The colder it is outside the less heat they produce. Why anyone would build a heat pump without electric strip heat is beyond me. In cold weather the heat pump will frost up on the outside coil and need to go into defrost in order to clear the frost. How this is accomplished is the reversing valve switches into AC Mode. In a residential application the outdoor fan stops running, the compressor is now sending the heat to the outdoor coil to melt the frost but inside it's blowing cold air. The strip heat comes on to offset the cold air when the unit is in defrost. The other function of auxilary heat strips is to run with the heat pump when the compressor alone can't keep up to the temperature requested. It will also come on when the temperature is raised by more than 3 degrees on the thermostat. Simple explanation of a Heat Pump is It's AC running in reverse. AC - Inside warm air is transferred to outside through the refrigerant to the outside coil, cool air is sent to inside. The cool air coming in contact with the warm/hot humid air inside produces condensate which drains out of the coil. Heat Pump - Same function as AC only in reverse. The condensate now gathers on the outside coil but turns to frost / ice and needs to be cleared. This is accomplished by the system running in AC Mode to melt the outside frost / ice on the outside coil.

MillerTime · 12-28-2012, 10:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gljurczyk

MillerTime, Also you can check a older thread that was called CHEAP HEAT WARNING, you will find the cost to add just a strip heat of 5600 btu's to your exiting ac unit without changing to a HP system. The only problem I found was that you need to add an extra stat wirier. I do not ever run my ac fan on high it makes to much noise and really will not produce that many more CFM. You would in that case use that wire for the strip heat installation and not have to pull new stat wirier....

I'm actually adding a 2nd ac, so I was just going to get a hp for it. Probably get the heat strip too.

RamblerGuy · 12-28-2012, 10:13 AM

Continuing Charlie’s (cfositman’s) discussion of heat pumps, when I had a new system installed in my house about 30 years ago, I studied the heat pump and gas furnace performance sheets. I’m an engineer – I can’t resist digging into stuff like that. (I chose a gas furnace then.) Heat pumps are rated by Coefficient of Performance rather than efficiency. COP is the amount of BTU’s a heat pump transfers compared to the BTU’s it consumes. Heat pumps have been improved, but 30 years ago at 70 F outside the COP was about 3. In the 30’s, it was about 1. In other words, in the 30’s you are only getting the heat into your home (or RV) from the energy that the compressor motor is consuming, which at a COP of 1 is the same as with strip heaters. So why run it and wear out your system when you are getting no more heat than you would with strip heaters? In your RV, just shut the heat pump off when it gets in the low 40’s and run an electric space heater or your LP gas furnace.
This is off topic, but I had my 28 year old home natural gas furnace and A/C system replaced 3 years ago. I had a heat pump installed with a natural gas furnace instead of electric strips as auxiliary heat. Gas is much cheaper to run than strip heaters, it heats up the house very quickly after we have been away, and I can run the gas furnace on a generator during power outages.

RvBill3 · 12-29-2012, 07:22 AM

The HP in our MH is not designed to be the primary heat source. It is useful when its in the 50s and you want to take the chill out of the air. When its colder than that, its time for the LP furnace. The furnace, besides heating the inside, also has heat ducts to the dump valves and water pump, and provides heat around the holding tanks.

IMHO, trying to make the HP do something it wasn't designed for (primary heat in cold cold weather), is unneeded. The LP furnace was designed for that. I had a HP for years at home. It was designed (with electric backup coils) to be the primary heat source. But when temps were in the 30s or below, all you really had was an electric furnace. I celebrated the day we finally had access to gas and could replace the HP with an efficient gas furnace.

RamblerGuy · 12-30-2012, 05:49 AM

I agree with RVBill3 that the heat pump is best for cool temperatures. We bought the heat pump option to reduce LP gas usage. This saves some money but more importantly saves the hassle of getting the LP tank refilled. We prefer to stay in state parks so LP refill isn't always convenient. I installed an Extend-a-Stay kit so I can supplement the relatively small (10 gallon) tank on our Sunseeker with a grill gas tank. Grill gas tank exchanges are fairly common now, although they are more expensive per gallon than getting your own tank refilled.

ACIW · 12-30-2012, 04:50 PM

I have a question! My furnace is coming on without the 110v and staying on but barely getting warm but with 50amp service it's on and off. 2013 325res 5th wheel Crusader, 4th time out, 2nd time with problems, 1st time bedroom slide motor went out. Any advice on this heat situation and I will tell you what I have already done. Thanks!

RvBill3 · 12-30-2012, 05:07 PM

RV furnaces use 12 volt (battery) power for the fan and control circuit and LP gas for the heat source. They do not use 110v power. Make sure gas is turned on and battery is charged (or connect to shore power or generator). My experience is that furnace puts out HOT air (as a home gas furnace does).

Since the unit is new, I would return to dealer for service if possible.

ACIW · 12-30-2012, 07:28 PM

I'm running it by the dealer tomorrow, this is our 3rd trailer and have not had this issue before. It's getting LP and its set to Auto on the fan and furnace for the heat setting, I have only used the heat one other time and it worked well but not this time, I'm thinking it may be the thermostat. It worked fine when hooked up to 50 amp service last time but for some reason when on regular service it now keeps cycling on and off, the exhaust is warm coming out of the side of the trailer but just no heat inside hardly at all. I thought I would just try to run it off the 12v and it runs but does not cycle on and off and still hardly any heat. It's been one problem after another with this trailer.

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