Heat Pumps and Electric Heating - Heat strips on with heat and AC

My HVAC system is a heat pump. The air handler is a Payne and the heat pump is a Carrier. I was having trouble last summer with the AC not plowing very cool air, it turned out the heat strips were on. The AC tech who was working on it disconnected them saying we don't need them where we live. He was wrong. Whenever my heat pump goes into defrost mode the unit blows cold air. I hooked the strips back up, but I would like to resolve why they come on with AC too. The tech only had to disconnect the white wire that runs from the pump to the handler to get them to shut off. He said that there must be a short somewhere. Before I run a new control wire between the two units I would like to confirm that the white wire is hooked up properly to the heat pump. I would also like to know if anything else could cause this.

Also after hooking back up the heat strips they come on even if the unit is not in defrost mode.

The Carrier has a model number 540JJ03U

The tech only had to disconnect the white wire that runs from the pump to the handler to get them to shut off.
Was this disconnected at the air handler or the heat pump outside?



Also after hooking back up the heat strips they come on even if the unit is not in defrost mode.
if it was taken off inside, then leave that be, and go outside, and find the white wire and disconnect it there.. If the heat stops, then it's the control at the heat pump.. if it don't stop, then you have a short in the wire between the heat pump and air handler.

The Carrier has a model number 540JJ03U
How old is it? I was not able to pull up the info in this model.

The white wire was disconnected at the strips.

I took a multimeter to it after posting and it looks like the thermostat bulb at the heat pump never changes to an open circuit. I ordered a replacement.

Thanks

Ok, sounds like you got it all under control.

Have a Great New Year!