Disable heat strips
#1
12-03-05, 09:26 PM
Disable heat strips
Wife and kids cant leave the thermostat alone. Whenever they feel to cold they bump the thermostat up a couple of degrees, then they are too warm and down it goes again. This forces the heat strips on and cost me an arm and a leg. Can I disable the heat strips safley. I m hoping the slow warm up time will discourage them from messing with it all together. T sat is a Honeywell 2 stge unit. I was told that I could do this by removing one of the T stat wires but shouldnt do it because it would make the compressor run to much. Is this correct? The house also has gas logs on Tsat that really put out some heat. Could I have these come on instead of the heat strips. These were the souce of heat for the house until about three years ago when the old AC broke and was replaced by a heat pump. They heated the house well for years.
#2
12-04-05, 05:06 AM
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The gas log on this same t-stat? or diffrent?
What model t stat do you have? Some touch screen has a lock out.
What do you set it at? What do they bump it up to?
What model t stat do you have? Some touch screen has a lock out.
What do you set it at? What do they bump it up to?
#3
12-04-05, 09:52 AM
Super Moderator
JimmieDee,
There is something you can do that may help and is not necessarily equipment related.
Your problem is mainly caused by using "feel" rather than actual temperature to set the thermostat.
Another thing that will throw things off is the humidity level inside your house. The drier the air inside your house the colder it feels.
The only way you will solve this problem is to purchase a digital humidity/temperature guage and establish some realistic guidelines for family members to follow.
These guages are very accurate and quite inexpensive.
You can't really blame a family member for feeling cold if you do not have your humidifier properly set and maintained.
There is something you can do that may help and is not necessarily equipment related.
Your problem is mainly caused by using "feel" rather than actual temperature to set the thermostat.
Another thing that will throw things off is the humidity level inside your house. The drier the air inside your house the colder it feels.
The only way you will solve this problem is to purchase a digital humidity/temperature guage and establish some realistic guidelines for family members to follow.
These guages are very accurate and quite inexpensive.
You can't really blame a family member for feeling cold if you do not have your humidifier properly set and maintained.
#4
12-05-05, 04:31 AM
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There is one thing you might try.
The TStat is what is telling your heat strips to come on, and normally they are set from the factory at a 2 degree differencial.
If you have a digital TStat, you can change this differencial.
I moved mine to 6 degrees at first, but found on colder days, the heat pump ran excessively. I moved back to 4 degrees, and that seems to have done the trick.
Of course, if the TStat is being moved more than 4 degrees at a pop, the point is mute.
The TStat is what is telling your heat strips to come on, and normally they are set from the factory at a 2 degree differencial.
If you have a digital TStat, you can change this differencial.
I moved mine to 6 degrees at first, but found on colder days, the heat pump ran excessively. I moved back to 4 degrees, and that seems to have done the trick.
Of course, if the TStat is being moved more than 4 degrees at a pop, the point is mute.
#5
12-06-05, 10:40 AM
Hmmm people problems are usually much harder to solve than equipment problems. I occasionally have to give my wife a good spanking, that usually straightens her up for a few days. Joking of course. What you need is to conceal the real thermostat and put a dummy unconnected thermostat on the wall that way they can adjust to their hearts desire and not run the bill way up. Send them out on a shopping trip and Get ir Dun.
#7
12-14-05, 08:49 AM
Installed the humidifier about a week ago. This thing is great, house feels warmer and every body doesnt wake up with a sore throat anymore. Not only is its saving me electricity it's going to save money on doctor bills too.
#8
12-14-05, 02:35 PM
Super Moderator
JimmieDee,
Glad it worked out and thanks for the feedback.
Humidity control is one of the most underestimated and misunderstood parts of comfort control.
If you haven't already, purchasing a digital humidity guage will allow you to now get the proper adjustment of your system.
Too low and you will not get the most benefit and too high can damage your house and promote mold growth.
Glad it worked out and thanks for the feedback.
Humidity control is one of the most underestimated and misunderstood parts of comfort control.
If you haven't already, purchasing a digital humidity guage will allow you to now get the proper adjustment of your system.
Too low and you will not get the most benefit and too high can damage your house and promote mold growth.
#9
12-14-05, 03:51 PM
I had a wet/dry bulb psycometer, I believe is what you call it, tucked away for about 25 years. Chart says 48% relative humidity. Is this OK, Should I still get a digital unit? This one seems like it should be a pretty good unit with mercury thermometers.
#10
12-14-05, 07:01 PM
Super Moderator
JimmieDee,
The humidity level in your home is dependant on what outside temperatures you get but 48%RH is on the high side.
