Two Heat Pumps Better Than One ???

[balorenz]

When we ordered our 36FB, I ordered two heat pumps instead
of just one� Two ACs / twice the cooling capacity !!! Two heat pumps, twice the
heating capacity </span>??? </span>The delivered 36FB did indeed come with two ‘heat
pump’ air conditioners, and two thermostats.
</span>One thermostat provided for: ‘cool’, ‘gas heat’, and ‘electric heat’. </span>The other just provided for ‘cool’ and ‘heat’. </span>I never did fully understand how two
different thermostats with ‘heat’/’gas heat’ settings could </span>possibly ‘control’ one single gas furnace???

In practice the ‘electric heat’ is pretty cool! </span>In really cold weather it kicks in the gas
furnace to get the process started then takes over with electric heat. </span>Then if ‘electric heat’ can’t keep up with
the cold weather� then it starts-up the gas furnace again (even with ‘electric
heat’ selected on the thermostat).
</span>Pretty impressive!

BUT </span>my second ‘heat
pump’ sits idle� even with the temperature set to 85 on the ‘cool’/’heat’
thermostat (with outside temperatures in the 30’s).

SO� I’m thinking my second ‘heat pump’ is pretty useless as
a heat source. </span>It does ‘cool’ things
down half way decently, but nowhere </span>near
as efficiently as a refrigerated air unit (without the heat pump option) would
have worked ???

Then to make matters worse�
</span>The ‘heat pump’ that ran almost all night long, until it turned-over
control to the gas furnace, was all iced-up in the morning. </span>Guess when it is in the 30s outside� I should
go with gas heat, instead of trying to save a buck by using ‘heat pump’
electric heat.

Do I assume correctly that a second ‘heat pump’ was probably
a bad investment, AND when the outside temperatures are in the 30’s� use the
gas furnace and not the heat pumps as a heat source???

[lillyputz]

I would look to the owners manuals on there operation then to the dealer.



Lillyputz

[mhs4771]

My understanding of heat pumps is that they are not efficient once the temps get 40 an into the 30's. There reaches a point where it can not longer extract heat out of the cold air.
I will thank you for the post, as we were thinking if we should order the heat pump ACs, but since where we will be for the winter we will pay our own electric, so most likely the heat pump feature wouldn't really save us much.

[Fjkiss]

Stop in and ask a dealer about it sounds like the defrost is not working.

let us know what you find out

[Hunter11]

I agree with fjkiss, I would take it back to the dealer and have them take a look at it. Both heat pumps should be working at the same time not just the main unit.

[wolf59a]

We have a 38BR with two heat pumps, and I think that works very well as long as a few things are kept in mind. I don't want to sound long-winded, but after some research I found that:

Heat pumps are basically air conditioners that are equipped with a reversing valve in the refrigerant circuit. In the summer they work in the usual manner, extracting heat from inside the coach and pumping it out. When it gets cooler and "Electric Heat" is selected on the thermostat, the reversing valve is actuated and the unit now extracts heat from the outside air and pumps that heat into the coach.

The fact that they try to extract heat from the outside air leads to them not being very effective as the outside air gets colder (mid-forties is about the limit), so furnace heat becomes necessary.
Icing up of the unit will occur when it's kept running in temperatures that are too low (in the 30s or less), and it's even worse if it's humid out. Unlike household heat pumps, the ones on our coaches do not have heating strips and cannot go into a defrosting cycle.

The two thermostats in the coach individually control the front and back heat pumps. The front heat pump only responds to the front thermostat, and the rear heat pump only responds to the rear thermostat. The furnace can only be controlled by the rear thermostat; the front one has no direct effect on it.

Also, the coach's basement is never heated by either heat pump (they only use the ceiling ducting, both for heat in the winter and cold in the summer). Only the furnace uses the floor ducting that also goes into the basement and around the water tanks. So when it gets below freezing only the furnace can help with the basement.

Hope this helps!

[KR2011]

I have found that a single infrared heater keeps the house warmer than 2 heat pumps. We have heat pumps now and did not order them on the new house. Plus the infrared heater uses less energy ( great for if you have to pay for your own electricity like in the valley or Florida).

[balorenz]

Heat Pump issue posted February 2nd has been SOLVED !!!

The reason my second heat pump didn't work is because the factory installed the wrong thermostat.

Redwood sent me a replacement thermostat and walked me thru the correct wiring procedure.

BRIAN EMMONS AT REDWOOD WAS AN ABSOLUTE DELIGHT TO WORK WITH !!!

[KR2011]

Great let us know how they work out in cold weather.

[Dave&Ginny]

I'm glad to hear that Redwood is easy to work with. My last trailer was made by Forrest River and they simply wouldn't help at all.

[Flyfisher]

We have had a couple minor problems, some mechanical and some operator error, and our experience with Brian and others at Redwood to get them resolved has been first rate top shelf. I am very confident that any future issues will be handled in a timely and satisfactory manor.

Best to all and safe travels
Brett