Thermostats and heat

[Nightop]

2019 3560RL, first trip in the cooler weather. Until now we have only used the heat pump, and having a heat pump with our sticks and bricks was familiar with how there are diminishing returns the colder it gets outside.

Last night the temp was forecast to get down near freezing, so I left the thermostat downstairs on the heat pump setting and put the thermostat in the bedroom to the furnace setting and a lower setting than the kitchen thinking that once the heat pump was no longer able to keep up the heat that the furnace would turn on via the thermostat in the bedroom.

I woke up very cold this morning.

Is this normal, or did I do something wrong?

Thanks,
Greg Willhite

[WeBeFulltime]

Even though the BR thermostat has a "furnace" mode on it unfortunately it does not control the furnace, You must use the other thermostat and choose between Furnace and HP. Can't use both at same time.

[DQDick]

It is confusing, and some with the new incommand system may be able to use them the way you want, but Webefulltime has it right with the base system. What you see in the bedroom may make you feel better when you go to bed but you'll feeze by morning.

[Nightop]

Thanks to both of you. Your answers are what I was afraid of. It would make too much sense to have them operate that way.

[DutchmenSport]

Yes, to confirm. One air conditioner unit is an air conditioner / heat pump combination. The other is just an air conditioner.

The stand alone air conditioner only cools and / or circulates air on fan mode.

The other one is controlled by a different thermostat that has the ability to switch the air conditioner from air to heat pump. in addition, it has the ability to switch to the furnace. Either the furnace or the air conditioner-heat pump unit will be running, but not both at the same time.

You can have the stand alone air conditioner running on air, and have the other thermostat on "Furnace" and both will be running at the same time.

Or, you can have the heat pump on, on one and air conditioner on the other.

Or have either unit on fan, and air conditioning on the other.

But both do not have heat.

(If you want stand alone heat in the bedroom, use a space heater / ceramic cube space heater. With the door shut, it will roast you out, even if the main heat sources are turned completely off.)