re; checking the electric furnace on heat pump.

[daniel nantell]

Whats the best way to check to see if the electric backup is properly kicking in when the temp drops past the Heat pumps capacity to keep things warm. Also how you know if one of the elements is burned out with taking apart. thanks

[Matt Fellman]

Element burned out? I don't think you could without taking apart and testing or having the chance to see/feel it run before and after. At the end of the day and electrical element is not going to bankrupt me so I don't worry too much as long as it's putting out heat.

As for checking that "some" heat is coming out there are a variety of tricks.

-Watch the electric meter before and after you turn on the furnace
-With heat coming out of the registers go make sure the heat pump isn't running
-Isolate the thermostat to "emergency heat" and check for heat (and check to be sure the heat pump isn't running).

Honestly, I've struggled with this one on a really hot day. It's sometimes tough to tell if the air coming out is actually heated or just being blown around. In this case I don't think you have a prayer of knowing if the unit is only running at "half-speed" like if one element is not working.

[Jim Luttrall]

That is an automatic function of the thermostat which you can't really test unless you cool the house down or trick the thermostat.
But you can use the thermostat to manually control the system.
Here is my method:
Set the stat to heat one or two degrees above the current temperature and wait for the unit to come on check the outside unit for operation and note the temp. differential inside.
Advance the stat several degrees to bring on the backup heat and observe the outdoor unit again to make sure it is still running.
Observe the temperature differential after sufficient time has passed for the sequencers, etc. if applicable to bring on the backup heat.
You should note a substantial increase in the temp. differential.
Switch to emergency heat and the outdoor unit should shut down but the backup heat continue until the temp setting is returned to the room temp.
You can also use a clamp on amp meter. to test the strip heaters.

[David Bell]

Switching the thermostat to emerg. bypasses the sequencer so you won't really know if it is working correctly. On warmer days you can pull the disconnect on the outdoor unit and set the temp at least 4 degrees higher.

[Jim Luttrall]

You only switch to emergency heat to kill the outdoor unit as the home owner would in the event of a problem with the outdoor unit.
I have had to utilize this in the past during an ice storm where ice built up on the condenser fan blades causing it to be so much out of balance that the unit was shaking itself apart.
Pulling the outdoor disconnect won't tell you anything about the function of the unit except that the disconnect works. Careful operation of the unit with the thermostat and a thermometer will tell you all you need.

[David Bell]

Pulling the outdoor disconnect won't tell you anything about the function of the unit except that the disconnect works. Careful operation of the unit with the thermostat and a thermometer will tell you all you need.


If the stat is in heat mode, pulling the disconnect will tell you whether the sequencer is working properly by bringing in the electric backup without being in emergancy mode. Emergancy mode takes the sequencer out of the picture.

[David Bell]

emergency,,my fingers dont always work well

[Jim Luttrall]

If the stat is in heat mode, pulling the disconnect will tell you whether the sequencer is working properly by bringing in the electric backup without being in emergancy mode. Emergancy mode takes the sequencer out of the picture.
Always willing to learn, I just tried your method on my own unit.
I could not replicate what you are describing.
The heat strips on my 3 year old unit with solid state T stat brings on the strip heaters as a supplement to the heat pump when the stat setting is about 3-4 degrees above room temperature.
Pulling the disconnect at the outdoor unit had no effect on that relationship.
All the "emergency heat" setting on the t stat does is to keep the outdoor unit off while allowing the strip heaters to continue to provide heat.
Of course my unit is newer and does not have the old fashioned sequencers that you might see on older electric furnaces.
What are you calling sequencers and where are they located?

[bruce m graham III]

the emergency heat setting does not bypass the sequencer it does however bypass the compressor.