System frequently running

[spidey9879]

Just had a Hydro-Heat QuadroTherm MT5V061SB six ton heat pump, two speed with desuperheater and two 360ft vertical closed loop wells installed. Systems works great but I had a question. I have the thermostat set to 71 (outside temp in 50-60 daytime, 30-40 nighttime) and it seems like the system is running very frequently. Sometimes for just a few minutes at a time, then it'll come back in a few minutes and so forth. It stays in stage 1. Is it normal to cycle on and off frequently? I was told to not program the thermostat to lower temps as this would actually use more energy (i.e. stage 2 or 3) to bring it back up to the desired temp. I'm definitely a newbie when it comes to heat pumps. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks in advance!

[Mark Custis]

...to tell what is really going on. I have not installed that unit nor have I serviced one, so I do not know what the manufacture's control system wants to do.

I can tell you with heat pumps the best bet is to set the thermostat and forget it. Heat pumps shine when they are not required to make wide swings in temperature. So slow and steady wins the race.

Short cycling is also not good because starting a motor costs more power than having it run.

Hope this helps, gotta go emergency no heat.

BTW welcome.

mark

[engineer]

There may be a thermostat installer setting to widen the cycle times. On Honeywells the setting is CPH - Cycles per hour.

Does the system also provide priority water heating? (not just desuperheater)

[spidey9879]

Thanks for the replies. I have a Robertshaw thermostat. I adjusted the swing to 2 degrees for stage 1 and 3 degrees for stage 2 (and 8 degrees for stage 3). It turns on less frequently now, but runs slightly longer to get to the desired temp. Not sure if it has water priority heating or not.