Heat: gas+electric?

[Mark S]

The past couple of mornings I turned on the heat so DW would get out of bed. I set the thermostat to "electric heat" and to my surprise the electric and gas heat came on and the thermostat said "gas and electric". After the first cycle or so just the electric came on as I wanted.

I thought is was either gas or electric, not both?

[jschulz1720]

Mine does the same thing. I haven't asked Jayco, but I think it does that for the first cycle to help get the RV to the correct temp. Ours doesn't turn on after that first cycle.

[tom463219]

It might be like my Greyhawk, if you have it set to electric and more than 6 degrees temp difference, then the gas furnace will come on too. After initial warmup, the gas should remain off. To prevent gas furnace from coming on, I set temp less than 6 degrees difference. Increasing temp as the rv warms up keeps the furnace from coming on.

[hoppers4]

If the difference between the room temperature and the set temperature is greater than 4 degrees, the gas furnace will also come on even though the thermostat is set to electric.

[oldmanAZ]

Both is fine and it's the way many use to heat the water faster. We've done that initially when we want hot water faster. Then we shutoff the propane to maintain the temp on electric only.

[chasfenwick]

Our 2014 Melbourne 29D was designed such that, when you selected "Electric" heat at the thermostat, it would then employ logic to determine if criteria for electric heat were met. If not, it would activate the gas furnace until such time as they WERE met. For example, if your set point were 72 degrees but it is only 60 degrees in the coach, it would activate the gas heat to give a speedy warmup, then change over to electric to MAINTAIN 72 degrees thereafter. Actually, the logic is fairly complex and not immediately intuitive. Another situation that is accommodated in the logic is where criteria to run the heat pump WERE met when you went to bed but, through the night, the outside air temperature dropped below what the heat pump can deal with; at that time it will either switch to gas heat or simply shut off for 45 minutes, I don't recall which, with the switch on the thermostat still reading ELEC. We experienced both of these scenarios and asked the techs at the Jayco dealer if heating systems were functioning normally. They HAD NO CLUE that it works the way it does, by design. Heat pumps have significant limitations that must be dealt with. Once it is all spelled out, it makes perfect sense but, as I said, it isn't immediately intuitive.

[Mark S]

Ok, thanks for the replies. Makes sense.

I was worried if the heater broke DW would not get out of bed, her being a Florida girl and all.

Thanks

[javamon]

I used the heat because the mornings got pretty cold on our recent trip to Wyoming and Colorado. It seemed to kick on the gas + electric when the temperature got down to 64. When it was above 64, just electric.

[Mark S]

Yup, it was about 60. It works well warm up the place.

[RyRoRyan]

What thermostats are in your unit...mine only displays temp on the actual LCD.

[pconroy]

I think in our Greyhawk with a Coleman Mach II 15K unit on top - it's the delta. The gas fires up until the heat gap is closed.

Once the cabin warmed up, we stayed on electric even when the temps dipped into the low 40's outside.

[Mark S]

Originally Posted by RyRoRyan

What thermostats are in your unit...mine only displays temp on the actual LCD.

Airxcel

[Isaacs]

Originally Posted by Mark S

The past couple of mornings I turned on the heat so DW would get out of bed. I set the thermostat to "electric heat" and to my surprise the electric and gas heat came on and the thermostat said "gas and electric". After the first cycle or so just the electric came on as I wanted.

I thought is was either gas or electric, not both?

If I wanted to get my DW out of bed all I'd have to do is climb in with her!

[Mark S]

Originally Posted by Isaacs

If I wanted to get my DW out of bed all I'd have to do is climb in with her!

Now that's funny. Sad, but funny. LOL