heat pump

shanandal · 10-03-2014, 08:33 PM

Hi just wondering how many amps my heat pump draws when it kicks in and why it seems to blow cold air at times. We are brand new owners and on a pretty sharp learning curve at the moment so please bear with me if I ask a million (and a half) questions

0nTheRoad · 10-04-2014, 12:30 AM

According to the specs the HP draws 15.4a/1675w.

These heat pumps are not the most efficient I've seen, we use ours when outside temps are over 40-45, any lower temps will make the HP useless, it just blows cool air. When I know the low temps will be below 45º I use the furnace.

Tobys Home · 10-04-2014, 02:03 PM

We love our heat pump here along the shore in CT. With the weather shifting from summer to fall we use our heat pump to keep the unit at 67. We are hovering in the forties at night and so far for the past three years it has kept it just right. Remember you have to move the thermostat only at four degree increments or else it will switch to propane heat.

shanandal · 10-04-2014, 03:03 PM

It sounds like at the right temps.it is kinda handy otherwise a bit of an amp sucking monster? We are at the mercy of 30 amp service. Thank you shannon

Ramblin Roadrunners · 10-04-2014, 03:51 PM

I've been using mine every night and morning. a couple of times it blew cold early morning when outside temps dropped to 30 degrees. I had to switch over to LP.

atom ant · 10-04-2014, 05:53 PM

We have 2 - and it takes a bit in the morning to get it going warm. They don't have a way to start and heat up before the fan kicks on like a furnace does, so you get the initial cold.

Couple of hints -

If the temperature is more than about 15 degrees from the thermostat setting when you turn it on, the furnace will over-ride the heat pump until the temperature gets within about 5 degrees of the thermostat setting.

If you have 2 heat pumps - don't get caught with one on AC and one on heat, or they run like crazy fighting each other in the same duct, and heat wins. I thought I could manage administratively last year, but I continued to repeat the error all throughout this year. We have LR AC on during the day. At night with it cools down, we turn on BR heat pump, but forget to turn of the LR AC. At some point the temp setting collide and they both start running opposite functions.

Foxfire · 10-04-2014, 06:58 PM

On the meter we have installed it seems there is a 3 to 4 amp draw regularly between the light voltage appliances running as the heat pump turns on I'll notice it goes to 18 amps. It seems to drop an amp or two after it's been running for a while. We showed up at the rig the other morning, the rig was 58 degrees I set the heat pump to 70. Yes the furnace kicked on with the heat pump but we were up to temperature in a very short time. Then the furnace shut down and the heat pump has no trouble keeping up with the temperature.

Ian Smith · 10-04-2014, 10:05 PM

Little trick on the thermostat, set the temperature 2or3degrees above the room temperature wait for the heat pump to start then set to desired temperature,heat pump will keep running.

atom ant · 10-05-2014, 06:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ian Smith

Little trick on the thermostat, set the temperature 2or3degrees above the room temperature wait for the heat pump to start then set to desired temperature,heat pump will keep running.

Great tip Ian! I'll have to give it a try.

lwg · 10-05-2014, 07:08 PM

Quick question? Are they real heat pumps or just 1500watt heating elements? There's a difference.

atom ant · 10-05-2014, 07:09 PM

Real heat pumps, where the refrigerant flow reverses. Not sure Redwood ever offered the heat strips.

JerryL · 10-05-2014, 07:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lwg

Quick question? Are they real heat pumps or just 1500watt heating elements? There's a difference.

If they are like most RV AC's that have heat, it is just heat strips added to the AC to blow hot/warm air, which would along the lines of what you are saying, 1500 watts.

JerryL · 10-05-2014, 07:26 PM

AA answered my thought. I had them several years ago on an rv, but they were just strips.

lwg · 10-05-2014, 07:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JerryL

If they are like most RV AC's that have heat, it is just heat strips added to the AC to blow hot/warm air, which would along the lines of what you are saying, 1500 watts.

That's what I assumed as well. I haven't seen any other option on the Coleman website but wasn't 100% sure. If this is true they are essentially 2 hair dryers blowing heat, just for perspective.

Also when we were ordering our unit they tended to not recommend 2 heat pumps in warmer climates as the output of the A/C is apparently diminished.

On edit, they actually might be real heat pumps. See below link. Now I wish I had them...

http://www.rvcomfort.com/rvp/product...top/HP_hp2.php

**Dave&Ginny** · 10-05-2014, 08:07 PM

As Brad had said....they are real heat pumps. Otherwise they wouldn't freeze up in temps below 40 degrees.

Fredtp · 10-05-2014, 09:52 PM

I wish they had heat strips, would save on propane when colder then 40 outside.

**Dave&Ginny** · 10-05-2014, 10:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fredtp

I wish they had heat strips, would save on propane when colder then 40 outside.

I use the heck out of my fireplace for that reason. I've also seen where folks have had these electric infer-red heaters you see advertised on QVC.

atom ant · 10-05-2014, 10:59 PM

These are what I have on my Redwood - Coleman 48004-969 15K heat pumps.

http://www.rvcomfort.com/rvp/products/search.php#23

15,000 BTUH cool - 5,600 BTUH heat each unit. Attached is the datasheet if interested.

They are FANTASTIC! Our Texas Dealer talked us into the 2nd one when we ordered because he knew we lived in Colorado. For vacationers, they are awesome because we are typically mild weather users.

JerryL · 10-06-2014, 02:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave&Ginny

I use the heck out of my fireplace for that reason. I've also seen where folks have had these electric infer-red heaters you see advertised on QVC.

I use my fireplace a lot, like you. I also have a couple of infrared heaters. In real cold weather, I make sure I run the furnace quit a bit, to keep tanks and water lines from freezing.

0nTheRoad · 10-06-2014, 02:30 AM

After being in our rig for two winters I look at the forecast nightly before going to bed, if the temps will be above 40º I use the HP, if lower I switch to the furnace, regardless I typically set the thermostat for 66-67º for cozy sleep.
When I get up in the morning, typically a couple of hours before Ruth, I start the fireplace. When she wakes I'll kick up the temp to 68-69º and we'll run the FP until the coach warms enough, if it's really cold we'll run the FP while we're awake but turn it off before retiring.

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