Electric heat How do i change my heat pump function into a heat strip function? I do not see a switch that allows me to switch from heatpump mode to emergency strip heating.

Heatpumps are more complex than an AC unit. Yes, there is a difference between a heatpump and an air conditioner. Where the real difference lies is out side in the condenser unit. There's a defrost board out in the unit, and depending on the brand and model, one of the wires will need to be changed so that the gas furnace will not come on. The problem with this, heatpumps use the heat that is available from the outdoors and transfers it to indoor. When the temps outside drop below 50 degrees, there's not enough latent heat to transfer, thus calling the propane furnace to operate. Without the addition of the furnace, you will not be able to heat the area properly. The only way to remedy this, is to remove the propane furnace and replace it with an electric airhandler with a heat strip for "emergency heat". The emergency heat term is used when the temps drop below the temps I mentioned above and calls for the heat strips to come on.

One of the safeties has the unit locked to keep the fan running. Probably a high temperature limit switch.

Usually a unit that has been runnung for longer then normal in the heating mode causes the heat exchanger to get really hot and causes the safety to trip.

The safety will lick out the heat mode and cause the fan to continually run. Other then that it could be the fan limit switch or a bad board.

32 deg s out strip heat will run and if you remove defrost your unit is going to freeze up. When that cold assuming you have a heatpump strip heat is needed .is it a threw wall heatpump?

That's a complicated system that needs a qualified technician to service it. Lots of people can install them and they run fine, for a few years. Your indoor unit, operating on 2 heat elements, will feel like its blowing cold air even though its heating, just not so well. And not like you are accustomed to. Each element (5kw)=22.7amps, on average. So 3 elements operating should trip a breaker. Its probably been operating on 2 heat element plus the heat pump. And now you have trouble with the heat pump. If you can't TRUST the guys working on your equipment, try someone else. A second opinion. Normally a 3 or 4 ton unit will have 15kw heat installed, heatpump or not. 5 ton, 20kw. If yours is a 3-4ton, cooling, the 100amp(or normally two 60 amp) breaker should have been installed upon equipment change out. If yours is blowing cold all the time, something is wrong with your heatpump. The electric heat inside operates only when the heatpump can't keep up(real cold outside), the heatpump is in defrost(then it's actually in cooling mode), or if you have the tstat in aux/em. heat. Try a local trane dealer? Of a technician with 15-20 yrs under their belt. A trane dealer should have trane tech support also. BIG HELP!!!

They don't always use the correct wire colors,if it is labeled w it is for your strip heat,shouldn't hurt to hook it up,most likely they used it for the strip heat,most heat pumps are wired to turn on your strip heat when the heatpump is in defrost mode and it is controlled by the heat pump,you can hook this to the emerg. heat or w2 :)

Do you have electric heat strips for auxillary or backup heat? When the heatpump goes into defrost, the electric heat strips or whatever your source of auxillary heat is, should come on to keep you from feeling the cold air. When the heat pump is in defrost it is essentially operating in the A/C mode, that is why you will feel cold air if the auxillary heat isn't working. You need find out why the auxillary heat isn't coming on if it isn't. It could be do to a bad seqencer or a burnt out element.

Heat pumps require a reversing valve for heat operation on the outdoor section, a control signal to a "O" terminal or orange wire is required for heating and cooling depending on the thermostat and out door unit requirements. The thermostat also has to be heat pump type for the system to operate heat for electric system with heat strip, two stage electric heating.

A heatpump has two sources of heat. One is when the heatpump is operating in normal heat mode, and the other is typically electric heat strips.

The strips come on when the unit is going into defrost, when the unit is not able to keep up with the demand for heat (really cold temps) and when the unit is not working properly.

Whne the strips are on, the T-stat displays "aux-heat" to indicate the strips are in operation.

If the strips are working properly you should have warmer air than with the HP alone. Try switchin it from "heat" to "emergency heat" and see what it will do.

When the HP is not able to keep up with the demand for heat then the heat strips come on, but they typically come on only when the room temp has gotten well below the thermostat setting.

In that situation it would be normal to see indoor temps at 63 degrees when the T-stat is set on 70.

But when you set it to E-heat it bypasses the heatpump operation and goes directly to the heat strips. If they are working properly it should maintain an accurate temp in the home.

There should be electric heat strips in the airhandler.

They automatically come on when the unit goes into defrost, the thermostat is turned up more than 7 degrees over the indoor temp or if the outdoor temp is just so cold the HP cannot keep up.

Tat is your auxillary or emergency heat.

What does the new t-stats installers booklet say that the 0170 function and #2 #7 options are for?

If it is for gas vs elec heat then set it on the elec option.

The difference is that in gas heat systems the blower comes on a few min AFTER the furnace fires up to allow the heat exchanger to get hot.
In an electric furnace the blower has to come on emediatly because the heat strips get hot emediatly and if the blower is delayed the system will shut of in high temp overload.

FIRST YOUR OUTSIDE UNIT PROVIDES HEAT BY USING A REVERSING VALVE TO CHANGE THE REFRIGERANT FLOW.THERE IS NO HEAT STRIPS OUTSIDE SECOND YOUR EMERGENCY HEAT TURNS ON ELECTRIC ELEMENTS INSIDE YOUR AIRHANDLER UNIT.IT SOUNDS LIKE SOMEONE HAS WIRED YOUR UNIT WRONG OR HAS THE THERMOSTAT SET IMPROPERLY.WHEN THE HEAT PUMP CANNOT SATTISFY THE SETPOINT THE THERMOSTAT IS SUPPOSED TO TURN ON YOUR ELEC. HEAT UNTILL THE LOAD HAS BEEN REACHED AND THE HEAT PUMP CAN CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN IT.