More aberrant behavior.

[UncleTim]

Last night at 3:45 am, the trailer air conditioner heating strips started up. By itself while in the off position. Yes it did.

The trailer is in the driveway, plugged into the house power, thru a 15 amp service line. I have the 15 amp plug on.

The trailer thermostat is currently off as it was at 3:45 am. The air condition is set to 80°, the heater is set to 48°. The outside ambient temperature was also 48° (decreasing).

Here's the only clue. The heating strips were set to 48°.

Somehow the heating strips turned on (I think) even thou the thermostat was in the off position. Which does look a lot like the heating strip position. I just cycled the thermostat (5 pushes, one cycle (fan, air, heat, strips, off)) and they then turned off.

They were on for about 15 minutes.

I am not sure why this would happen. the trailer has been plugged in for days with no problem. It got colder the night before too but they did not turn on then.

Everything seems fine, but this does spook me a bit.

If the thermostat was in the heating strip position, then this is just normal behavior. If in fact the thermostat was off, as I found it, then this is aberrant behavior. Could be haunted!

Either way, it looks like no harm was done.

[Jim Bennett]

I have never had heating strips in the A/C, because if I need heat the furnace is best. What I am wondering, is this strip controlled by the thermostat. I ask as I wonder how it would control both. Just curious.

[UncleTim]

Yes it is controlled by the thermostat.

First position: Off
Second position: Fan
Third Position: Air conditioner
Fourth Position: Heater
Fifth Position: Heater Strips

I would not get this feature again. I never have used it. And I agree with you. I just checked and you can run both the heater and the heating strips at the same time.

[Eggscape]

Well at least you know they work.

[Mike G]

The thermostat is what sets the heat strip temp to 48, right? So it has to be a thermostat problem. Somehow or other. When you fiddled with the 'stat, you got it to turn the heat strip back off.


Or maybe the furnace gremlin had babies....