Luvs2Camp
Baton Rouge, LA USA
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I have an older 5er that has a rooftop Duo Therm Heat Pump with a heat strip. What is the difference in a Heat Pump and an Air Conditioner? They both do the same thing, don’t they?
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pianotuna
Regina, SK, Canada
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Hi Luvs2Camp,
A heat pump can be used "backwards" to bring heat into your RV. The heat strip means that it can be used at even lower temperatures than an ordinary heat pump. I'd love to have that technology on my RV.
Luvs2Camp wrote:I have an older 5er that has a rooftop Duo Therm Heat Pump with a heat strip. What is the difference in a Heat Pump and an Air Conditioner? They both do the same thing, don’t they?
Regards, Don
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Luvs2Camp
Baton Rouge, LA USA
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On the thermostat, it has Heat Strip and Cool. How do I get it to bring heat into the camper? When I ust the heat strip, it is not very much heat and we still have to use the gas furnace to warm the place.
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pianotuna
Regina, SK, Canada
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Hi Luvs2Camp,
Heat strips are there to "help" heat an RV--they are not a substitute for a furnace.
I can't help you with the correct way to set up the heat pump as I don't own one. Try reading the owners manual? Good luck.
Luvs2Camp wrote:On the thermostat, it has Heat Strip and Cool. How do I get it to bring heat into the camper? When I ust the heat strip, it is not very much heat and we still have to use the gas furnace to warm the place.
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dougrainer
Carrolton, Texas
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Heat Pumps cannot accomodate a Heat Strip. Are you positive about the model number of the unit? Having a Heat Pump and a Heat Strip is overkill and the wiring cannot be done. What makes you think you have a Heat Pump? The fact that the tstat says Heat Strip and NOT Heat Pump says you have a standard AC with a Heat strip. The difference between a Heat Strip (1500 BTU's) versus a Heat Pump (13,500 or 15,000 BTU's depending on your model) is obvious. Heat Strips are designed to take the "chill" out of the air, and not designed to heat an RV. Doug
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Antique Deere
LaGrange, IN USA
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Heat pumps units will not accomodate a heat strip. You probably have a regular air conditioner with a heat strip. If you will post the model number of the unit, we can advise you.
Bob T
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nbounder
Arizona mountains
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I did a lot of home repair in Phoenix back a few years. About half the homeowners with heat pumps were totally dis-satisfied. When the A/C serviceman was called, his response was "it'll pump all the available heat from the outside world into the house. Unfortunately, there's not enough heat outside at 40 degrees to heat your home. " Then, they'd sell the unfortunate a multi-KW electric heater bolted into the ductwork, and everybody was happy - sort of. Seems heat pumps may be a bit of a scam, to me.
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Center Pin
Fort Langley, BC
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I installed a heat pump in my house 2 years ago and I love it! They are basically a reversible AC. In cool mode, it removes heat from the air in the house and dumps outside, in heating mode it removes heat from the outside and dumps it into the house. The thing about heat pumps is under 40 deg F the efficiency and effectiveness drops off, and they don't blow hot air like a furnace, they blow warm air (~80 deg) so you must move a lot more air. In a residential application you set the thermostat and forget about it. They take forever to warm up a cold house. It's like towing a trailer with a VW bug on a strait flat road, takes forever to get up to speed but once there it can maintain it very efficiently.
Well I kind of got off topic, but they do work great in houses (I save ~50% to my previous heating bills). In an RV I can't see them being the best tool for the job.
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Deen
Vancouver, WA
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nbounder wrote:Seems heat pumps may be a bit of a scam, to me. NOPE, they work VERY well in moderate temps like we get in the NW. Had them for years in the stick house. They do require supplemental heating for cold weather. Our DSDP's have all had heat pumps, they automatically switch to the furnace when the outside temps get to about 38°. You can't get heat strips in RV heat pumps, and the heat strips are not enough to depend on for heat in much more than slightly cool weather.
* This post was
edited 11/03/09 02:08pm by Deen *
Deen - Vancouver, WA
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Bumpyroad
Virginia
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I have heat pumps in two houses. hate em. blow out 85 degree air which feels cool when you are sitting in it. only tie they are comfortable is when it is really cold and the electric back up heat comes on $$$$$$$$$$$.
I have never had them in a RV but I can't believe that they are as wonderful as people say. like a heat strip, some heat has to be lost in the ductwork. and if you are staying someplace that charges extra for electric heat, your AC going full blast will be a clue to $$ you.
bumpy
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