Heat Pump on 2018 Classic

[ajwbarnard]

Since my Alde system either requires hours to warm up the trailer or eats through propane for a faster heat, my idea was that I would use the heat pump feature on the AC unit since I am not paying for my electricity at my campsite.

We have now tried the heat pump on 3 separate occasions all with roughly the same results but with varying lengths of actual operation. Despite the fact that I am able and did run my AC unit all night, I am not able to run the heat pump without it after some period of time tripping the 30 amp breaker at the pole. Since both of the other times, I wasn't sure how many amps I was pulling, this morning with everything off, I put the heat pump on. It ran for 30 or so minutes and was one degree shy of hitting the desired temperature and it tripped the breaker.

Why would running one unit giving cold air not trip the breaker and running it to give hot trip the breaker?

This is what my Progressive surge protector was displaying while the unit was running it heat pump mode if that is at all useful in answering this question.

[overlander63]

It can do that because the refrigerant lines are slightly more restricted when operating in heat pump mode, making the compressor to have to work just hard enough it will sometimes trip the breaker.

[uncle_bob]

Hi

In heat pump mode some AC units engage heater strips. It lets them operate to lower temperatures without icing. They aren't very smart about just when they need the strips. The extra current for the strips will "help" trip breakers.

Bob

[overlander63]

Originally Posted by uncle_bob

Hi

In heat pump mode some AC units engage heater strips. It lets them operate to lower temperatures without icing. They aren't very smart about just when they need the strips. The extra current for the strips will "help" trip breakers.

Bob

I've never seen those strips on a Penguin II. Do you have any photos or links to them?

[ajwbarnard]

Originally Posted by uncle_bob

Hi

In heat pump mode some AC units engage heater strips. It lets them operate to lower temperatures without icing. They aren't very smart about just when they need the strips. The extra current for the strips will "help" trip breakers.

Bob

Ok now I understand what you mean by heating strips. There is no mention of them in the user manual. And there is no dometic manual for AC just fridge.

[uncle_bob]

Hi

I don't *know* that the strips are in this specific AC unit. I've not seen a manual for the one AS uses.

Bob

[james.mileur]

16 + 14 = 30. One more or less amp from the converter cycling, the fridge cycling, the whatever cycling, the old 30 amp breaker, etc., etc. Breaker tripping is not exact and ain't always on the high side. Running at the red line is the edge of the cliff.

[paiceman]

On 30amp, just for kicks try running only the rear AC unit as a heat pump and see if the breaker trips. The rear one is the 13,500 and the front unit is the 15,000. I have no idea if it will make a difference, but I'd try it if it were mine.

In four Airstreams I don't ever remember running the heat pumps. Don't care for them in homes so I've only used the Furnace and now the Alde.

Bud

[uncle_bob]

Hi

Just how cold is it getting? We ran a single heat pump while debugging the Alde. It did a fine job at 50F without being on very much. I don't care for the noise, but it's no worse than running the AC at night. I also don't care for the dogs going into a scratching frenzy right next to me at 3AM. I put up with that as well....

Bob

[ajwbarnard]

I won't be able to test any of these theories this week. Summer has returned to VT and temps in the 80's means AC not heat!