35% is probably closer to what it shpould be if you are in a cold climate.
A wet/dry bulb thermometer to check humidity will work but the cost and simplicity of a digital guage would allow you to easily monitor levels on a continuous basis.
The humidity level in your home is dependant on what outside temperatures you get but 48%RH is on the high side.
35% is probably closer to what it shpould be if you are in a cold climate.
A wet/dry bulb thermometer to check humidity will work but the cost and simplicity of a digital guage would allow you to easily monitor levels on a continuous basis.
#11
12-16-05, 11:08 PM
Wife said she thought it felt a little "clammy" so I tweaked it a little. Wet/dry thermometer says 38% so i think I am going to nail it down there. Humidstat is duct mounted and only marked with increase/decrease so I think once its set I can probably forget it. As far as the digital thingie goes think I'll put out the word and see what Santa brings me. Really want a laser thermometer though, Dont know if I've been good enough for both.
Darn its nice not to wake up with a dry mouth and nose.
Darn its nice not to wake up with a dry mouth and nose.
#12
12-17-05, 06:10 AM
Super Moderator
JimmieDee,
You don't say where you live or what your climate is but if in a cold climate the humidity level inside your house should be kept at the maximum level that doesn't damage your structure.
You can usually tell if it is too high when moisture condenses on your windows.
A laser thermometer is a very usefull tool but you need to know that they require a great deal of interpretive skills to use.
The reflectivity of the surface you are scanning greatly affects the reading which will throw the temperature way off.
They are a nice toy but Santa should really look at the humidity guage as possibly being more usefull.
You don't say where you live or what your climate is but if in a cold climate the humidity level inside your house should be kept at the maximum level that doesn't damage your structure.
You can usually tell if it is too high when moisture condenses on your windows.
A laser thermometer is a very usefull tool but you need to know that they require a great deal of interpretive skills to use.
The reflectivity of the surface you are scanning greatly affects the reading which will throw the temperature way off.
They are a nice toy but Santa should really look at the humidity guage as possibly being more usefull.
#13
12-17-05, 11:05 PM
My need for the laser thermometer has nothing to do with HVAC. Mostly it will be used for checking for hot terminals in power panels. For now my kids think using the sling psychometer is cool. They are now also interested in a few other items in my old trunk, microscope, test tubes, alcohol burner... Wife thinks we are going to break something.
#14
12-18-05, 04:44 AM
Super Moderator
That is also one thing I use the laser therm for and the sling psyc is cool.
I'm just too lazy to use it when I can red the level on an instrument.
I'm just too lazy to use it when I can red the level on an instrument.
#15
12-18-05, 07:57 PM
psychrometer. I use one at work sometimes, only now I have one that is battery operated to run a little fan over the wet sock on the thermometer. Companies too cheap for a digital.
Anyway, I'm in Houston and would like to know a recommended brand/style of humidifier I can stick in the hallway. We're humid outside most of the time but get dry with the North wind at times. thanx
Anyway, I'm in Houston and would like to know a recommended brand/style of humidifier I can stick in the hallway. We're humid outside most of the time but get dry with the North wind at times. thanx
#16
12-19-05, 04:17 AM
Super Moderator
The type of digital humidity guage I am referring to is quite inexpensive.
A customer of mine, a museum has several calibrated chart humidity recorders because they need to keep a record of humiity levels over time.
Because they are awkward to read for daily checks I have supplied several of these cheap digital guages and when the readings are compared to the calibrated instrument the numbers are always pretty much the same.
http://www.calright.com/pd_561.aspx
As far as knowing what type of humidifier to get you need to know how much moisture will need to be added.
The main consideration in sizing is to know how big the space is and how much air change you have.
Depending on how big a unit you need you may have to go to a commercial type unit.
If the space is fairly large with a fairly high air change rate you would do well to call a company that specializes in this type of equipment.
Here is one brand of commercial unit: http://www.dristeem.com/WebSite/Silv...es/pgHome.html
A customer of mine, a museum has several calibrated chart humidity recorders because they need to keep a record of humiity levels over time.
Because they are awkward to read for daily checks I have supplied several of these cheap digital guages and when the readings are compared to the calibrated instrument the numbers are always pretty much the same.
http://www.calright.com/pd_561.aspx
As far as knowing what type of humidifier to get you need to know how much moisture will need to be added.
The main consideration in sizing is to know how big the space is and how much air change you have.
Depending on how big a unit you need you may have to go to a commercial type unit.
If the space is fairly large with a fairly high air change rate you would do well to call a company that specializes in this type of equipment.
Here is one brand of commercial unit: http://www.dristeem.com/WebSite/Silv...es/pgHome.html
