Elec heat not working on unit -- Too cold outside??

[kayserc]

Anyone,

It is approx. 12 degs out and I am performing monthly exercise of my unit, I,e, genny on under load, etc. Since it is lower teens outside I turned on elec heat. Nothing but cold air after 10 mins. I also tried same while connected to usual 30a, 110 MH outlet with same result. Question: Is it TOO cold outside for elec heat to kick in? I have a 2014, Itasca Sunstar.

tks

[forest]

Yes it it too cold. Dealer should have informed you that the heat pump will only make heat down to about 38-40deg.

[Jim2]

If you're referring to an air conditioner with a heat pump. read the owners manual and they all tell you the heat pump shouldn't be used below approx. 40 degrees.

[motohomo]

Gotta run your gas heat. Too cold for the electric heat.

[majfrizz]

When I Had to exercise the generator in the winter I would plug in two space heaters and watch tv for awhile.

[wa8yxm]

By electric heat do you mean HEAT PUMP or Resistive heat strips?

HEAT PUMPS do not work if it's too cold.. and it was too cold. (THey actually have thermostatic devices that prevent them from working in many cases.. This is because tryign to use them when it is too cold can break them)

[firedoc]

And running the propane furnaces will NOT exercise your generator. Just sayin......


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[D Lindy]

FWIW< I'm of the feeling that just like the Cummins motor let the Cummins generator set for the winter. I let ours set from 1Nov till about 30 Apr with no issues.

[cbeierl]

Originally Posted by D Lindy

FWIW< I'm of the feeling that just like the Cummins motor let the Cummins generator set for the winter. I let ours set from 1Nov till about 30 Apr with no issues.

It's not the engine in the generator that needs the exercise, it's the electrical generating side of things that needs to be exercised under load to drive out moisture that can damage it.

[RTegarini]

Originally Posted by forest

Yes it it too cold. Dealer should have informed you that the heat pump will only make heat down to about 38-40deg.

Question: I thought I understood that when set to electric heat and the heat pump wouldn't operate, it would go to gas heat automatically. For example, in electric heat mode, if you set the thermostat higher than 3 degrees above ambient room temperature, gas heat would run until within that 3 degrees. I would have thought that if was too cold for the heat pumps, gas heat would override the electric heat. Do I have any of that correct? -RT

[ChasA]

RT, that's how mine works.