Installing Heat Strip

[NWILSON]

After 50 or so nights in our new Cyclone we've decided that the heat strip in the garage AC does a surprising amount of heating for only 1500 watts. We've also decided that the fireplace doesn't do enough set at 70 and does too much at 75 (no options in between!).

Since the warmth from the heat strip has pretty much faded by the time it gets to the bedroom I'm thinking the addition of a heat strip to the AC in the living area might be just what we need on cooler nights. The living area AC and garage AC are on different power legs so no concerns there.

My homework says I'll also need to change out the control box in the AC to accommodate the thermostat. We already have a CT thermostat which should be compatible but the control box comes with a new one anyway.

Does anyone have experience installing a heat strip? Is this a bigger job than it appears?

 

[porthole]

Neale, we had heat strips from new in both of our AC's.
When the main unit died two years ago I ordered a new AC with a Dometic digital thermostat and heat strip.
I got all the parts from PPL and note that there is a heat strip for a ducted and non ducted AC (we have one of each).
Besides the coil, the heat strip should come with a controller.
April 2016 the HS was $55

Is a fairly simple install.

I doubt we have used our furnace 5 times in the past 8 years. Once you let the strips run awhile they do a fair job, just keeping in mind all your heat is up high and takes longer get get pushed down.