Should all heat pumps have a thermostat that is manually selectable to EMT coil heat?

[Gene South]

I inspected a house today with 3 heat pumps, All Tranes and fairly recent models. One of the three had a thermostat that did not have a "EMT" backup heat setting. I am wondering if some thermostat models make all the decisions and do not allow manual selection of EMT heat? Or was the guy just using the wrong thermostat? The other two units in the house had coil EMT heat and EMT type thermostats and they are the same model number.

[Vern Heiler]

I inspected a house today with 3 heat pumps, All Tranes and fairly recent models. One of the three had a thermostat that did not have a "EMT" backup heat setting. I am wondering if some thermostat models make all the decisions and do not allow manual selection of EMT heat? Or was the guy just using the wrong thermostat? The other two units in the house had coil EMT heat and EMT type thermostats and they are the same model number.

Could be DIY'er used wrong tstat, but also could be there is no heat strip installed. Nothing says you have to have auxiliary heat. I most often see heat pumps without aux heat installed in bonus rooms where heat rises from the lower level and it is not as much of an issue. Only way to tell is to open the air-handler and see if strips are installed.

[Dom D'Agostino]

Also, many t-stats automatically engage EM heat (if present) when you set the desired temp more than 2 degrees above actual temp.

[Rod Butler]

Could be DIY'er used wrong tstat, but also could be there is no heat strip installed. Nothing says you have to have auxiliary heat. I most often see heat pumps without aux heat installed in bonus rooms where heat rises from the lower level and it is not as much of an issue. Only way to tell is to open the air-handler and see if strips are installed.

I think Vern nailed it.

I am against technology deciding what is best for us because in truth that is just a programmer's opinion. But if this is installed on a system that does not have aux heat, there is not a need for an override.

[Mark Reinmiller]

Some of the newer electronic thermostats can be set up to operate in many modes. You program this when you install the thermostat. I saw two of the name or similar model (I think Honeywell) on heat pumps that were not programmed to have an emergency heat setting. One was in a vacant house I I fooled around with it and reset the thermostat to have an emergency heat setting.

[Mike Clarke]

I think Vern nailed it.

I am against technology deciding what is best for us because in truth that is just a programmer's opinion. But if this is installed on a system that does not have aux heat, there is not a need for an override.

Not specific to the thermostat discussed, but I too am against a lot of decision making being left up to technology these days in many cases, for most not an issue as long as I am allowed to program the technology to make the decision based on what I want, not solely left up to some programmer with no options for me to change by some degree, too many times try to make things too idiot proof!