I started this as a new thread as I bet many of us have this question. I have a Bosch FHP open loop ES60. When I punch the thermostat up 2 or more degrees the aux heat strips come on, so I understand that, but how else will I know that the aux heat strips (which equal high electric use) are coming on. Is there a visual way or must I look at EWT, LWT and air temps to tell? I suppose all models are different. I don't see any lights on my unit that would indicate the heat strips are running. Can I take the cover off? Thanks
A quick and dirty way I can tell is that the air coming out of the vents is noticeably hotter when the aux heat is on. Feels as hot as my old propane forced air system used to. My thermostat, Honeywell Visionpro IAQ, also has the word "aux" show up on the display.
There is nothing on the unit that will tell you aux heat is on. Some tstats will tell you. I really don't understand why the manufacturers want to hide this info.
How do you tell when heat strip are on That is "tricky" to answer. Especially as we address musicians, pottery makers, and non mechanical people who know NOTHING about hvac. One you can mount a cheap electronic thermometer (Wal-Mart $12.00) on a kitchen supply air outlet. Just feed the electronic probe into the supply outlet. If the heat pump is off you will know it. You cannot heat a house with 55 degree air. If one or two stages of electric heat strips are on and running, you will see it indicated by some sort of temperature rise on the digital thermometer, and trust me you are being charged for it by your power company. I could offer sophisticated ways like installing current clamps that are wired to red lights and things like that but they are all high dollar. If you are a millionaire, it can be done. You could also go to the heat pump unit, open up the electric heat section and put a current meter around one of the high voltage wires to the heating section. But that stuff is not for housewives and ordinary people. Frankly it would be nice if manufacturers put in an inexpensive current clamp into the electric heat section during manufacture and then wired it back to conformable stat to give a positive indication, but homeowners would have to complain to the manufacturer of their unit and Honeywell and White Rogers at the same time, and the manufacturer of the unit would have to ask the question whether the increased cost of doing that would make his product more expensive than his competitor who leaves it out, thus costing him sales to the one who leaves it out.
a more positive way to prove electrical function Those thermostats have been around for years. Yes, they indicate a request or call for heat, but only a "current clamp" that measures current flow (and they are getting cheap these days), measures actual current and "proves" that the circuit: motor, heat strips, etc, is actually running.
" but only a "current clamp" that measures current flow (and they are getting cheap these days), measures actual current and "proves" that the circuit: motor, heat strips, etc, is actually running. " True I'm acting with the presumption that a competant installer has set up the system to respond to a call for auxiliary heat. As OP did not indicate a concern that it may not be working I didn't consider that angle. If our concern is whether aux works, I would turn it on while somebody watches the electric meter.....you'll know. Avoids homeowners testing 240v circuits and costs nothing. If the question is how do we know when it is engaged aside from a 2 degree temp jump, I like the thermostat idea. J
My electric bill was $550 for 34 days. I think I might be running on 100% auxiliary heat strips... so I don't have any temps or guage readings for "normal non-aux heat" to compare it to. But if you think of any other way a layperson can guage whether the heat strips are running 24/7 let me know. Service person coming tomorrow.
If you have DTE unit will have it's own meter. If your thermostat has an emergency heat setting you could use that to compare between what you presume is compressor operation and aux only. If you have Consumers for the electric other things in the house will impact electric meter usage. Let us know what you find out with service tech tomorrow. For what it's worth we are not a week out on our service calls and never have been. That's an awful long time to wait. Joe
"Drive"? FWIW I don't think heat pump mfgs intend to hide aux operation, rather it is the fact that aux is an option and / or field add-on, not integrated into every unit before it ships. I've educated two ASHP owners in the past week about what "aux" or "em heat" means when displayed on a thermostat and what it costs to run it.
