Heat pump aux heat does not come on

[barker7]

I have a Trane heat pump.Inside unit is about 13 years old, the outside unit is about 8 years old. I think it is a 3 ton unit. Original weathertron thermostat.

During a recent cold snap (outside temp about 15), we noticed the house temp wouldn't get above 65 F. The blue aux heat light was on but I don't think the heater strips ever energized. To test, I measured the air temp at a vent before and after the blue light came on. No difference. Then I tried switching to emergency heat. This cut out the compressor (as expected) and the vent temperature started to drop. So, I think the the emergency heat is also not working.

I checked all the breakers. What do the emergency heat strips and the aux heat strips have in common? I'm thinking that they share a common ground that may be bad? Any other ideas?

Thanks

Mitch

[gofish]

what they have in common is they're both usually powered by electricity.

I got lots of ideas. btw, it sure is warm in my house.

[Da Cable Guy]

What gave you that idea? < rolls eyes >

Fireplace dude. Get some wood.

[<kjpro]

Ya, don&#39;t go messin with stuff you don&#39;t understand.

You do know electricity kills?

[Stormin Mormon]

Sounds like the aux heat is for some reason not creating a complete circuit.

Beyond that level of information, you should call a heating service company.

[<kjpro]

Ya think?

[Oscar_Lives]

Insufficient electron flow?

[Tekkie®]

posted for all of us...

Yes

[Jeffrey Lebowski]

There will likely be another set of breakers on the inside of the air handler, suggest should check them also.

Uses the same heating elements--just that when the thermostat is set to emg then the heat pump compressor will be locked out altoghether, when used as auxillary then they only fire when the heat pump can&#39;t keep up with demand and so the thermostat calls them up as second stage supplemental heat ( and if wired up properly, they will also fire whenever the outside unit goes into defrost mode )

Suggest trace the white wire that runs between the thermost and air handler, oftentimes folks will disable the heat strips by disconnecting low voltage control to it--thus forcing heat pump operation only--which in many cases can save considerably on the electric bill at least during mild weather...

Variations of the above do exist--for instance, could be that you have an outdoors lockout thermostat and it has been set to disable heat strip operation at temps above 15 deg....but, beings as no one can see it all from here then really the best thing would probably be for you to call in a competant tech.

[Jeffrey Lebowski]

Actually, looking over your post again it appears you very likely have something fairly serious has gone wrong--beings as the strips apparently did operate at least for some period of time.

Definately suggest it&#39;s time to call in a tech.

[Jeffrey Lebowski]

Oops--Disregard the above--appears I had responded to the wrong OP.

Still not a bad idea.

[gofish]

may I suggest another White Russian?? :-)

[<kjpro]

How about a coconut oil tanned seniorita? :-)

[Jeffrey Lebowski]

Thanks, but Im gonna have to decline

Maybe sometime next week...

[Jeffrey Lebowski]

Always the Red-headed slut...