Ruud electric heat

[donnavb]

We have a Ruud electric heater with heat strips. This being a first for us we are wondering if anyone can help us with 2 questions. First this unit runs for 2 hours to climb 5 degrees, our home is less than 15oo sq,ft. Also the air coming out is just luke warm and not hot like other heating units we've had. Have had a new sequencer and have a programable stat on the unit. We live in southeast Tx. and doesn't get really cold here like the Northeast. In one month our electric bill doubled. :( Any help out there with some answers?

[Ed Imeduc]

Now is this just an electric furnace or a heatpump? there is a differents. Do you have a strip stuck on????.
Programmable tstat not good on a heat pump. Need more info on just what you have there. 2 hr for 5 o how cold out side. again is it a heat pump and not wired right.
In one month our electric bill doubled
Post back here in same post with more info if you can .

ED ;)

[donnavb]

This is not a "heat Pump" just electric heat with heat strips. No don't think any strip is stuck. The sequencer that was replaced was suppose to fix?? the long running but still the same. The outside temps are in the low to upper 40's. We set the stat at a night time low of 68 with a 2 degree swing. So at 6 am we bring it up to 73 which takes this unit a good 2 hours to do. I don't know if this is normal for a electric heat or if something is still wrong with it.

[Ed Imeduc]

Ok so you have to think about it. most units are put in that they will heat the home at 72 and 0o outside. Now that would like say what size unit you need. So if it heats the home thats it is all. Now as for the pick up on heat you could put in another strip to make the unit bigger and heat the home faster but it will take the same amount of $$$ to heat it fast with more stripsas with less and run longer. Id check the strips again for sur if you bill just went up on you. I have had lots where the relays or the
sequencer stick on and people dont know it. Meters are good for this but an amprobe is much better to find if there is a draw of amps on the furnace when its off. And like in most of the post is the filter clean new one every 30 t0 90 days is the blower wheel blades clean . It all helps.

ED ;)

ED

[jonjonbear]

Hello Ed,
The OP is my mom, and we have had the shop come back out and now they have discovered the RUUD unit is set up for two circuits and is only wired for one(second built in breaker is not hooked up). Apparently they didn't run the second circuit to the unit. Looking at the diagram on line it appears that in order for it to be run as a single unit (with jumpers installed) the unit must be wired to an 80 amp feed with what appears to be 4 guage wire. She says the wire is very large but can't see any writing on it so we need to go out there this weekend and look at it. She checked the outdoor breaker and it's a 60 amp. Apparently it was done this way when the house was built but being we got the house on a forclosure it's as is. Looks like the only choice is if the branch circuit is not large enough to handle the entire load than a second one may have to be pulled in. As it sits right now the unit is only operating on half capacity so it's no wonder it runs so long. Would like to get my hands on the moron who did the installation on it.....On thing that I did discover the inside unit is the same even if it were a heat pump which I sure wish it were but it's only set up for electric strip heating.
Thanks for your input!!
John

[Trob]

While building my house, I rented a very small 2 bedroom house with electric strip heat only, my electric bill was astronomical for such a small house. My heat pump is very efficient. I am total electric, have a 1500 sq ft house, my monthly electric bill averages $100-125. I live in north Louisiana, so it doesn't get very cold here, either. The heat pump air is not as warm coming out at the registers initially as either strip or gas heat, but it does get the house plenty warm. I wouldn't want anything else other than a heat pump.

Troy

P.s. I like one of the moderators tag line "My mistakes don't define me." I might like to add "They just show I'm trying." :)

[Ed Imeduc]

The only diff on the inside coil there for a heat pump is say a bypass like. So the liquid freon can go back out to the compressor.

ED ;)