Question regarding time to heat home with Trane

Ferl

Dear Heating experts, We have a 2,400 sq ft home with 10 ft ceilings located in Central Florida. Two years ago we replaced our original heating and cooing system with a Trane XL 1400. We have had nothing but trouble since. After replacing wiring, duct work and heat strips we still feel that it takes a tremendously long amount of time to heat our home with what we thought was a top of the line system. For example: at 5:30 a.m. it begins to run. The temp inside is 67 degrees. At 9:30 the unit was still running and the temp is now only at 69 degrees. It has, indeed been cold here the last couple of weeks. But I think that a system such as Trane would not have to put forth that effort. Any ideas? I look forward to hearing from you. Thanks mbf

Starch

Not a Trane dealer....

....so I'm not sure what size the XL1400 system is.

It sounds to me like there is a problem with either the size of the heat pump, the airflow through the duct system, the size of the auxillary heaters, or a combination of the three. The only way to intelligently diagnose your problem will be to perform a heat loss/gain calculation on your home, and then analyze the unit size compared to the calulated loads. Also, your duct system should be analyzed to see if the ducts are sized properly to allow the necessary airflow to all the various parts of your home.

In my location (Northern Ohio) I always size the auxillary heat to handle the entire heating load, as our winter design conditions dictate that the heat pump itself will be completely ineffective, at least for a portion of the winter. The strip heaters are controlled by a multi-stage thermostat to avoid large spikes in the electrical demand.

Don't blame the brand of your equipment for the problems you are experiencing. Trane makes a very good quality piece of heating/cooling equipment. As is true of ANY heating system, the best equipment in the world will function poorly when not installed or sized properly.

You say you replaced the entire system 2 years ago - did the contractor perform a heat loss estimate of your home? You may want to call him out to look at it, or get someone else if you are not confident in his abilities. This is a problem that can not be diagnosed online.

The other consideration could be that the equipment is sized properly, but not working right due to inadequate refrigerant levels or improper control scheme. You need to have a professional heating contractor take a look at this system. Try the "Find a Contractor" link on this page, and enter your zip code. A large number of the folks who frequent this site are hydronic guys, but many also work with forced air (myself included).

Good luck, and let us know how you make out.

Starch

Mark Eatherton1

I don't think...

shes going to find any Hydronic Heating Contractors from Fina A Contractor with a zip code in Florida, but ya never know now, do ya...:-)

Sounds like she may need an electrician.

ME